Storage of sediments without treatment

Capping of contaminated sites

Engineering structures from contaminated soils

Sludge pond remediation

Groundwater protection

Sealing areas in landfills

Sludge dewatering

Covering the river bed

Pollutant removal with geosynthetic filters

Letter IconFacebook IconLinkedIn IconIcon YouTube
HUESKER Inc.
3701 Arco Corporate Drive
NC 28273 Charlotte
USA

Remediation of contaminated sites and soil

Environmental protection through treatment of contaminated soils

Safe and sustainable treatment methods for contaminated soils and sediments are playing an increasingly important role in environmental protection. Holistic solutions not only ensure effective results, but also actively contribute to environmental preservation. HUESKER understands the challenges posed by environmental pollution and offers project-specific product combination options for a wide range of applications in the areas of decontamination, securing and remediation of contaminated soils, sediments, and sludge.

Our experienced experts support projects from the soil analysis phase through geotechnical advice, providing recommendations for securing and remediation methods. The focus is on the safe and sustainable improvement of contaminated areas. This long-term approach minimizes the risk of recontamination avoiding additional re-treatment costs.

The extensive product range and customer-oriented engineering services not only take into account a wide range of applications, but also prepare for project-specific challenges related to legal requirements and obligations, such as clean-up mandates under the polluter-pays principle. Thanks to the environmentally friendly and cost-effective treatment methods, the products not only aim to eliminate pollution, but also minimize the risk of further environmental impacts.

With the specialist knowledge and the extensive experience of our experts, project partners can confidently select the most appropriate treatment method for their contaminated site, ensuring long term compliance with legal requirements and the environmental compatibility of their activities.

Efficient securing and renovation
with minimal time investment

Safe and cost-effective treatment
of soils and sediments

Sustainable and environmentally friendly
treatment methods

Experienced experts along with
a wide range of product combinations

Geotextile protection measures as part of contaminated site remediation

Protection for people and nature through hazard prevention

Active Capping of Contaminated Sediments

Environmentally friendly alternative

 

Decontaminating or dredging of contaminated sediments within a body of water is often challenging. In such cases, it is essential to prevent pollutants from releasing from the sediments into the water, and to protect the ecosystem connected to the surface water body. To achieve this, waterbody sediments can be covered with a filter layer made from innovative geocomposites.

An active cover creates a secure barrier for the pollutants while allowing water to pass through. This barrier still permits the crucial exchange between surface water and groundwater.


Advantages of Geosynthetic Water Covers

  • Low transportation and waste volumes
  • Prevention of pollutant carryover through remobilization
  • Design and simulation achievable with software
  • Proven and standardized method

Fast and efficient sludge dewatering

Cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative

Dredging and off-site removal of contaminated material is often associated with high costs and considerable effort. To simplify this process, dewatering the sediments before removal is recommended. Dewatering with geotextile dewatering tubes has proven to be a modern, fast and cost-effective solution. Different types of sludge can be dewatered easily with geotextile containers. Geotextile tube dewatering requires no external energy input, making it an emission-free process.

When large volumes of material need dewatering, tubes provide both environmental and economic benefits. Made from specialized high-performance filter fabric, these bags and tubes deliver high process capacity in a relatively compact space, facilitating faster project progress.


Advantages of Geosynthetic Sludge Dewatering

  • Permanent removal of contaminated material from the environment
  • Reuse as construction material with proper protection
  • High dry residue
  • Maximum flexibility with various tubes sizes

PFAS-safe base sealing in landfills

Effective filtering of leachate and pollutants

Today, soils containing PFAS cannot be disposed of in all landfills. The spread of pollutants through landfill leachate and the limited availability of treatment facilities restricts landfill options. To enable the acceptance of PFAS-contaminated soils, designated mono-cells can be created specifically for this type of waste. The waste in these cells is contained to prevent pollutant migration to other landfill areas via leachate. When PFAS-contaminated soils are stored in these mono-cells, a large-area geotextile contaminant filter can replace the filter fabric above the drainage layer. This setup filters leachate and pollutants before they exit the mono-cell through drainage, ensuring PFAS protection for the rest of the landfill.

This method could help landfill operators accept and manage PFAS-contaminated soils.


Advantages of Geosynthetic Base Sealing Systems

  • Simple installation of the base liner
  • No complex installation technology required

"A landfill cell, properly installed and tested for integrity, that is constructed with a composite liner system using a product with PFAS absorption capabilities should be considered to be the state-of-practice at this time, offering the greatest potential for successful PFAS containment and long-term storage."

Boyd Ramsey

Engineering structures from contaminated soils

Infrastructure or noise protection embankments

Soils contaminated with pollutants can be repurposed for beneficial, value-added use in engineered structures. By utilizing a geotextile pollutant barrier, these sediments can be used, for example, in constructing new dams in the form of infrastructure, or noise-reduction embankments.

