Barrier Wall Prevents Chemical Contamination at Texas Manufacturing Plant
Source Crane Materials Intl.
Crane Materials Intl. (CMI) has completed the installation of a barrier wall to stop groundwater and subsurface soil contamination.
A manufacturing plant operating in Corpus Christi, Texas, became dangerously contaminated with high concentrations of benzene as a direct result of operations at a nearby petroleum and gas refinery.
Poor soil conditions at the remediation site made the design and installation of a subsurface barrier wall a challenge. After investigating multiple options, the decision was made to create a 928-linear-ft subsurface barrier wall using CMI's 32-ft long ShoreGuard SG-625 vinyl sheet piling manufactured with XCRTM Technology.
To ensure successful installation of ShoreGuard SG-625 sheets, the contractor chose to utilize part of CMI’s PileClaw installation equipment featuring PileClaw Mandrel technology. The use of the PileClaw Mandrel provides the installer with greater assurance when driving the ShoreGuard sheets to desired depths.
This solution limited the amount of excavation and ground disturbance at the jobsite, thus restricting dangerous air emissions from the contaminated soils. In addition, the barrier wall provided a much higher level of chemical resistance than other options. The PileClaw Mandrel and CMI's patented IBEAM interlock system together maintained the integrity of the locks during installation. The PileClaw Mandrel worked well with the contractor’s ABI Mobilram machine.
"While the circumstances that brought about need for this project were certainly not ideal, we are very proud to help contain the environmental damage and stop the spread of dangerous chemicals into groundwater and soil," said Peter Manning, sales director at CMI. "The ShoreGuard SG-625 sheets provided an ideal solution for creating a long-term subsurface barrier."
With the use of a chemicallyresistant hydrophilic sealant in the sheet piling interlocks, the subsurface wall at the refinery is expected to provide a virtually impermeable barrier. Numerous extraction wells are in place and actively monitored to confirm success. In fact, all groundwater in the contaminated area is sampled quarterly to confirm the stability and containment of any hexavalent chromium, NAPL and dissolved benzene.
Source: Crane Materials Intl.
