Soil mixing technique reduces HS2 footprint

This facilitated the installation of a new gas-main pipe as part of the HS2 project. Works in this area are preparing for the railway to be built on a viaduct on its way towards Birmingham.

Stafford-based ground remediation specialist Deep Soil Mixing used a soil-mixing technique which did not require either removing soil from site or replacing it with new material, bringing significant environmental benefits. Samples analysed by the company determined the final soil-binder mix formulation. Mixing was carried out on site and tested in situ to ensure the correct deep soil-mixing solution was undertaken.

Completed in six months, the method eliminated nearly 1,000 truck movements as no excavated material was taken to landfill, and no clean hardcore material was brought to site. It also resulted in improved cost efficiencies and a shortened construction programme.

Deep Soil Mixing was working for Land and Marine Engineering which was contracted to HS2’s enabling works joint venture contractor LM (Laing O’Rourke and J Murphy & Sons).

Simon Russell, LM Project Director said: “Over the past year, our team has been preparing this site for the start of construction. One of our key objectives as an HS2 contractor is to reduce the project’s carbon footprint by introducing innovative sustainable techniques wherever possible. We were extremely pleased that the ground remediation solution used by Deep Soil Mixing resulted in cost, time and environmental benefits.”