To prevent pollutants from escaping into the environment, a large-area pollutant-capturing mat is installed beneath the structure. This highly efficient geocomposite captures and binds pollutants through an active layer. For highly mobile pollutants, soil quality can improve over time as precipitation leaches pollutants from the soil matrix, carrying them to the filter mat, where they are securely bound.


Advantages of Technical Structures Made from Contaminated Soils

  • Value-added use of a scarce resource: soil
  • Long-term improvement in soil quality
  • Avoidance of long transportation routes
  • Reduction in landfill costs

Securing and reinforcing contaminated sludge

Creating new usable areas

 

A particular challenge in contaminated site remediation is addressing sludge ponds. Special geosynthetics can safely cover and stabilize extremely soft and contaminated substrates. Reliable encapsulation of the sludge prevents pollutant and odor emissions from entering the environment.

The use of geogrids can reinforce soft, inhomogeneous soils and increase their load-bearing capacity.  This increased load-bearing capacity enables safe access for vehicles and supports construction. The rehabilitated sludge ponds can then be repurposed for new uses.


Advantages of Sludge Pond Remediation with Geotextiles

  • Time-saving coverage with large panel solutions
  • Large-scale consolidation of soft ground
  • Creation of usable areas for commercial purposes
  • Renaturalized green spaces and habitats for wildlife and plants

"Sediment Capping with amendment layers has significantly changed our aqueous remediation efforts, providing a cost-effective and efficient solution to manage contaminated sediments.

The technique’s ability to isolate pollutants, prevent their migration, and promote natural recovery processes has a huge impact of aquatic ecosystems."

Danny Reible

Groundwater protection in infrastructure construction

Decentralized stormwater treatment

Heavy traffic areas like roads, parking lots, railroad lines, and airports face significant pollution from oil, chemicals, and other contaminants. When precipitation falls on these sealed surfaces, it carries pollutants that can enter groundwater through drainage ditches. For paved surfaces, pollutants can seep through joints and permeable areas where porous pavements are installed, impacting groundwater quality.

To collect surface water contaminated with pollutants, sorptive pollutant barriers can effectively prevent contaminants from reaching groundwater. A geotextile pollutant filter can be installed along roads to treat runoff water, capturing contaminants from impermeable surfaces before it flows into roadside ditches. For paving and other permeable pavements, a geotextile filter can be installed directly beneath the surface to bind pollutants and treat water that seeps through.


Advantages of Groundwater Protection with Active Geocomposites

  • Simple and effective environmental protection
  • An alternative to conventionally sealed trenches

Permanent storage of sediments without treatment

Structural core in groynes and breakwaters

Sediments can be permanently encapsulated in geotextile tubes without treatment, serving as filler for specially designed coastal protection tubes frequently used in modern hydraulic engineering. Our experts must individually assess the potential for permanent storage in filter-stable tubes in advance.

These large-format coastal protection tubes act as structural cores in groynes and breakwaters, offering sustainable protection for coastlines and riverbanks. As a customized system solution, they allow for optimized structure geometries and cross-sections. Compared to traditional rubble stone structures, using local sediments can reduce the need for costly transportation of materials like armor stones.


Advantages of Permanent Storage without Treatment

  • Sediments can be used as filler for geotextile tubes
  • Eliminates long transportation to specialized landfill sites
  • Conservation of soil as a valuable resource
  • Reduces disposal costs and landfill volume

"Geosynthetic pollutant filters represent an innovative approach to controlling the spread of pollutants from diffuse sources across various applications. The concept of treating leachate or vapours in situ introduces novel methods for the remediation and containment of contaminated soils and sediments, offering sustainable solutions for managing environmental pollution, particularly in soil and sediment encapsulation projects."

Malek Bouazza

Our geotextile products for soil remediation and remediation of contaminated sites

Our diverse product range and customer-focused engineering services enable active environmental protection through innovative treatment methods. Our wide array of solutions is customized to meet the specific needs of each project. Using geotextiles not only eliminates contamination but also reduces the risk of further environmental pollution.

Discover our products and their advantages.

Incomat® Standard

The geotextile concrete mattress seals and protects against erosion and mechanical damage.

Stabilenka®

The world's strongest woven reinforcement fabric for ballast fill on soft soils.

SoilTain® DW Tubes

The fast and cost-effective dewatering solution for various sludges.

SoilTain® CP Tubes

The large-format coastal protection tubes pack the sand in an erosion-proof manner in order to protect the coasts and shore.

Tektoseal® Active PFAS

The pollutant barrier can be installed evenly and erosion-proof on land and under water.

Tektoseal® Active HM

The safe pollutant barrier for inorganic pollutants creates an impenetrable barrier against lead, mercury, and arsenic.

Tektoseal® Active AC

The safe contaminant barrier for organic pollutants reliably secures and remediates contaminated soil and water.

Tektoseal® Active AS

The pollutant barrier for absorbing oil, gasoline, diesel, and paraffin in infrastructure projects.

Tektoseal® Clay

The high-performance geosynthetic clay liner for groundwater protection and contaminated sites remediation.