Reference projects

A washed, pH-neutral medium was specified so the nutrient solution stays controllable without additional correction. The medium is washed, sterilised and reused after each crop cycle.

The site had limited bearing capacity in a seismic zone. Using structural lightweight concrete across every floor slab reduced the structural mass by roughly 22%.

That fed straight through into smaller column sections in the lower storeys and let one row of piles be taken out of the foundation design. Supply ran continuously over 14 months, each consignment delivered with its own certificate of analysis.

In block production, consistent grading feeds straight through to the weight and strength of the finished unit. The supply agreement was written around an agreed tolerance band with every consignment tested.

The yard sits on more than 12 m of soft marine clay. Calculations put consolidation settlement under a conventional embankment at over 400 mm across ten years.

Substituting the fill cut the load on the subgrade by about 75% and brought calculated settlement below 50 mm — with no preloading period and no delay to the construction programme.

The existing structure had only 180 kg/m² of spare capacity; a gravel drainage course would have exceeded it once saturated.

A 100 mm layer of 8–16 mm expanded clay brought the saturated weight of the drainage course to about 65 kg/m², freeing load budget for a deeper growing medium.

Re-roofing a working hospital, constrained on both load and programme. A dry-laid expanded clay screed allowed the roof to be done in phases and handed back section by section.