What Is Slurry Wall Construction? | Slurry Wall Construction Process

What Is Slurry Wall Construction?

Slurry wall construction is a technique used by civil engineers for building walls in those areas which are near rivers or oceans and for those places where the level of groundwater is high.

In slurry wall construction concrete is reinforced to increase the strength of the wall. Mostly, this type of wall is used in making pillars of flyover bridges, bridges on rivers, tunnels, and in making foundations of buildings where the groundwater level is high.

This article will guide you to understand how the slurry walls are used and the process of constructing the slurry walls and how much it will cost. This article will be surely helpful to people in getting knowledge about the construction of slurry walls.

Mostly slurry wall construction is preferred in permanent structures which are made for long time use. This technique is very useful for long-lasting structures as this is the best technique for the prevention of soil excursions.

Purpose of Slurry Wall Construction:

There are the various purposes for which slurry wall construction is done that is as follows

1. Slurry walls give strength to hold structure for a long time.
2. Slurry walls give a barrier to the high flow of water and other liquids.
3. Slurry wall‘s main purpose is to give a deeper grip on tunnels and bridges.
4. Another purpose of this wall is to give structure long age and make it strong.
5. The slurry wall construction technique is a powerful construction technique used by engineers for heavy structures.
6. Slurry walls’ purpose is to give stability to the structure.

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Slurry Wall Construction Process:

The slurry wall construction process includes four steps which are as follows:

1. Excavation
2. Slurry filling
3. Placement of steel reinforcement
4. Concreting

1. Excavation:

Excavation is the process in which a place is dig deeper with the help of machinery. This is the first step of the process because it is the formation of a foundation for a structure that has to be made strong.

Is very necessary because it helps engineers to know about the level of groundwater and also helps them to decide the kind of material to be used in the project. Excavation is a prior process and leads to protecting heavy structures in various environmental conditions too.

We know that slurry walls are made to give support to tunnels, support to bridges and as there is water or liquid is present, so it is necessary to give a strong base so that it can handle heavy structures.

2. Slurry Filling:

The filling of slurry is the second step in the process of slurry wall construction. The bentonite and water mixture is used as slurry, and it is filled in the trench that is excavated to form the foundation.

The slurry filling is the most important part of this process because this slurry helps to fill the gaps in the trench which results in grip in the deeper side of walls and prevents soil excursion.

This is very important to fill slurry in a proper way as this gives strength to the wall and makes them long-lasting. The slurry is a very strong mixture that gives a hard and strong hold to walls.

The slurry is used in these slurry walls which are made to hold heavy structures and prevent the collapse of these structures. This is a very important step in the process of slurry walls construction and to be done properly.

3. Placement of Steel Reinforcement:

This is the third step in which steel rods in the trench. Steel reinforcement is very necessary because it is the process of giving structure, or we can say that structure formation by using steel rods.

These steel rods are the main thing in this process which holds slurry and also gives proper shape to the structure and also strengthens the whole structure. Steel rod fixing is a very important part of this process of constructing slurry walls and has to be taken keen focus while inserting them.

4. Concreting

This is the last step in the process of construction of slurry walls. When the slurry is filled in the trench the next filling which comes in the process is the filling of concrete.

When this step is in processing at that time it is very necessary to take care that the slurry mixture and concrete mixture cannot get mixed with each other. The whole structure is filled with concrete and this filling of concrete in the structure is called concrete.

This is the whole process of constructing the slurry wall which we discussed in detail above.

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Application of Slurry Wall Construction:

The various applications of slurry wall construction are as follows:-

1. Slurry walls are used in projects that need deep foundations and buildings or structures that are to be made for long term or permanent basis.
2. Slurry wall construction is used in making tunnels so that they can handle the overall structure of the tunnel.
3. Slurry walls are used in dams too. There they can control the flow of water because their strength is high, so they can control the flow.
4. Slurry walls are used in the metro also because tunnels are made for the metro passing.
5. Slurry walls are used in making bridges over the rivers and at those places where the groundwater level is high.

