URETEK geopolymers stand out for their ability to preserve their properties even in humid environment. Due to their special composition, geopolymers are protected against water. Therefore, geopolymer resins can be used for strengthening the shores of waterbodies.
Water gradually breaks the materials it encounters. Such natural process is called water erosion and that is why special attention should be paid to strengthening soil when erecting buildings near shoreline. This applies also to artificial waterbodies, e.g. ponds-reservoirs and wastewater treatment plants. Accidents resulting from soil erosion or collapsing embankments can be avoided when using URETEK geopolymers injection technology.
Special features of strengthening shores
In many cases, strengthening of soil near waterbodies and securing the shoreline is considered insignificant. Rather frequently only temporary solutions are used to strengthen the shores of waterbodies, e.g. covering eroded area with crushed stone or other filling material.
As a result, failure to reconstruct unsafe section may create a need for regular repairs of shoreline, which also means significant costs. Equally expensive is the traditional method of embankment repairs, which requires using special heavy-duty machinery and earthworks.
Alternative solution for proper strengthening shore-side soil is URETEK geopolymers technology. It does not require using heavy duty vehicles. Geopolymer resins can be injected by using small mobile devices that allow inserting material in soil through drilled holes with diameter of 12–16 mm.
Process of strengthening soil
Washed or eroded sections of shoreline and destroyed embankments (such as stone dykes) are restored by using Deep Injection method. Geopolymers are inserted in soil according to scheme starting from the depth of 1.5 m and deeper. After series of several injections at different depths, a solid waterproof wall is formed in soil.
Geopolymers achieve required strength with only 15 minutes. During that time, they spread across the soil and form a waterproof barrier that resists rather great loads. When exposed to water, geopolymers do not change and preserve their waterproofing properties for a long time.
Geopolymers can be injected not only in the shore-side soil but also directly in the embankment made of stones and rocks. In that case, geopolymers fill the voids between stones and for uniform solid structure.
Ecological safety
Huge advantage of URETEK geopolymer resins consists in their ability to achieve great durability even in excessively moist environment. Meanwhile, geopolymers are ecologically safe and absolutely inert materials that do not endanger ecosystem of the waterbody.