3 ms·

That sounds quite convincing until you actually try to do it 8) Liquid N is bloody cold until it hits the environment (for want of a better word). Initially I

That sounds quite convincing until you actually try to do it 8) Liquid N is bloody cold until it hits the environment (for want of a better word). Initially I thought of going in with boiling water but that suffers from the same problem - that there bloody equilibrium thingie. I'd also look into something like liquid grout. You use that (I'm a Civ Eng grad, IT company owner) to stabilize ground. That depends a lot on the rock involved. North Devon and sandy soil mentioned so it will be tricky. I think it could have been done quicker but you have to bear in mind that people's houses are on top and the council's and other groups would have worried about that and a lot of other factors.

bell-cot 5y ago
Neither the LN nor the boiling water would need to literally saturate the soil. Nor reach thermal equilibrium (-196C for LN, 100C for boiling water.) So long as conditions (temperature, O2 availability, etc.) in every cc of the targeted volume were nicely beyond what any termite could survive, that'd be enough. LN would plausibly 1) create a long-lived hypoxic zone, and 2) have minimal effects on the groundwater, so I hand-waved that idea. Your boiling water would probably work through the "mud" they might use to line tunnels and their nest far quicker.
- gerdesj 5y ago
  It's just as well you and I were not appointed to deal with this. It could have got ugly. Let's start off with demolishing the houses with a controlled explosion that just implodes the structures so that we don't fire termites off into the blue. Carefully distribute the house remains to the perimeter. All crossings of the perimeter will involve a thorough decontamination. Now we drill two metre (6'ish) deep holes every two metres with a diameter of at least 32mm (1.25"). Then we treat the problem: Find the perimeter of infestation (may have to destroy more properties). Create a 3m (10') deep trench, 30cm (12") wide along the entire perimeter. Fill the trench with standard 1-2-3 conc. Make sure it is vibrated properly and use a viscosity admix. to ensure the trench is properly filled. We'll need some heavy lift helis eg Chinooks - several are available from the Army and RAF or perhaps EH101 based jobbies - Army. We'll also need some containers and I think a 8 cu yard skip ie a standard builder's skip will do nicely. Yes we do have a wacky approach to units here in the UK. Fill the skips with boiling water and use the helis to drop the water on the area from above. Consider salting the water to lower the boiling point and make it more toxic in an environmentally responsible way. Finally we go in with a fleet of ready mix lorries with pumps and long hoses. We pump a cementitious slurry into the holes and then finish with a capping slab of conc as required to support subsequent structures. I'm actually half Devonian (mum born in Dartmouth) and I studied Civ Eng in Plymouth. I now live next door in Somerset.

bell-cot 5y ago

Neither the LN nor the boiling water would need to literally saturate the soil. Nor reach thermal equilibrium (-196C for LN, 100C for boiling water.) So long as conditions (temperature, O2 availability, etc.) in every cc of the targeted volume were nicely beyond what any termite could survive, that'd be enough. LN would plausibly 1) create a long-lived hypoxic zone, and 2) have minimal effects on the groundwater, so I hand-waved that idea. Your boiling water would probably work through the "mud" they might use to line tunnels and their nest far quicker.

gerdesj 5y ago
It's just as well you and I were not appointed to deal with this. It could have got ugly. Let's start off with demolishing the houses with a controlled explosion that just implodes the structures so that we don't fire termites off into the blue. Carefully distribute the house remains to the perimeter. All crossings of the perimeter will involve a thorough decontamination. Now we drill two metre (6'ish) deep holes every two metres with a diameter of at least 32mm (1.25"). Then we treat the problem: Find the perimeter of infestation (may have to destroy more properties). Create a 3m (10') deep trench, 30cm (12") wide along the entire perimeter. Fill the trench with standard 1-2-3 conc. Make sure it is vibrated properly and use a viscosity admix. to ensure the trench is properly filled. We'll need some heavy lift helis eg Chinooks - several are available from the Army and RAF or perhaps EH101 based jobbies - Army. We'll also need some containers and I think a 8 cu yard skip ie a standard builder's skip will do nicely. Yes we do have a wacky approach to units here in the UK. Fill the skips with boiling water and use the helis to drop the water on the area from above. Consider salting the water to lower the boiling point and make it more toxic in an environmentally responsible way. Finally we go in with a fleet of ready mix lorries with pumps and long hoses. We pump a cementitious slurry into the holes and then finish with a capping slab of conc as required to support subsequent structures. I'm actually half Devonian (mum born in Dartmouth) and I studied Civ Eng in Plymouth. I now live next door in Somerset.