Soil Stabilization

TERRA FIRM® Soil Stabilizer has been designed to alter the ionic attraction of clay soils and water.  The solution retards the clay sheet separation as a result of water.  Simply put, the soil will not saturate itself with bound water causing increased volume.  Instead, the soil will remain at a increased load bearing capacity.

In technical terms, clay particles due to their mineralogical composition, contain excessive negative ions (anions), therefore, they attract positive ions (cations) from water, causing water to adhere to them, forming pellicular water.  This phenomenon produces clay soils that tend to expand making them unstable.

The TERRA FIRM® solution posses an enormous ionic exchange.  When the ionized TERRA FIRM® solution [with H+ ad (OH)-free ions] comes in contact with the clay platelets (clay soil molecules), it will break the electrochemical bonding and separate the water retained by the molecules of the clay soil, allowing it to become free water, which drains through gravity, evaporation and compaction.

This reaction is a permanent ion exchange and once the soil has been treated with TERRA FIRM®, the particles will never revert to their original unbalanced ionic state.

Soil stabilization is accomplished by injecting a potassium based chemical in the soil.  Specially designed equipment is used to inject the soil at predetermined depths.  The injection wand injects the stabilizer downward and laterally, assuring a thorough penetration of the soil at all levels.  The injections will go to a normal depth of seven feet.  Geotechnical tests may dictate other depths in certain areas of the country.