Principle: Layer-by-layer compaction

Ordnance survey

The problem that is solved with the BOROPLAST process:

Borehole filling is the final step in invasive ordnance disposal and is usually subject to time and cost pressures.

Due to time and cost pressures, simple backfilling techniques are often used, such as pouring bulk materials without compaction. This frequently results in soil damage and other problems.

Ingress of potentially contaminated surface water into the borehole and thus contamination of the groundwater.

Water pathways along the insufficiently compacted borehole backfill

Subsidence due to gradual compaction

Depressions in the terrain surface pose a risk to traffic safety and the safe operation of transport routes.

The BOROPLAST process was developed, patented and technically tested to avoid these types of soil damage.

How does the application work?

Professional borehole filling according to BFR-KMR and BOROPLAST patented methods:

Mixing bentonite clay with hydrogel; ideal compactability at 16-18% H2O

Mechanically clearing the borehole channel

Many boreholes become inaccessible at the time of backfilling due to lateral seepage.

The borehole is cleared with the ramming pump and thus prepared for the pouring of sealing material.

Pouring of damp, mountain-dry sealing material according to the desired layer thickness.

Compaction to the desired target density in layers up to top of top of subgrade using the mechanical piston feeder.

What do I need for the application?

2 employees

Wheel loader or excavator

Construction site mixer

Construction power 400 V

Piston compressor machine (rental)

Boroplast building material consisting of hydrogel and bentonite clay

Suitable for:

All KaMiSo drilling operations

Drilling diameter 80 - 500 mm

Jammy Life GmbH developed the BOROPLAST process, applied for a patent, tested it technically and brought it to series production readiness. 

Well containment and well closure

The problem that is solved with the BOROPLAST process:

Former wells emit methane and other harmful gases uncontrollably. And wells usually discharge potentially contaminated surface water directly into the groundwater.

Rigid sealing materials such as concrete become porous and permeable to vapors over time due to unpredictable forces exerted by the rock structure, tectonics, and weathering. The subsequent necessary repair of a porous sealing material is extremely complex and costly.

BOROPLAST provides a permanently elastic and simultaneously plastic borehole seal from the outset. The high proportion of special swelling clay minerals results in self-healing sealing elements.

How does the application work?

The backfilling process is carried out in layers from the deepest part of the borehole to several meters below ground level, according to the rock formation penetrated by the borehole.

The upper 4.50 m are filled in layers with compacted boroplast sealing material.

What do I need for the application?

2 employees

Wheel loader or excavator

Construction site mixer

Construction power 400 V

Piston compressor machine (rental)

Boroplast building material consisting of hydrogel and bentonite clay

Special advantages:

Simple, systematic installation

Long-term stable

Insensitive to freeze-thaw cycles

Gas-tight with CH4 emissions

Precise digital documentation with the proprietary GeoLOG app

Suitable for:

All well drillings

Drilling diameter 80 - 500 mm

Abandoned Gas Wells

The problem that is solved with the BOROPLAST process:

Abandoned gas wells (AOGs) act like chimneys for methane emissions. Methane flows uncontrollably from incompletely or completely unsealed fracking wells. Methane is a hundred times more harmful than CO2 and is considered the most dangerous greenhouse gas. Several million open wells emit methane uncontrollably.

The BOROPLAST process, a patented method (US patent pending), provides a reliable, safe, and long-term stable borehole seal. Methane and other harmful gases no longer escape uncontrollably from the borehole.

How does the application work?

• Multi-layer construction of borehole sealant according to local geology
• PLUGWELL Installation Well Plug at specified depth
• Layer-by-layer construction of the machine-compacted boroplast compaction
• Connection of the sealing material to the diffusion-open rock
• Measurement of CH4 and other harmful gases before and after installation of the sealing elements
• Securing the borehole at the surface
• Inoculation of methanotrophic bacteria into the diffusion-open environment of the overburden (optional)
• Digital documentation
• CH4 Monitoring

Jammy Life GmbH developed the BOROPLAST process, applied for a patent, tested it technically and brought it to series production readiness.

Soil compaction, borehole stabilization

Objectives pursued with the BOROPLAST process:

• Load-stable backfill unwanted cavities, especially near buildings, foundations or sheet pile walls.

• Complete filling. The boreholes and cavities must be completely filled, meaning the filling should extend along the entire borehole length. And the filling should be free of voids.

• Layered filling. The filling should be done in layers and compacted layer by layer.

Technical requirements that are met by the BOROPLAST process:

• Complete borehole or cavity filling.
• Layered compaction of fill up to the surface level
• Use of a mechanically compactable, swelling mineral building material with a target moisture content of 17 – 22% H2O.
• Addition of 10% water to the bentonite clay using precisely dosable hydrogel in a ratio of 12 : 1 (bentonite clay : hydrogel)
• Fill compacted in layers of 50 cm thickness each.
• Compaction by means of mechanical, systematic, and compacting methods.
• Vibration-free compaction without mechanical impulse.
• Density of the individual layers 1.65 – 2.1 g/cm³.
• Water permeability k_f < 1 x 10^-9 m/s.
• Settling rate < 0.1% based on backfill length after 48h.
• Particularly suitable for use when the subsoil is subjected to dynamic loads.
• Proof through digital documentation / self-monitoring.

Requirements

It is not so much the type of drilling, but rather the method of backfilling that determines the stability of the building ground.

This results in specific requirements for the backfilling process. Backfilling should no longer simply be a matter of "pouring in," but must be a true sealing element – a technical project, a repeatable process. The backfilling should be carried out in layers and must be complete. If using swelling clay, it should be moist from the quarry so that it remains easily malleable and compactable.

void-free, homogeneous compaction

A sealing element that is consistently homogeneous, complete, void-free, and compact from the bottom of the borehole to the top of the ground. Nothing can settle.

No sagging, no giving way

The ideal borehole seal should not yield. It should not sag and must withstand cyclic dynamic loads over the long term.

No watercourse

The tight interlocking of the sealing element with the drilled rock is probably the most important property of the backfill. It prevents water infiltration and edge seepage.

Cyclically dynamically loadable

High dynamic loads place high demands on borehole filling.