Underground barrier construction apparatus with soil-retaining shield

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:871747

Gardner, Bradley M ^[1]; Smith, Ann Marie ^[2]; Hanson, Richard W ^[3]; Hodges, Richard T ^[4]

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1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Pocatello, ID
3. Spokane, WA
4. Deer Park, WA

An apparatus for building a horizontal underground barrier by cutting through soil and depositing a slurry, preferably one which cures into a hardened material. The apparatus includes a digging means for cutting and removing soil to create a void under the surface of the ground, a shield means for maintaining the void, and injection means for inserting barrier-forming material into the void. In one embodiment, the digging means is a continuous cutting chain. Mounted on the continuous cutting chain are cutter teeth for cutting through soil and discharge paddles for removing the loosened soil. This invention includes a barrier placement machine, a method for building an underground horizontal containment barrier using the barrier placement machine, and the underground containment system. Preferably the underground containment barrier goes underneath and around the site to be contained in a bathtub-type containment.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-94ID13223
• Assignee: Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company (Idaho Falls, ID)
• Patent Number(s): US 5788422
• OSTI ID: 871747
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

underground
barrier
construction
apparatus
soil-retaining
shield
building
horizontal
cutting
soil
depositing
slurry
preferably
cures
hardened
material
digging
means
removing
create
void
surface
ground
maintaining
injection
inserting
barrier-forming
embodiment
continuous
chain
mounted
cutter
teeth
discharge
paddles
loosened
placement
machine
method
containment
underneath
site
contained
bathtub-type
containment barrier
underground containment
underground barrier
type contain
forming material
injection means
continuous cutting
cutter teeth
hardened material
shield means
horizontal underground
charge pad
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