Limitations of Slurry Walls Construction:-

There are also some limitations of slurry wall construction that are as follows:-

• In the construction of slurry walls, heavy machinery is required to dig a trench and good quality of equipment is required so that work will go smoothly.
• In making of slurry walls well-trained, and skilled labor is required because it is technical work that is done technically by skilled people.
• There are so many safety measures that are to be taken while constructing slurry walls.
• High concentration is required while constructing slurry walls because it is very complicated work.
• In the construction of slurry walls, the area required is to be large.
• Slurry filling in slurry wall construction is the most crucial part and if it is not done properly then the chances of collapsing of structure will be high.
• To maintain the mixture difference is very difficult because there are two types of filling done one is of slurry and the second is of concrete.

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Slurry Wall Construction Costs:-

The cost of construction of slurry walls in India is based on bids and the bid is around nine thousand to twelve thousand (9000-12000) per square foot. It is an average estimated cost which is shown above.

Advantages of Slurry Wall Construction:-

The various advantages of slurry wall construction are as follows:-

1. Cost–effective: Slurry walls construction can be done at very low prices. The cost of constructing a slurry wall is very low and the quality of the wall is good, so it is a cost-effective option.
2. Long life: Slurry walls are very strong walls and hold the structure with a tight grip. Strong slurry gives strength to the slurry walls and makes them long-lasting.
3. High productivity: The technique used by engineers of slurry walls gives longer stability to the structure which results in high productivity.
4. Best for areas nearby water sources: Slurry walls are very effective at those areas where the groundwater level is high and those areas too where the water level is high and construction is to be done inside any water area or any liquid area such as a river, ocean, etc.
5. Strong in nature: Slurry walls are strong in nature and provide a long-lasting structure that can be used for the long term or permanently.
6. Ready to fight with natural disasters: Slurry walls are very strongly and deeply constructed so that they will form a strong foundation that is able to fight natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, etc.
7. Less wastage of material: if the material is excavated in the construction of slurry walls then it can be reused in making other slurry walls, so the wastage is very low in the construction of slurry walls.
8. Easily availability of material: The material which is used in making slurry walls is very easily available in the market, so people don’t have to take much effort for finding the material to be used in the construction of slurry walls.

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Disadvantages of Slurry Wall Construction:-

 There are also some disadvantages of slurry wall construction that are as follows:-

1. Heavy machinery: In the construction of slurry walls heavy machinery is required to cut soil or dig a deep trench for foundations.
2. Skilled manpower: It is very necessary for people who are working in the construction of slurry walls to be highly skilled because it is technical work which is done by technical people if non-technical people are hired for this work they will not able to make walls.
3. Area consumption: In the making of slurry walls the area which is consumed is very large as these walls are only made for heavy structures so a large area will be covered by them.
4. Material impurities: In today’s era it is very difficult to find pure material for related purposes. Sometimes poor quality material is being sold by vendors, so it is very important to take an eye on every part of the construction process whether it is related to work done by labor or purchase of material.
5. Designing: The designing of slurry walls for the structure is very difficult and has to be done properly to get relevant results.
6. Collapse: If the slurry is not filled properly or any other function which cannot be performed according to the criteria then it may be possible that the structure will be collapse due to air gaps in the trench.
7. Complicated structure: The structure of slurry wall construction is a bit complicated, so manpower has to put their full concentration in the construction of slurry walls.

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Conclusion:-

This is a detailed study about the construction of slurry walls in which we discussed the areas where it is used and the purpose of constructing slurry walls. We also study the advantages, disadvantages,s and some limitations of the slurry wall construction which will help the reader to understand the slurry wall construction in an easy manner.

Slurry wall construction is a cost-effective technique that is long-lasting in nature. The material which is used in the making of slurry walls is easily available in the market. Skilled manpower is the major requirement while constructing the slurry walls.

There are so many areas that are to be focused on while constructing slurry walls such as proper filling of slurry in the trench etc. So many safety measures should be followed in the construction of slurry walls.