Injectable silicone barrier isolates underground leaks
The ability to install impermeable subsurface barriers quickly and cheaply to keep spills and other below-ground contamination from spreading is an appealing idea. However, traditional systems, such as plastic or concrete barriers, are labor intensive and costly to install. Such ``brute force`` methods typically involve excavation, hauling, permitting and increased risk of exposure to workers. A new approach, based on the injection of silicone, is under development at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. In a small-scale field test conducted in January in Los Banos, CA researchers injected a specially developed polymer into the ground, forming a ``grouted`` barrier that extended 6 to 20 ft below the surface. Despite the heterogeneous nature of the subsurface -- which included sand, clay, gravel and stones -- the injection plume that formed was nearly symmetrical. Once cured, the polymer grouting was uniform, even within low-permeability clays. In addition to protecting aquifers from mobile contaminants, the barrier system allows a spill to be contained indefinitely until remediation scheme is worked out.
- OSTI ID:
- 64536
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Engineering World, Vol. 1, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: May-Jun 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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