Project Overview
Location: Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, UAE
Project Duration: 21 June – 1 July 2025
Solution: Geopolymer Ground Improvement
Geobear UAE was appointed to deliver a specialist ground improvement solution beneath new dual filter foundations at Atlantis The Palm. The objective was to enhance the strength and stiffness of loose sandy soil while working within severe site constraints. The presence of extensive buried utilities and pipelines directly below and around the planned structure made traditional compaction techniques impractical and unsafe.
The site posed significant engineering and operational challenges:
– Extensive buried services network, including water mains, gas pipelines, and utility conduits running across the treatment zone in the vicinity of a nearby building foundation.
– High risk of service damage meant that conventional compaction methods such as vibrocompaction, dynamic compaction, or soil replacement were not permissible.
– Loose, poorly compacted sandy strata with inadequate load-bearing capacity for the planned dual filter structures.
– Restricted working conditions, including night-only operations (6 pm – 2 am) and limited access space.
The client required a solution that could deliver measurable soil strengthening without disturbing or relocating the existing underground infrastructure.
Geobear’s geopolymer injection technology was selected precisely because it avoids the need for heavy compaction equipment and vibration-based methods. The technique allowed targeted soil strengthening between and around critical buried services without risk of damage or service disruption.
Key elements of the solution included:
– Precise injection grid: Up to 170 injection points installed in a 1 m × 1 m pattern, to a depth of ~2.2 m.
– Low-pressure, non-disruptive process: Expanding geopolymer resin was injected through small-diameter tubes, compacting and bonding the soil without vibration or excavation.
– Real-time heave monitoring: Laser targets were used to control lift and ensure injections remained within safe limits.
– Service-safe delivery: All works were executed while maintaining full integrity of the surrounding utility infrastructure.
– Installation: Small-diameter (12–16 mm) tubes were drilled and installed manually to minimise ground disturbance and avoid contact with services.
– Injection: Expanding geopolymer was pumped from a self-contained unit into the soil matrix, filling voids and compacting particles in situ.
– Health & Safety: Daily site-specific risk assessments addressed buried service locations, with all utilities accurately mapped and marked prior to work.
– Programme: The project was delivered over eight night shifts to meet site access restrictions.
The effectiveness of the treatment was confirmed through Dynamic Cone Penetration Testing (DCPT) before and after injection:
– Pre-injection: Loose sandy soil with low blow counts.
– Post-injection: Blow counts increased by 2–3 times, indicating significant gains in density and stiffness.
– Result: Enhanced load-bearing capacity fully met design requirements despite the presence of buried infrastructure.
Comparison of Estimated SPT N₆₀ Values Before and After Geobear’s treatment. (Converted from DCPT Results)
– No risk to buried utilities: Soil strengthening was achieved without excavation, heavy machinery, or vibration.
– Enhanced load-bearing performance: Strength improvements exceeded design targets, providing a stable foundation.
– Minimal disruption: Work was completed rapidly and within restricted night-time windows.
– Environmental advantages: Geopolymer injection reduced carbon emissions compared with conventional compaction.
This project demonstrates the unique value of Geobear’s geopolymer technology in highly service-congested environments. Conventional ground improvement was not feasible due to the density of underground utilities, but the non-intrusive injection method enabled safe, effective soil strengthening without disturbing any critical infrastructure. The result is a robust and stable foundation for the new water treatment facilities — delivered safely, on time, and with minimal environmental impact.
