SMiRT - Soil Mix Remediation Technology

Welcome to official site of

Project SMiRT (Soil Mix Remediation Technology), the largest Technology Strategy Board funded project (£1.24M), is a four-year project, October 2007 - September 2011, with the aim of developing, advancing, validating and increasing the uptake of Soil Mix Technology in the remediation of contaminated land in the UK.

The project is now led by the contractor Eco Foundations and involves extensive collaboration with Cambridge University and 14 industrial partners (consultants, materials suppliers and trade associations).

Overview

Soil mix technology (SMT) applied to the in-situ remediation of contaminated land is relatively new in the UK. It involves the use of mixing augers and additives to construct permeable reactive in-ground barriers and low-permeability containment walls, and for “hot-spot” soil treatment by stabilisation/solidification. SMT is a cost effective and versatile approach with numerous environmental advantages. The project aims to achieve significant technical advancement and cost-savings by developing an innovative single SMT system for integrated remediation and ground improvement, with simultaneous delivery of wet and dry additives, and with advanced quality assurance system. As a new technology SMT suffers from a lack of proven track record and associated stakeholder confidence. The project will hence use extensive field trials and laboratory testing to enhance the use and increase validation of SMT with full involvement of stakeholders.

The project objectives are to

develop single advanced Soil Mix Technology (SMT) equipment for integrated remediation and ground improvement, through simultaneous delivery of wet and dry binders, and with advanced quality assurance system

increase technology validation and stakeholder confidence by performing extensive field trials, laboratory testing and stakeholders consultation meetings

expand the boundaries of SMT by testing novel additives

The project consists of 8 tasks:

Tasks A and B: Development, construction and validation of SMT equipment

Task C: Laboratory treatability studies

Task D: Field trials

Task E: Field sampling, monitoring and testing

Task F: Laboratory testing of field samples

Task G: Stakeholder meetings

Task H: Dissemination of the results