Geotechnical Engineering

Ground stabilisation techniques improve the geotechnical performance or change the physical characteristics of rock formations and soils. These techniques can be used in conjunction with piling or in isolation.

What is ground stabilisation used for?

Ground stabilisation refers to the injection of pumpable grout material into a soil and or rock formation to enhance the physical characteristics. The makeup of the grout will depend on the soil and rock formation to be grouted, area and type of voids to be treated.

The grouting process commences with the installation of boreholes on a predetermined grid layout.

Grout is then pumped under pressure to the area requiring treatment which can include historic mine workings.

The ground stabilisation services we offer are:

• Drilling and Bulk Infill – is typically used to infill large voids beneath the ground such as those left by abandoned mine workings. The stability provided from the grout further reduces the risk of void migration that could cause settlement or collapse at the ground surface to facilitate follow on construction activity.
• Compaction Grouting – is used to stabilise and densify comprisable soils, loose or collapsed strata and rubble fills to increase bearing capacity and stabilize sinkholes and subsurface voids. The density of the soil is increased by injecting a stiff grout under pressure through cased boreholes across the treatment area

Grouting can also be carried out from an existing basement or locations with limited headroom, and it is possible to drill through hard material to reach the low strength strata beneath for treatment.