SoilFreeze
Advantage
The SoilFreeze system is a comprehensive alternative to other shoring methods such as soil nailing, soldier piles and lagging, sheet piles, caissons, slurry walls, or secant piles for your project. If your project has difficult soil conditions, many of these methods are not feasible or can have marginal success. Ground freezing can handle the most difficult soil conditions with great results.
“The freezing method is remarkably versatile and, with ingenuity,
it can be adapted to a great many project conditions.”
Dr. Kamran M. Nemati, Professor in Construction Management and Civil Engineering at the University of Washington
Frozen soil barriers are “environmentally benign” and have significant advantages over “conventional containment systems using steel, concrete, slurry walls, or grout curtains” and offer “extremely low maintenance costs, allowing continued use for extended periods”.
EPA Site Technology Program, (7th edition, p. 202).
“Frozen soil can eliminate groundwater flow paths” and “the potential is great”.
Scientific Ecology Group, Inc. for Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Document STD-R-00-01, February 1995.
Results from ground freezing for the complete, reversible isolation of a volume of contaminated soil from surrounding soils and groundwater under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Our prices are competitive with all types of shoring methods, especially those that control groundwater. With every project we strive to minimize or eliminate groundwater infiltration while providing a proven, structural ground support system. A dry excavation can result in additional cost savings to the contractor and owner with regard to dewatering costs, excavation time, and material handling costs. With our system these extra expenses can be effectively eliminated.
Cost Efficient
Many owners and agencies are recognizing the serious environmental impacts of dewatering and are placing severe restrictions on the discharge and removal of groundwater.
Frozen soil is essentially impermeable. Once fully formed, groundwater and/or contaminates will be unable to penetrate the frozen wall. The goal of each system design is to give the contractor a water free excavation even in soils that are water saturated or well below surrounding groundwater.
Any probability that groundwater may infiltrate from below the frozen soil perimeter wall is addressed by investigating the underlying soil’s permeability. The design engineer, using computer analysis, can estimate the probability of any seepage. To greatly reduce or eliminate any groundwater seepage, the freeze pipes can be installed deep enough to penetrate low permeable soils or can be installed at angles to create a frozen bottom.
Frozen soil shoring can be used for simple and complex excavation shapes and depths. Existing utilities do not have to be removed or rerouted but can be kept operational by integrating them into the frozen soil shoring wall. The frozen soil can also protect foundations and large utilities from settlement or movement. Freeze pipes can be installed horizontally (for tunnel excavation), vertically, and all angles in between.
Protecting the environment has always been a core principal of our company; artificial freezing was originally used for removing harmful materials such as radioactive waste. By using the natural process of freezing we can maintain the quality of our service and avoid causing detrimental damages to the area. The "LEED" (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation program is a priority for many engineers, builders, and developers. We recognize the importance of this program and are always proactivly working with our clients to meet the requirements for green building practices. On every project:
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Installation noise and vibration are kept to a minimum
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Use electric power
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System is completely temporary. Once complete, the system is removed and soils return to their natural state
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No permanent groundwater "flow pattern" disruption
Taking into account actual site and soil conditions, contractor’s construction needs, live loads, earth pressures, and many other factors, each SoilFreeze system is designed and stamped by one of our professional engineers specifically for your project. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and their related state agencies have inspected and approved our systems and have always accepted them as the only form of shoring necessary. Inherently strong and robust, frozen soil can be used in the construction of deep vertical excavated walls and circular shafts that can be hundreds of feet deep without the need for internal bracing or "tie-backs".
Eliminating Dewatering
Flexible and Innovative
Friendly to Community and Environment
Professionally Engineered
