Practical experience of installing slurry walls. Issue 2 (21st June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scopes, David Stephen
• Is Part Of: Dams and reservoirs. Volume 32:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 56
• Page End: 61
• Publication Date: 2022-06-21
• Subjects: dams, barrages & reservoirs -- health & safety -- planning & scheduling; Dams -- Periodicals; Reservoirs -- Periodicals; 627.8
• DOI: 10.1680/jdare.21.00018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-1494

Abstract

Abstract : Although the Horncastle project was a new build embankment, the cut-off, in the form of a slurry wall, was installed once the embankment construction was complete. As such the installation process was in practice the same as a slurry wall being installed as a part of a dam repair and/or rehabilitation works, and therefore the experience is directly transferable. Such works can be an alternative to a steel sheetpile cut-off design and therefore a key component of the sustainable management of dams. This paper is based on the author's experience on site, working full time for the main contractor supervising the installation of a sub-contractor design to a performance specification. This paper will take the reader through all stages of the installation process, from set-up and logistics, to daily operations; what the process is actually like on the ground and the health and safety and environmental considerations. For each of these stages, the paper discusses the challenges faced and their resolution, with the aim of providing engineers with an insight into the key issues to consider when planning, designing or supervising a slurry wall installation operation.