Special Foundations, Underground
Construction, tunneling and Drilling Products
ECP are a leading supplier of bentonite and polymer based drilling
fluids for the tunneling, drilling, construction market, having
been active in the New Zealand since 1995. ECP are the NZ agents
for Süd-Chemie group who with more than half a century experience
in the , production and sales facilities in Europe, Middle East,
East- and Southeast-Asia and Australia. ECP are in a position
to guarantee a fast reliable supply to customers of Sud-Chemie's
quality products at a competitive price.
A full range of bentonite, polymer, and soil conditioning fluids
for the following applications; Special foundations, Tunneling,
Micro-tunneling and Horizontal Directional Drilling is available
ex store Auckland or Christchurch.
To
find out more about these products click here.
Bentonite Products
Polymer Additives
Special Foundations
Special Foundation is an umbrella term for all construction technologies
used to make deep excavations or foundations. Bentonite or Polymer
suspensions are key factors for these technologies and have to
be regarded as important tools. They have to be selected, modified
and controlled according the local site conditions.
Süd-Chemie Group has substantial experience in this field
and can offer their customers a complete program of products and
services.
Diaphragm Walls
 Diaphragm
walls are a construction technique whereby a continuous vertical
structural foundation can be installed in soft unconsolidated
ground. D-Walls are a series of interlocking vertical panels which
minimise the number of joints and maximise the underground space.
They are constructed using mechanical grabs (clam-shells) or
hydro-fraises (trench cutters). In order to stabilise these trenches
bentonite or occasionally polymer suspensions are needed. These
suspensions are later exchanged with concrete.
Functions of supporting fluid:
- Support and stabilization of the trench
- Managing the sedimentation
Our products for supporting fluid:
Bored Piles
 Bored
piles under fluid are used when the ground conditions are soft
or unconsolidated. Typically bored piles are reasonably deep,
and the diameter can range anywhere between 0.5-3.0 m. They can
be produced by using casing or without using casing.
Non-cased piles in non-consolidated ground need either a bentonite
or polymeric suspensions as supporting fluids. As in diaphragm
walls this suspension fluid is finally replaced with concrete.
Functions of supporting fluid:
- Support and stabilization of the bored hole
- Control the rate of sedimentation
Our products for supporting fluid of bored piles:
Cut off Walls
 Cut
Off Walls are a technique for the construction of permanent or
temporary in-situ impermeable barriers. Typical applications include
the sealing of polluted zones, the water proofing of building
sites, construction of dams.
There are several construction techniques, including bentonite-cement
based slurries, and soil-bentonite walls. Contractors typically
use either long reach excavators or Diaphragma Wall grabs or cutters.
These slurries remain in the trench finally giving impermeable
concrete.
Functions of supporting fluid:
- Support suspension during excavation
- Waterproofing after hardening
Our products for Bentonite-cement-slurries :
Tunneling
Shield-tunneling is one of the principal methods used for the
construction of challenging infrastructure projects, such as railways,
roads, subways and deep sewage systems.
This technology has to be adjusted to suit the local soil conditions.
In soft soils the predominant technologies used are slurry shield
and earth pressure balanced tunneling.
Slurry Shield Tunneling
 Slurry
shield tunneling is a mechanized method where a rotating shield
cuts the soil. The bentonite slurry stabilizes the front of the
working face during this excavation.
Functions of the slurry:
- Stability of the working face
- Transportation of the excavated soil
Our products for the slurry shield muds:
Earth Pressure Balanced Shield Tunneling (EPB)
 Earth
pressure balanced shield tunneling is a mechanized tunneling method
where a rotating shield cuts the soil. A conditioning fluid (foam)
is used to stabilize the front of the working face during this
excavation.
Functions of the conditioning fluid:
- Provide face support
- Modification of the material to improve transportation
- Reduction of adhesion on the working face
Our products for conditioning fluids:
Micro Tunneling / Pipe-Jacking
 Micro-tunneling
and pipe-jacking techniques are used to install pipelines without
digging open trenches. This process usually starts from a launching
pit and ends at a reception pit which can be several hundred meters
away.
The challenge of this trench-less technology is to maintain
face support, reduce friction and transport spoil.
Functions of the slurry / lubrication fluid:
- Face support in unstable ground
- Lubrication for jacked pipes
Our products for lubrication fluids:
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
 Horizontal
Directional Drilling is a method of drilling used for laying subsurface
pipes and cables without interfering with infrastructure (streets
or railways) or harming the environment (e.g. rivers and lakes).
The first step in HDD-Drilling is a controlled pilot hole. Where
necessary a reamer is then used for widening the borehole. Finally
the cable or pipe is pulled through.
All three steps need an appropriate drilling fluid in order to
proceed successfully.
Functions of the HDD fluid:
- Support and stabilization of the bore hole
- Minimizing of sedimentation and friction
- Effective transportation of excavated soil
- Easy recycling of suspension
Our products for HDD-Drilling Fluid:
Sealing
 Thanks
to their excellent sealing properties bentonites are very useful
for the constructing of landfills or for encapsulation of contaminated
soils.
As a component of the mineral layer for base, side or surface
sealing they minimize the release of harmful substances to the
environment.
Our products have been successfully approved in this field for
many years.
Our products for Soil Sealing:
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