Sludge Treatment on Site: Faster, Cheaper, More Environmentally Friendly

All-in-one specialist in foundation and drilling equipment

Ground drilling and foundation techniques form the basis of every major construction and infrastructure project. This process generates large quantities of bentonite or cement slurry. With a complete range of sludge treatment systems, Piltec makes it possible to process and dewater that sludge directly on-site.

High-Quality Sludge Treatment Systems

Piltec, a specialist in high-quality foundation and drilling equipment, is known for its expertise and personalized service. A comprehensive range of slurry treatment systems rounds out the product lineup. Among the most sought-after equipment are Gertec hose pumps, Sotres desanding systems and separation systems, and Gennaretti decanter centrifuges. Hadrien Piliego, founder and Managing Director of Piltec, guides us step by step through their various applications.

“Gertec’s hose pumps powerfully extract the heavy slurry—contaminated with drill cuttings—from the borehole and then pump it to the Sotres desanding plant. In that plant, the coarse sand and soil particles are filtered out of the slurry. Gennaretti’s decanter centrifuges represent the absolute state-of-the-art technology for the final stage of the process. With extremely high centrifugal forces, up to 2,000 revolutions per minute, this high-performance centrifuge effortlessly separates the finest slurry and clay particles from the liquid. This process produces purified water and leaves behind a very compact, dry material: the so-called sludge cake. After this mechanical centrifugation process, the purified water is immediately ready for reuse in the drilling process.

If an even higher level of treatment is required—for example, to meet strict discharge standards—the water can undergo an additional chemical treatment process using polymers. Gennaretti systems are equipped with an integrated, automatic polymer preparation unit for this purpose.”

Significant cost savings

“This advanced centrifuge process from Gennaretti works significantly faster than traditional methods, is more environmentally friendly, and offers tremendous flexibility thanks to its continuous, fully automated processing. The volume of waste at the construction site is reduced by as much as 50%, resulting in a drastic reduction in transportation and disposal costs. After all, having vacuum trucks come and go to remove the sludge is often a time-consuming and expensive solution,” said Piliego.

“Piltec not only offers contractors one of the most comprehensive ranges of foundation and drilling technology, but also provides them with advice and support. As the exclusive representative of Gennaretti, we make our expertise available to develop the most suitable solution for every project. One of Piltec’s strengths is that one of our specialists is always present during machine startup. Our team is also ready to provide the necessary support quickly in case of questions or problems.”

Tailor-made solutions for every construction site

“Piltec rents out two models of Gennaretti sludge centrifuges. The smaller model, the S.P.A.C.I. 32, has a throughput capacity of 10 m³ per hour at a density of 1.3 kg/dm³. The larger model, the S.P.A.C.I. 22, processes up to 25 m³ per hour, making it ideal for large-scale infrastructure projects. ”Thanks to flexible rental options, customers can rent the equipment for exactly the period they need, ranging from one to several months,” explains Piliego.

“Our choice of Gennaretti is based on an unshakable confidence in their superior quality and reliability. They are the only manufacturer in the market that specializes exclusively in foundation techniques. Thanks to its compact container design, this system truly fits on any job site. Moreover, these mobile units are easy to transport by truck and can be up and running in no time. Piltec will deliver the system directly to the job site as requested, or the customer can pick it up themselves.”