Before any construction or excavation work begins, understanding the condition of the ground beneath you is essential. If the soil is contaminated or isn’t stable enough for the loads it needs to carry, it can lead to delays, extra costs and long-term structural issues. This is where soil stabilisation comes in.
Soil stabilisation is the process of improving the engineering properties of earth so that it becomes stronger and fit for purpose. Whether you’re building foundations, preparing access roads, levelling the ground for construction or reusing excavated materials on site, soil stabilisation can make a significant difference to the safety and sustainability of a project.
At SRC Group, soil stabilisation forms part of our wider contracting services. This joined-up approach means that we can assess your site and stabilise it before groundworks start. We can also clean and reuse waste materials which contributes to both the circular economy and the future sustainability of our industry.
Poor soil conditions are extremely common across construction and excavation sites. If the below issues aren’t identified and corrected early, they can cause cracking or sinking foundations, uneven surfaces within new structures as well as total structural collapse (in worst case scenarios).
The most common issues that we see are:
Because every site behaves differently, we adapt our stabilisation method to your individual location and base it on the conditions that we find.
Ground Investigations
Before any stabilisation work begins, we need to understand what the soil is doing and why. We start by conducting a thorough site assessment which helps us to determine which locations to take soil samples from.
Soil Testing
Our in-house laboratory soil testing service allows us to understand the soils and identify contaminants in line with the WM3 waste classification guide. If you need a quick turnaround, we can also offer on-site rapid testing which provides immediate results and allows us to plan the next steps there and then.
Heavy metals and hydrocarbon
Also known as basic characterisation testing, these assessments identify any heavy metals or hydrocarbons in your soils. We can then arrange for licensed removal where required; all handled in-house for efficiency.
WAC (Waste acceptance criteria)
WAC testing determines whether materials are suitable for disposal at a landfill. It assesses the leaching potential of contaminants to ensure that waste is only sent to the appropriate licenced facilities. A common misconception is that WAC alone classifies waste; it doesn’t, which is why we carry out the full set of tests needed to classify and move your waste correctly.
Asbestos quantification
If Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) is suspected within soil, we test for the type and also quantity; both of which will give us a better picture of the risk of asbestos exposure. If asbestos is found, we can also manage disposal in-house; giving you a fully-compliant service from start to finish.
SRC are one of the few companies able to offer a truly holistic service, thanks to our end-to-end range of solutions. Through our contracting division we deliver demolition, bulk earthworks, remediation and soil stabilisation, with same-day testing available for any excavated materials. Where suitable, we can crush and reuse hardcore and rubble directly on-site, helping you to cut waste and reduce costs. If additional materials are needed, SRC Build can supply both virgin and recycled aggregates from our own facilities and for construction projects we also offer our award-winning ECO-BLOC® Blocks. This is the SRC circular economy in action.
Our team’s years of experience mean that we understand how to create a stabilisation programme that works around your project’s timeline, budgets and site constraints.
Designing the solution
After appropriate testing has been carried out, the resulting stabilisation plan may include:
On-site stabilisation
We carry out the full process on-site; the aim is to create a uniform, stable platform that meets the project specifications.
Validation & handover
Once stabilised, we test the treated ground to confirm strength and suitability for construction or excavation follow-on works.
Soil stabilisation is a powerful tool when you’re dealing with challenging ground and it’s more than just mixing some binder and hoping for the best. At SRC Group, it’s a process: investigate, plan, treat, validate. When it’s carried out properly it becomes one of the most cost-effective, risk-reducing and sustainable steps that you can take early-on in a project.
We offer:
If your project is based on a site where the soil conditions are unstable or you want to maximise reuse of material and minimise cost and waste, our soil stabilisation service might be exactly what you need.
Get in touch with our team on 0208 594 0169 or email enquiries@www.srcgroup.co.uk to discuss your requirements. Let’s get your ground build-ready.
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