In infrastructure construction projects where earthworks predominate, soil occasionally needs to be moved and/or treated and then compacted to specific density/moisture conditions. Drying soil increases overall project cost due to delays and materials (additives) and/or machinery costs.
Can you bring an innovative and cost-efficient way to dry wet soil in this civil engineering innovation challenge?
What the client is looking for
ACCIONA CONSTRUCTION, a leading construction company with a presence in all five continents and a history of over one hundred years, is looking for an innovative process, additive or machinery, which accelerates the drying of soil, reduces the extra cost of projects due to delays and applicable in massive earthworks. Besides, to the following additional properties should also be considered:
- Enhance the workability of soil
- Preserve or improve the mechanical performance of the original soil
- Maintain or increase the usage of in situ soil (reducing cost of hauling, dumping and soils from borrow pits)
- Reduce the cost of treatment with additives if applicable
- Be applied in any weather conditions (wind, cold, etc.)
- Ensure uniformity in application
- To ensure durability and volume stability of the additive if applicable
Even if the solution does not meet all these requirements, a range of compliance with each of the points must be indicated.
Evaluation Criteria
Participants’ submissions will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- Highest cost reduction
- Adaptable to different construction sites and soils
- Lowest application and curing time
- Lowest environmental impact
- The best 8-year business case, considering investments, maintenance and operational costs for the given scenario.
Timeline
1st round – 5 weeks + 2 weeks for evaluation
2nd round – 3 weeks + 2 weeks for evaluation
3rd round – 2 weeks + 1 week for evaluation
The first deadline is the 5th of November.
Prize
The best submissions of Round 1 will share 5,000 € and the winner and second-best solutions of the challenge will also receive 12,000 € and 3,000 € respectively.
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