Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company

Halliburton Nus Environmental Corp.

Halliburton Nus Corporation

Frank L Sanford

Ernest E Carter, Jr

R Kent Saugier

Roberto E Frulla

Paul J Pettit

An apparatus for constructing a subsurface containment barrier under a waste site disposed in soil is provided. The apparatus uses a reciprocating cutting and barrier forming device which forms a continuous elongate panel through the soil having a defined width. The reciprocating cutting and barrier forming device has multiple jets which eject a high pressure slurry mixture through an arcuate path or transversely across the panel being formed. A horizontal barrier can be formed by overlapping a plurality of such panels. The cutting device and barrier forming device is pulled through the soil by two substantially parallel pulling pipes which are directionally drilled under the waste site. A tractor or other pulling device is attached to the pulling pipes at one end and the cutting and barrier forming device is attached at the other. The tractor pulls the cutting and barrier forming device through the soil under the waste site without intersecting the waste site. A trailing pipe, attached to the cutting and barrier forming device, travels behind one of the pulling pipes. In the formation of an adjacent panel the trailing pipe becomes one of the next pulling pipes. This assures the formation of a continuous barrier.

Apparatus and method for in Situ installation of underground containment

Apparatus for in situ installation of underground containment barriers

An apparatus for cutting soil and constructing sub-surface containment barriers, such as for constructing subsurface containment walls or basins around and under contaminated soils, comprises an elongated beam for abutting an extended length of soil. The beam comprises a cutting assembly that creates a cutting action against the extended length of abutting soil. The cutting assembly preferably comprises a conduit containing a plurality of jet ports through which high pressure fluid is ejected to impact the soil to be cut. The cutting assembly is maintained adjacent to the face of the soil to be cut. A method of cutting soil comprises generating cutting action along an extended locus of soil, and advancing the cutting action along a descending locus of the soil in response to gravity, or along a path determined by pre-placed pulling assemblies. Subsurface containment barriers are formed by when a jetted slurry or other suitable material cuts and mixes with the soil.

Method and apparatus for in situ installation of underground containment

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Frank L Sanford