Positive signals from the pilot use of sea sand as roadbed material

Accordingly, to meet the demand for sand for roadbed construction for transport projects, especially projects in the Mekong Delta region, the Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to develop the project "Mineral resources assessment, serving the exploitation of sea sand, meeting the demand for filling of highway projects and transport infrastructure, urban areas in the Mekong Delta region".

Implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the Ministry of Transport has proactively coordinated with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to conduct a pilot study and evaluate the use of sea sand as roadbed material. The organization of the trial construction on the rehabilitated section of Provincial Road 978 of the North-South Expressway project, Hau Giang - Ca Mau section, has been carried out with sea sand exploited at the quarry area in Dong Hai commune, Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh province.

The pilot section has been completed and put into operation since August 2023, and is currently being monitored and evaluated. The investor has also completed the work of establishing standards for exploitation, transportation and construction of sea sand as roadbed material, and is completing related procedures as a basis for application.

Up to now, the results of experiments, monitoring and evaluation carried out over 5 periods show that the roadbed of the pilot section is stable, the environmental parameters of surface water, groundwater, and heavy metal indicators in the soil have not shown signs of increased salinity or spread in surface water, groundwater and soil around the construction area.

To consult and learn from experience, the Ministry of Transport also worked directly with Geleximco Group and experts from Boskalis Group in the Netherlands. The experts shared their experiences in using sea sand in transport construction projects in the Netherlands and provided relevant information (project name, design, technical standards, construction technology, sea sand mining technology, environmental requirements, sea sand salinity, etc.) for reference.

In the coming time, the Ministry of Transport will continue to monitor and evaluate, and is expected to have evaluation results by the end of 2023. If the research results are successful, this will be a source of materials for projects in the Mekong Delta region.

Previously, reporting on the progress of the pilot project of using sea sand as a material for roadbed construction, a representative of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment (Ministry of Transport) said that the procedures are being thoroughly implemented by relevant parties. It is expected that if all goes well, by mid-December 2023, the Appraisal Council will review and evaluate the results of the pilot project of using sea sand as a material for constructing transport infrastructure comprehensively.