The ZULUF expansion required the improvement of variable ground conditions to support critical plant foundations and roads network. Keller’s multi-product ground improvement solution delivered the required bearing capacity within the controlled settlement requirements economically.
The project
The ZULUF Water Treatment Plant combines high-capacity water treatment, advanced engineering, and long-term operational planning to support one of Saudi Arabia’s key oilfields, with ongoing expansion ensuring future industrial water needs are met efficiently and sustainably.
The challenge
Insufficient ground bearing capacity and highly variable soil conditions, from compactable sands to compressible cohesive soils, posed significant foundation and settlement challenges. A cost-effective ground improvement solution was required to improve both native soils and imported fill while achieving the required site levels.
The solution
Detailed CPT investigations enabled a value-engineered ground improvement solution tailored to the site's variable ground conditions, combining Dynamic Compaction for compactable soils, Dynamic Replacement for non-compactable soils, and Rapid Impact Compaction to raise site levels using imported sand supplied by the Main Contractor. Performance and acceptance criteria were verified through a rigorous QA/QC programme including CPT testing and zone load tests.
