The processes of lime piles and columns to turn weak soils into durable construction foundations for roads, rail and building developments are at least 50 years old with extensive experience in America, Japan and Scandinavia.

UK experience developed later only commencing properly in the 1990’s with work for British Waterways and London Underground for slope strengthening work. More recently, again drawing on experience from elsewhere, the process in the UK has evolved to include cement with or without lime.

Overseas the process continues to develop due to the need to treat more challenging organic and peaty soils through the use of hydraulic constituents like coal fly ash and granulated blast-furnace slag and other materials such as di-hydrate gypsum containing iron.

Although the process cannot be properly labeled under the HBM banner, the ‘lime piling’ technique relies on the same basic principles, and the chemical and physical characteristics that define HBM also define and are used for ‘lime’ piles and columns.