The Job
Richland County’s massive economic development project in Blythewood, South Carolina, included the construction of the Scout Motors production facility. At the time of construction, this site represented the largest active earth-moving project in the United States. To protect the multi-hundred-acre site against a 500-year rain event, the design featured extensive stormwater basins, earthen dams, and massive embankments. CJGeo was brought in by Landmark Construction and the engineering firm Thomas & Hutton to stabilize a critical drainage embankment that had begun to show signs of instability.
Richland County Economic Development
The Challenge
The embankment in question was capped with an articulating concrete block (ACB) mat designed to dissipate energy and prevent erosion from stormwater runoff. Shortly after installation, surface “dimples” began to appear across the mat, indicating subsurface settlement. Poor compaction of the underlying fill had allowed stormwater to undermine the blocks, creating voids that compromised the integrity of the entire embankment. The project was nearing the commissioning phase, and the site could not be turned over to the owner until the embankment was stabilized. Traditional repair would have required remobilizing a large crane to lift the mats and recompact the soil—a process that would have been costly, slow, and logistically difficult.
The Solution
CJGeo proposed a trenchless stabilization method using CJGrout 22SHV, a high-density geotechnical polyurethane grout. Over the course of five days, crews worked on a grid pattern, sinking injection needles through the gaps in the articulating concrete blocks. The plural-component foam was injected at multiple stages to fill the subsurface voids, cut off water infiltration paths, and recompact the loose fill soils through expansion. Rather than attempting to lift the heavy mats back to their original grade, the focus was on structural undersealing to prevent any future settlement. CJGeo successfully injected 19,151 pounds of material, stabilizing the embankment and allowing the contractor to meet the engineer’s requirements for site turnover without the need for heavy machinery or reconstruction.
Speak With An Expert
Embankment erosion and voiding under articulating mats can lead to catastrophic failure if left untreated. CJGeo’s polyurethane grouting solutions provide a surgical, high-strength fix that stabilizes soils without the need for excavation or heavy equipment. Contact us today to learn how our geotechnical grouting services can protect your stormwater and erosion control infrastructure.
