To the northeast of Moscow, one of the largest bottling plants in Russia, recently modernised, suffered from settlement. The consequences of the settlement of the slabs passing through the production site had serious implications for all parties involved in the original construction and for the current owner. After lengthy discussion of this problem, a group of experts, ranging from structural engineers to geotechnical engineers, concluded that injection technologies, and in particular the technologies of Uretek, were the most optimal solution.

Task
The site in question covers more than 80,000 m², and problems began after the tenant moved in and started operations. As the site was loaded, it began to experience settlement of the floor slabs, making the entire site inconvenient for operation; in some areas, settlement of up to 16 cm was recorded. Initially, the parties involved in the project planned major repairs, but due to the significant depth of soil loosening and the excessive cost of such repairs, the proposal was abandoned. Therefore, the Uretek technical solution was chosen to keep the facility operational without stopping or interfering with production processes.

Technology applied:
Uretek engineers developed a solution based on dynamic probing surveys and geodetic survey drawings of the floor slab levels. The project provided for returning them to the design level within 4 mm of the original specification. The process involved injecting geopolymers under the floor slabs throughout the facility in order to lift and level them. The settlement experienced by the structure was caused both by the slab dropping to the level of the settled soils and by the slab essentially hanging from the foundations, resulting in voids under the slab. In both scenarios, the solution proposed by Uretek involved filling the voids and the necessary levelling. An additional aspect of the solution was to provide structural backfill to the foundation level for sufficient strength and load support for long‑term operation.

For the implementation plan, Uretek developed a work plan based on site drawings that required three stages: first, work on the areas that showed the greatest drop in level; then the process moved to other areas that had a slightly lower level of settlement; and finally, a third stage, when all areas were injected to consolidate the result (final levelling), to bring all slabs within 4 mm of their required level. The work at the location required Uretek to develop a new delivery and supply process. Due to space constraints (due to the location of equipment and machinery), Uretek specialists developed smaller, purpose‑built mobile units that fit well into the facility’s aisles and met all health and safety criteria. The work plan and its implementation allowed work to continue without changes in the technological aisles adjacent to our technical teams. The facility had a total of 65 bays; the Uretek teams occupied four aisles and completed the injection process in these areas within 8 hours. To complete the project as quickly as possible, we provided four technical teams that could work on site for 16 weeks. Each lift was recorded using a laser sensor. Geodetic monitoring was also carried out to verify all levels. Initially, the racking system was adjusted to withstand any floor movement, but when the Uretek technicians began levelling the floor, the racking had to be re‑fastened but not re‑levelled, saving time and money on calling installers. For the “clean‑up” of the project, a crack repair team was hired to follow the Uretek technicians, repairing a total of 7 km of cracks in the floor slabs. The URETEK project secured the future of the facility. The speed and autonomy of the technology guarantee that technological operations can continue. After the work was completed, the facility was placed under post‑project monitoring, which showed no deviations during the warranty period.