A Hybrid Cut-Off Wall at the Dead SeaÂ-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

Arab Potash Company (APC) rehabilitated Dyke 1 at its Dead Sea potash ponds to address seepage through aging, porous dikes. Brine leakage caused production losses estimated at 80,000 tonnes of finished product annually and contributed to safety concerns, including sinkholes.<br /><br />The project installed a hybrid cut-off wall combining plastic concrete with 31-metre sheet piles. Work included preparing the dyke and guide walls, constructing the cut-off wall, and installing instrumentation. The wall was designed to reduce brine movement between APC’s ponds and the natural Arava channel.<br /><br />The site posed unusual technical and logistical challenges. Long sheet piles had limited suppliers and were difficult to transport. High salinity made ordinary bentonite unsuitable: freshwater could dissolve the salt layers, while salt from excavation could disrupt the supporting fluid. Bauer developed a dual-system fluid using dense brine, salt-resistant clay, and polymers. A two-phase construction approach was selected to manage salt-related effects on cement setting and the extended excavation period.<br /><br />Temperatures reached 50°C, requiring specially cooled and insulated materials and equipment. During concrete placement, the pressure on both sides of the sheet piles had to be carefully balanced through synchronized pours. Plastic-concrete design also had to account for chemical attack in the saline environment.<br /><br />The project’s success relied on coordination among Bauer’s multinational team, APC, and the engineer. The presentation reports improved cut-off-wall efficiency after construction and describes the project as the “deepest cut-off wall” at the lowest land elevation on Earth.

Keywords

Arab Potash Company

Dyke 1

Dead Sea

cut-off wall

brine leakage

sheet piles

plastic concrete

salt-resistant clay

sinkholes

Bauer