The use of cement-bentonite slurry walls in environmental applications is limited for various reasons.
They are more expensive to install than other slurry walls because a large amount of cement is needed to fill the trench. Also, because the excavated soil is not used as backfill, it will need to be disposed of at additional cost.
Moreover, because the cement-bentonite slurry wall does not contain many solids, the wall is composed mostly of water and therefore has a higher permeability and is more prone to permeation by contaminants.
Advantages of the cement-bentonite slurry wall include greater strength and the ability to be installed in areas with extreme topography.