Earth-Filled Slurry Walls Provide Economical Seepage Control

by Ronald A. Antonino, (M.ASCE), Editorial Consultant; Huntington, N.Y.,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1980, Vol. 50, Issue 4, Pg. 72-74


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Slurry trench cut-off walls are often used for seepage control after structures requiring excavation are completed, but at a construction site on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway project they have been used during excavation and construction, as well as afterward. These trenches, installed under the cofferdams surrounding the site, are built from an unusual mixture of graded, select fill matterial and bentonite slurry and from an impervious barrier that excludes groundwater. They have proved to be effective and economical. The article details the construction process, including alternative dewatering methods considered, digging, slurry mixing, trench cleaning, and backfilling procedures. Costs are discussed; the project's actual cost came in much lower than had been estimated.

Subject Headings: Diaphragm walls | Trenches | Construction sites | Structural control | Seepage | Project management | Excavation

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