The management of surplus soils in earthwork constructions is a well-known challenge amongst engineers, especially when the legal framework hampers direct re-use due to mild soil contamination. The common method of disposal on a landfill will induce CO2-Emissions and transport costs while at the same time reducing valuable landfill volume.
With this in mind, authorities and regulations often allow the on-site re-use of mildly contaminated soils (e.g. in noise barrier walls) under the premise that measures are implemented to prevent water flow through the contaminated soils.
Geosynthetics rise to the challenge: HDPE geomembranes and geosynthetic clay liners effectively seal contaminated soils on site. In this way, these soils can serve as embankments or noise barriers. This allows for a sustainable and environmentally friendly re-use of surplus soils.
