Rehabilitation of industrial areas: case histories from England and Germany

 Contaminated and possibly hazardous ground represents a problem in all of the industrialized countries of the world. The investigation of a site that is suspected of being contaminated differs somewhat from a routine site investigation. Sampling of soils, groundwater and gas-producing material may be required. Various precautions may be necessary in doing this and operatives may have to wear protective clothing. Four case histories have been chosen to illustrate different aspects of the rehabilitation of abandoned contaminated land, namely, investigation, assessment, ground treatment and redevelopment. The first comes from Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, and outlines how a site investigation was undertaken and the nature of the contamination present, together with a note on the suggested redevelopment. The remaining three case histories are taken from the heavily industrialized district of the Ruhr in Germany, where extensive mining of coal and associated industries were developed from the mid-19th century onwards. The first considers the site of the former Graf Moltke mine near Essen. In this instance, the somewhat novel methods of data assessment and ground treatment are dealt with. The Mont Cenis site at Herne-Sodingen is one of the more notable old mining/industrial sites undergoing redevelopment in the state of North Rhine Westphalia. Hence, the case history concentrates of this aspect of rehabilitation. This involves not only the construction of new and interesting structures but an attempt to reduce energy consumption in an attempt to effect the concept of sustainable development of an urban area. The last example deals with the abandoned site of the Minister Achenbach mine at Lünen, where the ground conditions were further complicated by the presence of old bomb craters that had been filled with a variety of materials. In addition, because of the suspected presence of former foundation structures in the ground an electromagnetic survey was carried out across part of the site, the areas of high conductivity suggesting their presence. Received: 15 September 1999 · Accepted: 14 March 2000