Bath & North East Somerset Council appointed Uretek UK to undertake major roadwork repairs on both the A363 (Sally in the Woods) and the A367 at Dunkerton.  Uretek were brought in to fill voids in both roads using their Deep Injection Polymer Resin system. The major benefit of the Uretek system was that it would minimize traffic disruption and dramatically reduce the time taken to do the work.

Uretek are an Engineering Solutions Company in the remedial sector who have successfully stabilized over 6000 sites in the UK with their Slab Lifting, Deep Injection and Power Pile systems. Their Polymer system originated in Finland in the 1980’s and has been used successfully in the UK for over 22 years.

Radar surveys undertaken by Uretek showed that both roads (which are fully flexible roads) had thousands of voids, which stretched over at least 1 km. The voids were created due to the water table rising allowing the run-off to flow through the granular material. At least 3000 holes were drilled along the affected areas of each road and were used as entry points for the Uretek Deep Injection System. The polymer resin was injected at varying depths to fill each void and consolidate the loose ground.  During this process the Uretek polymer expands up to 30 times its liquid volume to fill all the voids. This process removes the settlement problem almost immediately as the chemical reaction is 98% completed within seconds and the set polymer reaches 90% of its powerful compressive strength within 15 minutes.

Mohammed Rashid from Bath & North East Somerset Council said, “We initially thought that retaining walls were needed to stop the roads from sliding away but on closer inspection the roads were actually sinking. We thought about grouting the voids by traditional methods but this would have meant closing the roads for 18 months. Both routes carry very high volumes of traffic and abnormal loads so we wanted a solution that would keep traffic moving. We chose to work with Uretek because they provided a solution to our problem, they have given us quality workmanship in the past and on this occasion they offered better value for money than other options we looked at. The void filler used by Uretek set almost immediately, fixing and strengthening the structure of the roads. We are very satisfied with the outcome.” Mr. Rashid is a qualified Chartered Structural Engineer and the Council’s Structures Team Leader.

The high density polymer is injected into the fill in liquid form and expands along lines of least resistance forming an inert soil matrix in areas of previous weakness. In this way the fill is strengthened and improved where it needs it most. The polymer is designed to be stable for at least 100 years similar to concrete and has excellent resistance to water and chemical breakdown. An added benefit of the inert polymer is that its flexibility absorbs vibrations which can extend the life of the road by helping to resist cracking at the surface.

Dave Chapman, UK Highways Engineer for Uretek says: “Having worked with local authorities for 34 years I can see the benefits in them using this system. It speeds up the operations in maintaining the highways network across the UK; it is more environmentally friendly than alternative solutions and more cost effective in the longer term. Uretek work in partnership with Local Authorities and provide solutions to their engineering headaches.”

Uretek are committed to working closely with their clients throughout the life cycle of projects so as to keep them fully involved at every stage. Pre drilling drawings and radar images were shown to Bath & North East Somerset Council outlining the damaged areas to demonstrate how much repair work was needed. The final working drawings and radar scans showed the voids filled in and the roads safe again for years to come.

Unlike traditional road repair/ maintenance techniques no diggers or heavy earthmovers were needed on either project to remove tonnes of road waste, reducing the carbon footprint significantly. In short, Uretek provided a faster more precise solution and one, which allowed the roads to remain open to commuting traffic throughout. 

For more information please visit their website: www.uretek.co.uk or call 01695 50525.

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