Soil and Groundwater Remediations

Installation of a permeable reactive barrier in Antwerp (Belgium)

This project involved the installation of a reactive wall (funnel and gate) for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents, mainly trichloroethylene (TCE), cis 1,2-dichloroetheen (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC).
The final design of the funnel & gate system was completed in consultation with the research firm and was based on the results of various studies performed by independent experts and supported by the patent holder.

The funnel & gate system consists of two components. The funnel is a slurry wall of approx. 140 m long, 6 m deep and 30 to 60 cm wide. The gate consists of two reactive walls, filled with a mixture of reactive iron and sand. Each of these gates is 25 m long, 6 m deep and 30 cm wide.

The work started by removing the soil, paving and underground tanks along the length of the wall. A trenching machine was used when possible for the construction of the funnel. The presence of cables and pipes meant that sometimes it was necessary to hand-dig the trench. The slurry mixture was pumped directly in the chute. The gates were also positioned using a trenching machine. The reactive iron and sand was poured in the trench. The removed soil was transported to and processed at the soil recycling centre in Kallo.