Engineered Containment Environments

Getting Containment Right the First Time

Containment is a relatively simple concept.  It's a method to safely hold or guard something.  While the idea of containment is simple, the proper development and ongoing management of containment systems is not always as straightforward.

Containment engineering and development teams deal with highly visible projects that are neither popular or well understood by nearby populations.  Because of this, containment projects are rarely straightforward.

Environmental activists concerned with sensitive ecosystems are often concerned with containment systems and the risk they pose to surrounding ecosystems.

We understand these concerns. The restoration and supportive engineering work we do as well as our track record can help provide confidence to stakeholders that the contained material will remain separate from the surrounding environment for the duration of the containment's life.

Unlike other energy projects where revenue potential more than offsets potential risk, containment projects are often cost centers. Developers are forced to store by-product that is often harmful or toxic and has marginal residual value.

"In a 300 acre landfill, most of the risk and therefore most of the work is done outside the containment system itself."

Containment environments are not static.  Cells are constantly being opened and closed.  New roads to cells are frequently being cut.  Containment civil engineering must contemplate for this activity well in advance.  Big rain events, regardless of the climate are a reality and all the water must be effectively moved around the containment site.

"During and after rain events, water in poorly engineered containment environments will  corkscrew down roads and embankments.

As the water travels downhill, it moves faster, picking up organic and non-organic particulates. When it reaches the bottom, it can create havoc including site and environmental damage."

Neither containment sites or the environments they reside in are static.  Landfill activity, maintenance, organic matter management, surrounding ecological environments, weather patterns are inter-connected components which need to be contemplated and accounted for in order to deliver a successful containment project.

Because of this reality, our team approaches containment somewhat differently than most engineering and remediation firms.

We see containment as an active ecosystem.  Engineering and constructing a containment environment requires a full understanding of civil engineering, physics, chemistry, environmental management as well as the regulatory environment.

The net result is the seamless delivery of a containment system that is on-time and on-budget.  However, our deliverable goes a step further, ensuring that the active containment environment we help to deliver is properly engineered to ensure long term performance.

We developed an innovative process called DECK to ensure we achieve and maintain the highest possible standards and performance in our industry. This proprietary process is broken into four integrated elements and is the foundation for each project we undertake.

Gwinnup | Superior DECK Containment Project Modules

• Data & Information Analysis
• Engineering Application Alignment
• Certification-Based Task Planning
• Knowledge Driven Work-Module Execution

Click here to learn more about how Gwinnup delivers successful containment environments or here to contact a containment subject matter expert about how our DECK process drives successful projects.