As we face a climate crisis ‘tipping point’, ground engineering expert Mainmark UK is urging the UK Government to take a greener approach to infrastructure, prioritising repairs over rebuilds.
According to the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), research revealed huge shortfalls with how much British authorities have spent on infrastructure in recent years. The ICE believes the country’s infrastructure is “crumbling”, due to issues like potholes, leaking hospitals and aging railways.
Another rarely considered issue putting infrastructure at risk is subsidence – where voids form in the soil causing the ground beneath a structure to sink. Often, a structure will become unsafe or obsolete, prompting a complete overhaul and costly rebuild project.
According to David Hedley, Commercial & Infrastructure Lead at Mainmark, regular repairs and maintenance to keep on top of ground stability issues should be a priority for local authorities.
David said: “Much too often, our infrastructure is reaching ‘the point of no return’ – where subsidence and other ground instability issues are causing irreparable damage. Construction companies are then tasked to take a demolish and rebuild approach to our infrastructure rather than restoring the foundations and boosting the natural recovery of the surrounding environment.
“We understand the reasoning behind this; repairs do require an upfront investment, and, in recent years, our roads, bridges, ports and railways have been left to degrade to such an extent that local authorities feel like starting from scratch is the only option.
“With one third of England’s infrastructure, including roads, railways and water systems, at risk of climate-related catastrophes, a regenerative approach must be considered.”
Mainmark is a specialist in re-levelling, ground improvement and void-filling solutions, developing and delivering the most advanced and accurate solutions on more 80,000 projects globally.
According to David, a regenerative approach takes into consideration embodied carbon: the amount of carbon released during the entire construction process, from the point raw materials, are extracted to the completion of a project.
Mainmark argues that treating ground instability head-on using restorative, sustainable technology is better than rebuilding.
David continued: “When stabilising soil or addressing subsidence, the most cost-effective, time-efficient solution is resin injection.
“This modern method involves the precise delivery of an expanding polyurethane resin into the ground via small-bore injection tubes. Upon injection, the resin expands to fill voids and solidifies to strengthen the ground.
“This is quick, simple and cost-effective, requiring a fraction of the time needed to rebuild a road, bridge or railway. Compared to more resource-intensive ground stabilisation techniques too, like underpinning (which uses vast amounts of concrete), it uses less embodied carbon and could regenerate an existing structure.”
Putting resin injection, Teretek®, into practice for an Oxfordshire Recycling Centre – an important local piece of sustainable infrastructure – Mainmark was able to relevel 100 sq.m of affected road forming the main entrance and exit. The engineering team on site injected Teretek® at a depth of 1m below the ground, filling existing voids and strengthening the road’s surface.
Despite its advantages, resin injection has only recently begun gaining traction. As a relatively modern innovation developed in the last two decades, the tendency for local authorities to favour rebuilding over repairing has slowed its adoption.
Mainmark sees the tide turning, however. David concluded: “With sustainability becoming a priority for planners and developers, resin’s significantly smaller carbon footprint compared to other construction practices has made it an appealing choice, particularly for projects aiming to meet strict environmental regulations.”
Mainmark Ground Engineering (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of the Mainmark group of companies established in 2016. The company, headquartered in Milton Keynes, has over three decades' experience and has established itself as a pioneering force in the industry, leading the way in developing and delivering cutting-edge solutions. In 2021, the company inaugurated a new operational hub in Hampshire and, then in 2022, opened another depot in Greater Manchester to better serve areas of Northern England, Scotland and Ireland.