Ensuring circular carrying capacity

With twenty years of experience, its own developed equipment and a wealth of data collected by its own laboratory, Terrastab has circularity and sustainability in its genes. Director Anton Bunt explains how his company incorporates this into soil improvement and soil stabilization.

Terrastab is active in infra and rail and creates bearing capacity in sub-base courses and natural pavements, for example in dunes and forests. Anton: "By soil improvement we mean bringing bearing capacity into the subsoil. Under buildings as an alternative to piles, but also at industrial sites, port areas, terminals and airports."

Binder

"The goal we set back in 2010 is entirely in keeping with the current state of affairs," Anton believes. "All available primary raw materials are used as new foundations in the sub-base course. In this way we are working between 95 and 98% circularly. We have hardly any movements of materials and therefore our working method has a minimal effect on nitrogen and CO₂. A very big plus for the MKI value. Our way of working also gives great benefits to the environment: minimal transport movements, low emissions and carrying out renovations in a short time frame."

Terrastab thought about discontinuing this method in 2013; the market proved not yet ripe for it. But anno 2023, the accumulated knowledge gives it a huge head start.

Engineering

"Our machines are capable of applying soil improvement on thick water," says Anton. "Work on the track always has to be done quickly. After our intervention, trains are running again within 24 hours."

"In our own laboratory, the type of binder and the correct dosage is determined. In the case of soil improvement, we add between 2 and 5% of this binder, in the case of soil stabilization it can be a bit more. In the case of soil improvement, the soil remains excavable. In soil stabilization, we create a rigid slab that is not excavable. This is used under asphalt, for example. Because of that rigid underlayment, we can reduce the asphalt thickness and so we also reduce the MKI value."