Rhoca-Gil

Rhoca-Gil

Rhoca-Gil is a type of industrial sealant produced by Rhône-Poulenc, used in the construction of tunnels to block the passage of groundwater into the tunnel. The sealant begins as a liquid, is then injected into cavities which need to be sealed, and polymerises, causing it to harden.

Process

Rhoca-Gil consists of two fluids, that are mixed, thinned out with water and then sprayed into cracks in the bedrock. One of the fluids contains acrylamide and methylolacrylamide. The mixed solution becomes a viscous fluid that penetrates cracks and holes in the rock, where the fluid reacts - polymerizes - to a tight plastic substance. When it is completely polymerized it is stable and will not exhaust any toxic compounds.

Controversies

In 1992 construction of the Hallandsås tunnel in Sweden began, with opening plans for 1995, groundwater leaking into the tunnel was however a major problem, slowing the progress, and Rhoca-Gil had to be used. In 1997, fish and local cattle started dying as a result of Rhoca-Gil in its liquid form leaking into the water supply, contaminating it with acrylamide, a known carcinogen and mutagen. Furthermore, the contamination of the area led to a ban on agricultural products from the area, as well as a ban on using water from the area affecting local residents.

The main contractor, Skanska, along with Rhône-Poulenc and Swedish Railways all had criminal charges brought against them. Some senior executives resigned. Construction was halted in late 1997. The main critique of the use of Rhoca-Gil was against Rhône-Poulenc for not pointing out the risks of using the sealant, as well as against Skanska for not informing local residents about the usage of Rhoca-Gil.

A similar incident occurred at the construction of Gardermobanen in Norway, leading to a ban of the substance in Norway in 1997.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Romeriksporten — Infobox tunnel name = Romeriksporten caption = line = Gardermobanen location = Østmarka, Norway system = Norwegian railways start = Oslo Central Station end = Lillestrøm Station stations = status = open = 22 August 1999 close = owner =… …   Wikipedia

  • Hallandsås Tunnel — The Hallandsås Tunnel ( sv. Hallandsåstunneln), also known as the Hallandsås Ridge Tunnel or Scanlink, is a railway tunnel under construction in Sweden. The planned length is 8.5 km (5.3 miles). It will be located on the Västkustbanan (West Coast …   Wikipedia

  • Hallandsastunnel — Baustelle am Südportal des Hallandsåstunnels Der Hallandsåstunnel ist ein derzeit im Bau befindlicher Tunnel in Schweden. Er soll ab 2015 den Bahnverkehr der Västkustbanan zwischen Göteborg und Lund durch den südschwedischen Höhenzug Hallandsåsen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hallandsåstunnel — Baustelle am Südportal des Hallandsåstunnels Der Hallandsåstunnel ist ein derzeit im Bau befindlicher Tunnel in Schweden. Er soll ab 2015 den Bahnverkehr der Västkustbanan zwischen Göteborg und Lund durch den südschwedischen Höhenzug Hallandsåsen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hallandsåstunneln — Baustelle am Südportal des Hallandsåstunnels Der Hallandsåstunnel ist ein derzeit im Bau befindlicher Tunnel in Schweden. Er soll ab 2015 den Bahnverkehr der Västkustbanan zwischen Göteborg und Lund durch den südschwedischen Höhenzug Hallandsåsen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Flytoget — AS Type State owned Industry Rail transport Founded 24 November 1992 …   Wikipedia

  • Gardermo Line — Infobox rail line name = Gardermo Line nativename = Gardermobanen caption = Eidsvoll Verk Station type = High speed railway start = Oslo Central Station end = Eidsvoll Station stations = 5 open = 8 October 1998 owner = Norwegian National Rail… …   Wikipedia

  • Lutvann — Infobox lake lake name = Lutvann image lake = Lutvann.jpg caption lake = seen from south image bathymetry = caption bathymetry= location = Oslo, Norway coords = coord|59|54|45|N|10|52|38|E|type:waterbody region:NO 030117|display=inline,title type …   Wikipedia

  • Gardermoen Line — Eidsvoll Verk Station Overview Type High speed railway Termini …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”