Soil mixing solutions for foundations are being used for the first time by soil stabilisation and ground remediation specialist Deep Soil Mixing Ltd as an alternative to piling on a high quality housing project in St Mary’s Bay, Kent, aiming to prevent extreme settlements from variable ground.
These works are shaving more than a year off the programme for a conventional ‘Surcharge’ solution as well as providing improved stability behind coastal defences for client Compass Builders Ltd.
“In response to a foundation enquiry from the client’s consulting engineers Considine Ltd we put forward various options that soil mixing could provide to deliver a design solution that saved the client time and reduced cost comparable to alternative ground engineering solutions such as dig and cart away and piling. Deep Soil Mixing Ltd always advise getting involved with clients and their designers as early as possible in their development process to create engineered solutions that offer real cost savings for projects including real benefits such as reduced vehicle movements and the efficient use of onsite materials on their projects, which reduces the carbon footprint and offers environmentally friendly sustainable solutions,” said Deep Soil Mixing Ltd’s MD Robert McGall.
The site is in an enviable position, close to a beautiful sandy beach with stunning views out across the English Channel and planning permission has been granted by Shepway District Council for the development which will be called ‘The Sands’ on a brownfield site of a former hotel and military base which has been demolished. The scheme will consist of a range of 3, 4 & 5-bedroom houses and 1 & 2-bedroom apartments and will also include a new landscaped coastal park area, car park and children’s play area.
The Cutter Soil Mixer was specifically used on the St Mary’s Bay project to overcome some isolated areas of very stiff layers of clay which had softer soils below so it was necessary to mix through the clay into the soils below to enable remediation to take place.
The project is due to be completed later this year.
