Slurry Walls

Slurry Walls

Slurry Walls are primarily used in unsupported excavation sites to keep groundwater from flowing in and out of sites. These walls are common in an assortment of geographical areas and are commonly used in flood control (dams/levees), mining, remediation and dewatering projects. Its a public engineering technique used to build strengthened concrete walls in areas where earth is soft and close to open water, or with a high groundwater table. Slurry walls are usually created by beginning with a set of guide walls which tend to be very thick. They consist of a mixture of soil, bentonite clay, and water, poured into trenches as a “slurry.” The trenches form a filter cake that serves as a barrier. Slurry walls are used to contain contaminated groundwater, divert uncontaminated groundwater flow, and/or provide barriers for groundwater treatment systems. Slurry walls are placed at depths up to 200 feet and vary in thickness from 2 to 4 feet.The benefits of slurry walls rely on their ability to create impermeable barriers to groundwater flow. Therefore, they should be designed so groundwater does not flow underneath the wall. Slurry wall construction was used to construct  the barrier that surrounded the foundations of most of the World Trade Center building in New York City. Slurry walls may also be found around hotels and restaurants near water for a firmer foundation and in case of any flooding. This technique is typically used to build diaphragm (water-blocking) walls surrounding tunnels and open cuts, and to lay foundations. A slurry wall is a civil engineering technique used to build reinforced concrete walls in areas of soft earth close to open water, or with a high groundwater table.