Accurate measurements and reliable shipments are the foundation of any grain terminal’s economics. In this project, engineers faced a challenge: the disruption of key components responsible for weight control and product delivery to rail transport.
Reason for contacting: Loss of accuracy and stability
The main call to action wasinstability of railway scalesFor weighing equipment, even minimal foundation deviation (within a few millimeters) leads to critical errors, which is unacceptable for commercial grain metering. At the same time, signs of foundation subsidence were recorded in the discharge device area, posing risks to the safe operation of loading structures.
Problem Analysis: Groundwater and Loose Soils
A comprehensive diagnosis revealed two main destructive factors:
- Man-made factor:Uncompacted soil remaining after the site planning and construction phase. The loose soil structure beneath the weighbridges could not withstand the dynamic loads from the passage of loaded trains.
- Natural factor:The high groundwater level led to a decrease in the bearing capacity of the soil and its gradual “washing out” from under the foundation base.
Technical solution: Deep strengthening using the Deep Lifting method
To restore the stability of the objects, a technology was chosenGeoResin Deep Lifting, capable of operating in complex hydrogeological conditions.
Advantages of the solution for railway facilities:
- Hydrophobicity:GeoResin geopolymer is chemically inert and water-resistant. When expanded, it actively displaces moisture from the soil pores, replacing it with a stable polymer structure.
- High load-bearing capacity:After polymerization, the material forms a rigid base plate that effectively distributes the dynamic load from multi-ton railcars.
- Minimal intervention:The work was carried out without dismantling the tracks, weighing platforms, or stopping the terminal’s logistics processes.
Volume of work performed
The engineering solution provided for point stabilization at different horizons, in accordance with the calculated loads:
- Foundations of railway scales:
- Deep compaction with a layer thickness of up to2.80 mThis allowed the weighing complex to be secured to a stable soil layer, eliminating vibrational displacement.
- Grain dispensing unit:
- The soil was stabilized with a layer thickness1.30 mThe main focus was on restoring the foundation-to-soil contact and creating a reinforced zone directly beneath the load-bearing structures of the shipping terminal.
Result of the project implementation
- The railway scale platforms are stabilized in their designed positions. Measurement errors are adjusted to standard values.
- A waterproof composite barrier has been created that prevents further erosion of the foundation by groundwater.
- The grain dispensing unit is protected from deformation, which ensures uninterrupted shipment during peak periods of the season.
Working with railway infrastructure requires surgical precision. Using Deep Lifting allowed us not only strengthen the soil, but to create a predictable and reliable support for equipment where measurement accuracy is paramount.
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