Method and apparatus for in situ installation of underground containment barriers under contaminated lands

An apparatus for constructing a subsurface basin in soil, comprising:

• means for creating in situ a continuous cross-sectional portion of the subsurface basin, said means including a conduit adapted to be disposed in the soil along at least a portion of a locus extending into the soil and lying across a cross-sectional area of the basin, wherein said conduit has a plurality of openings for ejecting fluid under pressure into the soil;
• means for moving said conduit transversely to said locus;
• and
• means for reciprocating said conduit along said locus.

An apparatus for constructing a containment barrier around and under a waste site disposed in soil, comprising:

• means for cutting a continuous elongate cut through the soil from one side of the waste site to another side of the waste site such that the cut spans the waste site without intersecting the waste site;
• means for displacing through the soil and along and under the waste site said cutting means so as to propagate such a cut transversely to its length and along and under the waste site;
• and
• means for placing a barrier material in the transversely propagated elongate cut.

An apparatus for cutting soil, comprising:

• a conduit for conducting a fluid into soil, said conduit having a first end, a second end and a plurality of ports disposed along its length, the fluid exiting the conduit through said plurality of ports thereby cutting the soil and mixing with it to produce a fluidized mixture of soil and fluid, wherein said conduit has a sufficient weight so that said conduit sinks into the fluidized mixture in response to gravity as the soil is cut and the mixture is produced;
• a first pulling assembly attached to the first end of the conduit;
• and
• a second pulling assembly attached to the second end of the conduit, wherein the first and second pulling assemblies alternately pull the conduit in opposite directions thereby reciprocating said conduit through the soil as its cuts said soil.