Soil Stabilisation & Remediation

Quicklime (calcium oxide) is used to stabilise construction soils that are too wet, cohesive or weak to build on. The addition of lime also produces a chemical change in clay soils, which transforms the cohesive material into a granular form for soils with improved compaction and strength.

In many parts of the UK large areas of land are unsuitable for construction because the soil is too wet, too cohesive or simply too weak to provide a stable base. Soil stabilisation is a well-established technique for use on difficult construction sites. Wet conditions and weak clay soils are stabilised by rotovating specially formulated quicklime into the soil.

Our high purity Limbase quicklime is suitable for the stabilisation and remediation of both virgin and brownfields soils. Following the use of Limbase quicklime a stable base is left that’s strong enough to support the construction of roads, airports, power stations, sports stadiums, housing and commercial buildings. When mixed with cement, Limbase also provides an environmentally conscious way of making marginal soils suitable for use within the construction process.

Our soil stabilisation products have been proven on major projects including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, Stratford Box Station and numerous retail and industrial parks across the UK.

We work closely with customers from the outset of each project, providing unrivalled logistic capabilities alongside ongoing technical information and support.

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Our lime products

A specially formulated range of quicklime products of high and consistent purity, Limbase quicklimes provide a comprehensive selection of reactivity and particle size distributions to suit all types of soil treatment. From coarse granular for very wet conditions, to powder grades for standard site conditions.

Our quicklime products are capable of absorbing up to 32% of their own weight in water from surrounding soil. The chemical reaction that is created when they are mixed with soil also generates heat, which reduces plasticity and results in more water being lost
via evaporation. In clay soils a further reaction, known as ‘cation exchange’, takes place. This produces a permanent change in the properties of the stabilised material, characterised by a reduction in plasticity and increase in optimum moisture content.

This produces a material which can be compacted to optimal densities to provide a stable load bearing platform. Further treatment with cement, PFA or GGBS can provide rapid additional strength to the treated material.

Calbux Quicklime

Calbux Quicklime

The Calbux range is of consistent high purity and available in a range of reactivities to suit any quicklime reactor or slaking process.

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Limbase quicklime

Renowned throughout the construction industry for consistent quality and performance, Limbase quicklime (calcium oxide) provides a host of environmental, speed and cost benefits.

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No. 1

leading producer of lime in the UK

1891

Buxton Lime Firms was formed

110

Number of employees

2

operational sites across Europe