Application Field
Surface Stabilisation
Sprayable biopolymer layer systems for sealing, surface capping and temporary path stabilisation. BPS develops cement-free system solutions that combine contaminant barrier, erosion resistance and recultivation capability in a single application process.
Problem Statement
Why Conventional Sealing Technologies Cannot Combine Barrier and Recultivation
Final capping of landfills, contaminated sites and mining spoil heaps must simultaneously provide a leachate barrier, resist wind and water erosion, tolerate differential settlement without cracking, and in many cases permit subsequent vegetation establishment. No conventional single-material solution meets all four requirements.
Cement-based mineral seals provide barrier function but are chemically incompatible with sulphate-bearing substrates and exclude vegetation entirely. Synthetic geomembranes require mechanical removal at end of life, are a documented source of microplastic contamination via UV degradation and abrasion, and provide no ecological integration. Loose aggregate cover layers offer insufficient stability against wind erosion and surface runoff.
BPS develops sprayable layer systems based on biopolymers, clay minerals and reactive fines. The formulation is adjusted per layer to target either barrier impermeability or vapour-open vegetation compatibility — both without cement, without synthetic polymer content, and without removal obligation.
Regulatory Context
EU member state landfill closure regulations prescribe site-specific barrier systems for final capping without mandating material technology. REACH restriction proceedings for synthetic polymers in outdoor environmental applications are ongoing. The EU Circular Economy Action Plan provides incentives for secondary raw material integration in functional construction systems. In non-EU markets, World Bank / IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards impose equivalent requirements for mining waste and landfill closure.
Two-layer system structure 2043-GH
System Variants
Three Variants — One Material Logic, Adjustable Barrier Profile
All three systems are based on the same material platform: biopolymers, clay minerals and reactive fines applied as a sprayable aqueous suspension. The functional differentiation is achieved by adjusting the mineral fraction — high-swelling phyllosilicates for impermeability in the base layer, low-density light minerals for vapour permeability in the top layer. System logic and application process remain identical across variants.
Barrier layer for surfaces requiring permanent leachate containment. High-swelling clay minerals and reactive fines form the primary hydraulic barrier; biopolymer matrix and fibres provide adhesion to the substrate and crack tolerance under differential settlement.
Single-layer · spray application
PFAS-contaminated sites · Landfills · Excavation pit wallsVegetation-compatible variant for surfaces with a recultivation obligation. Light minerals replace dense phyllosilicates — the cured layer maintains gas exchange capacity, suppresses erosion, and simultaneously provides a structured germination substrate for seeding.
Single-layer · spray application
Embankments · Infrastructure slopes · Open-cast reclamationSequential application of 2041-GD base layer followed by 2042-GP top layer. The base provides the hydraulic barrier; the top layer decouples the vegetation zone from contaminant contact while maintaining gas exchange. Both layers can be applied in a single working day.
Two-layer · one working day
Mining spoil heaps · Landfill final capping| Property | 2041-GD | 2042-GP | 2043-GH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic barrier | Primary function | Not provided | Via base layer |
| Vegetation compatibility | Not intended | Germination substrate | Via top layer |
| Contaminant barrier | Primary function | Not provided | Via base layer |
| Cement content | None | None | None |
| Removal required | No | No | No |
Temporary Path Stabilisation
System 4021-TP — Mineral-Organic Path Stabilisation from Secondary Raw Materials
Natural paths and forestry tracks must carry point loads from pedestrians, cyclists, forestry machinery and, in the case of temporary infrastructure routes, construction vehicles. Simple aggregate fill compacts under repeated loading and ruts; without binder, the surface structure collapses under dynamic axle loads and becomes impassable during wet conditions.
BPS is developing System 4021-TP jointly with a cooperation partner in environmental and recycling technology. The basis is a recycled fibre stream with a mineral-organic hybrid character, which is processed with biopolymer binder components into a sprayable matrix. After application and drying, a mechanically load-bearing, cohesive surface is created without removal obligation and without special waste disposal.
The fibre stream has been assessed through independent materials testing for contaminant relevance. No toxicological exclusion criterion has been identified to date. Open validation steps before system readiness concern eluate analysis for water body proximity areas and application design based on fibre length distribution.
Circular Economy Development Approach
BPS and its cooperation partner are jointly evaluating whether recycled fibre streams can be deployed as functional system components in path stabilisation. This approach follows the EU Circular Economy Strategy: positioned not as waste recovery, but as verified secondary raw material integration with defined performance parameters.
System 4021-TP — Material Logic
Natural Paths & Forestry Tracks
Stabilisation without ground sealing. Weather-resistant and load-bearing for forestry machinery. No removal obligation at end of use period.
Temporary Construction & Event Surfaces
Rapid application, no disposal effort. Degrades biologically after the use period ends.
Wind Farm & Infrastructure Construction Access
Construction-phase access tracks — not permanently bound, completely residue-free.
System Differentiation
Surface Stabilisation and Soil Protection — Complementary Intervention Points
Surface sealing systems (2041–2043) and path stabilisation (4021-TP) act at and immediately below the substrate surface: they immobilise particles, suppress leachate infiltration, and establish structured germination layers. Erosion control systems act within the soil matrix by creating structural interlocking. Both system types address particle mobilisation through different mechanisms and are combinable.
| Criterion | Surface Stabilisation (2041–2043, 4021) | Soil Protection & Erosion Control |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention point | Surface — particle immobilisation | Soil matrix — structural interlocking |
| Primary function | Sealing · Capping · Surface protection | Slope stability · Water retention · Vegetation substrate |
| Typical substrate | Landfill · Contaminated site · Path · Operational surface | Subsoil · Embankment · Steep slope · Sand substrate |
| Regulatory driver | Landfill legislation · Circular Economy · REACH | Soil protection law · EU WFD · Water protection |
| Combination possible | Yes — 2043-GH combines sealing and recultivation substrate in one system structure |
Sealing, contaminated site closure or path stabilisation requirement?
BPS develops systems 2041-GD through 4021-TP with partners in environmental engineering and geo-engineering. Specify your system code — we will assign the appropriate system variant.