Landfill Weigh Station Stabilization in New York
Problem
The entrance and exit slabs of a landfill weigh station in Broome County, New York, settled significantly enough to cause unsafe traffic conditions. County engineers decided on URETEK’s industry-renowned soil stabilization processes to stabilize and lift the slabs. An added challenge for the project was that the weigh station needed to remain operational during the repairs.
Analysis
The soil conditions beneath the four slabs of interest (entrance approach/departure approach/exit approach/departure slabs) were unknown, so the first task for crew members was to perform Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) testing of the area. DCP testing showed a layer of weak soil under each of the four slabs at a depth of about four feet. This result indicated the need for soil stabilization in addition to slab lifting.
Solution
Crews employed the URETEK Deep Injection® (UDI) process to stabilize the subsoils, lift the slabs, and align the joints. Technicians drilled holes in each slab and drove sacrificial steel tubes to depths of four feet, as indicated by DCP testing. The crew then injected a total of 3,369 pounds of URETEK 486 Star® structural polymer into the tubes. The immediate lifting of the slabs indicated successful stabilization of the subsoils. On the second day of work, the crew re-injected several unstable joints that were treated on the first day.
Result
In less than two days, crew members successfully lifted and aligned the entrance and exit slabs to restore safe traffic conditions to and from the landfill. The entrance approach, entrance departure, exit approach, and exit departure slabs were lifted 1.6, 2.5, 3/8, and 1/2 inches, respectively. By stabilizing the weak subsoils in the process, a long-term solution for Broome County’s landfill was delivered in a manner that didn’t interrupt normal operations at the landfill.
URETEK Deep Injection® (UDI)
Widely referenced throughout our industry, UDI involves the injection of structural polymer into base and subgrade soils to increase the load bearing capacity. This is achieved by injecting the polymer through small holes drilled directly through the pavement structure to depths determined by site-specific analysis. Our URETEK 486 Star® material flows easily into voids and weak zones within the soil mass below. Through a controlled chemical reaction, the expanding polymer compacts surrounding soils and applies a controlled pressure on targeted areas of the affected pavement above. If needed, a multi-injection design plan is utilized to gently return the pavement to its original grade. The composite material quickly cures into a strong, dimensionally stable, and water-resistant geo-material, providing years of reliable service.
URETEK 486 Star®
URETEK 486 Star® polymer is a two-component, high-density, expanding thermoset polyurethane system. It was developed to be the ideal solution for under-sealing, void filling, lifting of settled pavement, stabilization and stiffening of weak soils, and for encapsulating and sealing buried infrastructure. URETEK 486 Star® is environmentally inert, non-toxic, and resists underground water erosion or weakening due to its industry-leading hydrophobic properties.
