Mammoet's daughter company, Mammoet Heavy Duty Pavements, is responsible for planning, engineering and subsurface.
When it comes to optimizing substrate that have to bear heavy loads, Mammoet Heavy Duty Pavements has benefited from SGS's expertise. Director Ronald Kleinjan says, "SGS INTRON is a very important partner for us. Even globally, the specialism that they have in the area of soil is not easy to find. We also use SGS's international network to find local agencies that can support us."
Currently, SGS is helping Mammoet with the construction of a large oil refinery in Nigeria, which will have the largest single-line refining process in the world. It is being built on land that was recently reclaimed inside a lagoon. This megaproject involves placing heavier material on weaker soil; the substrate must have the correct bearing capacity everywhere.
Creating a Solid Base
Mammoet is using all of its cranes to build the huge installation. Ronald notes, "Such deployment of equipment is still impressive and special, even for Mammoet. In addition, we design and create safe and stable crane positions for all these types of cranes, using an innovative method for soil stabilization called Enviro-Mat."
As importing soil is difficult, we are helping Mammoet to calculate how thick the Enviro-Mat layer must be at specific locations by identifying benchmarks for all types of soil, clay, peat, gravel and sand. We also optimize the recipes for specific applications, and when logistically possible, test the bearing capacity of the applied layer.
More than 300,000 sq m of sea sand in Nigeria have now been stabilized with the help of Enviro-Mat. SGS used sand from this location to carry out a preliminary investigation of the stabilization layer. A local company then carried out soil drilling, to identify where loads should be placed. A 140,000 sq m storage area, with a 35 cm layer of Enviro-Mat, was created for heavier objects, including a 3000 tonne generator - the heaviest item ever transported across public roads in Africa.
A Sustainable Foundation
When the Enviro-Mat is no longer needed, the broken up material can be reused on site, without risk to the environment. This is because the Enviro-Mat will not contain any unhydrated cement. SGS has demonstrated this, by means of leaching tests, in previous projects with Mammoet. Ronald enthuses, "With this method, we not only ensure a safer construction site, but also reduce the ecological footprint of projects. All the more so because we use the local land, which means that fewer alternative primary materials and transport movements are needed. That often makes our solution economically attractive as well."
About SGS
SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 94,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.