The right foundation

Salah Mokhtar explains the importance and outlines the key benefits of soil stabilisation in the road construction process.

“Our solution helped to solve real construction problems successfully, economically and in an environmentally friendly way”
-Salah Mokhtar

Why is soil stabilisation so important in the construction process?

It's necessary to firstly build a stable base course before the sub base and the base and then the wearing layer is on top. It is vital that the necessary bearing capacity is achieved. This means that the soil must be stable under the mechanical and static pressure as well as traffic vibration, and in all weather cases.

With soil stabilisation we are able to build irreversible, durable, economical, environmentally friendly construction site with less maintenance. Particular, unusual cases in Asia and Africa - where there is either only low cohesive soil or heavy clay soil - are solved from our consultant office in Cairo.

What are the challenges contractors and developers in the construction/infrastructure sector typically face with regards to soil stabilisation?

Challenges include never actually meeting the correct condition or an assumption that it has been met when it fact it hasn't. The contractors are looking for strong construction material and therefore excavate the soil, which is a weak construction material, and replace it with gravel, sand and so on. This results in a huge cost of transportation and also pollutes the environment. The excavated soil also results in a great deal of waste.

How does your solution address some of these issues?

The Swiss soil stabilisation technology solves all this issues because it treats the soil in a natural way without adding any binder, glues or chemicals. We have copied nature and the sedimentation process, but instead of over several million years, which is needed to change rocks to soil or soil to rocks, it occurs immediately after the mix and dry back. The OMC (optimum moisture content) inside the treated soil will be reduced, thus no water is inside or out. The end form is: no water permeability and a very high bearing capacity. In more that 95 countries around the world, our solution helped to solve real construction problems successfully, economically and environmentally.

What are the key benefits in terms of cost reduction, faster project completion times and addressing environmental issues?

A twin effect, we can save between 20 to 50 percent of money and time, as well as increase the loading capacity of the in-situ soil. Cases for successful use in several countries are in the construction and rehabilitation of roads, in avoiding seepage on disposal areas, irrigation projects and in the immobilisation of polluted material. A high compressive strength, security against frost heave, increased tensile strength and highly reduced water absorption will be obtained after a proper compaction.

Our soil sedimentation technology guarantees the road to your success.

Having studied Economyand Comupter Science in Zurich University, Salah Mokhtar is currently Chairman of Basamok AG. Mokhtar is committed to the transfer and spread of Swiss soil stabilisation technology.