Dike remediation for potash production in Jordan

Bauer International FZE, subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, has been contracted to construct a total of 112,000 m² of cut-off wall with embedded sheet piles over a length of 4.2 km

Amman, Jordan – The term "potash" is still colloquially used to refer to various salts containing the element potassium. Potassium is the seventh most abundant element in the earth's crust and is found mainly in heavy soils and seawater.

The name "potash" comes from the old method of obtaining potassium salts by soaking wood ash in water and evaporating the resulting solution in pots. As one of the three major components of fertilizers, potassium increases crop yields and improves plant resilience.

Roughly 90% of the potassium salt produced in the world is used for fertilizers. In many regions of the world, potassium salts are extracted from large underground deposits left behind by dried-up prehistoric seas. The Dead Sea is also a rich source of potassium salt. The Arab Potash Company in Jordan uses this natural resource as the basis for the production of potash. For this purpose, salt water from the Dead Sea is pumped into large earth basins, where the much sought-after potash is created by evaporation.

Bauer International FZE, subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, has been contracted to construct a total of 112,000 m² of cut-off wall with embedded sheet piles over a length of 4.2 km adjacent to a main perimeter dike for the purpose of limiting seepage through the said dike and retain the brine in the related solar pond. The 600 mm wide cut-off wall will be installed at depths between 18 and 30 m. The project owner is

Arab Potash Company, Jordan, and the Engineer is Royal Haskoning DHV, Netherlands. The subsoil presents a special challenge: "Because of the unique location right on the Dead Sea, the soil is mostly made up of salt, and the groundwater is completely saturated with salt", says Hassan Farhat, project manager at Bauer International FZE.

The project team is using two Bauer cutters, a BC 40 and a BC 30, as well as a grab. Additionally, a total of 790,000 m³ of soil must be moved in order to widen the dike. The project is expected to take 20 months and is scheduled for completion in August 2020.