A drainage tile stringer system which includes a spool which has an automated hat, which translates along the stinger or shaft of the spool so that the vertical size of the spool is adjustable to accommodate differences in coils of drainage tiles. The system is automated so that a single controller can be utilized to perform all of the hydraulic functions required to load a coil onto the drainage tile stringer system and to adjust the vertical spool dimension.

A metal foundation includes a plurality of metal plate bodies coupled together forming the metal foundation, each metal plate body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent metal plate body, wherein the plurality of the metal plate bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each metal plate body extends away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the planar fin, wherein each planar fin has a thickness substantially the same as a thickness of the portion of the metal plate body forming the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape, and wherein each planar fin extends substantially along a single plane from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape.

A metal foundation includes a plurality of metal plate bodies coupled together forming the metal foundation, each metal plate body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent metal plate body, wherein the plurality of the metal plate bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each metal plate body extends away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the planar fin, wherein each planar fin has a thickness substantially the same as a thickness of the portion of the metal plate body forming the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape, and wherein each planar fin extends substantially along a single plane from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape.

A filter assembly for relieving hydrostatic pressure includes a housing with a flange and a shell. The flange includes an opening extending through the flange and the shell includes a base and a terminating end. The base of the shell is connected to the flange at the opening and extends away from the flange toward the terminating end. The filter assembly also includes a coupling mechanism with a drain pipe orifice to accept a drain pipe therein. The coupling mechanism is movably connected to the terminating end of the shell such that the coupling mechanism can move relative to the shell to change a position of the drain pipe orifice relative to the terminating end of the shell. The filter assembly also includes a filter cartridge removably positioned inside the shell and a face plate removably connected to the flange to secure the filter cartridge inside the shell.

A filter assembly for relieving hydrostatic pressure includes a housing with a flange and a shell. The flange includes an opening extending through the flange and the shell includes a base and a terminating end. The base of the shell is connected to the flange at the opening and extends away from the flange toward the terminating end. The filter assembly also includes a coupling mechanism with a drain pipe orifice to accept a drain pipe therein. The coupling mechanism is movably connected to the terminating end of the shell such that the coupling mechanism can move relative to the shell to change a position of the drain pipe orifice relative to the terminating end of the shell. The filter assembly also includes a filter cartridge removably positioned inside the shell and a face plate removably connected to the flange to secure the filter cartridge inside the shell.

A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clayey soil comprising expansive clay mineral(s) at a proportion of the total weight of the expansive clayey soil (P.sub.ECM). The method includes (a) calculating a first amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clayey soil to form a first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil with a reduced swell potential no greater than a pre-set level T with a nano-level constitutive modeling based on the water content and the CEC of the expansive clayey soil and P.sub.ECM. The swelling reduction agent is at least one selected from calcite, gypsum, potassium chloride, a composition comprising exchangeable K.sup.+, a composition comprising exchangeable Ca.sup.2+, and/or a composition comprising exchangeable Mg.sup.2+, and (b) incorporating the first amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clayey soil to form the first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil.

A method of reducing the swell potential of an expansive clayey soil comprising expansive clay mineral(s) at a proportion of the total weight of the expansive clayey soil (P.sub.ECM). The method includes (a) calculating a first amount of a swelling reduction agent to be incorporated into the expansive clayey soil to form a first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil with a reduced swell potential no greater than a pre-set level T with a nano-level constitutive modeling based on the water content and the CEC of the expansive clayey soil and P.sub.ECM. The swelling reduction agent is at least one selected from calcite, gypsum, potassium chloride, a composition comprising exchangeable K.sup.+, a composition comprising exchangeable Ca.sup.2+, and/or a composition comprising exchangeable Mg.sup.2+, and (b) incorporating the first amount of the swelling reduction agent into the expansive clayey soil to form the first swelling reduction agent incorporated expansive clayey soil.

A non-welded metal foundation includes a plurality of bodies formed of metal plates or metal sheets, each body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the metal lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent body; a plurality of mechanical fasteners along each of the overlapped ends of adjacent bodies for mechanically fastening the bodies having the integrated planar fins; wherein said plurality of said bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each body extend away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the fin.

A non-welded metal foundation includes a plurality of bodies formed of metal plates or metal sheets, each body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the metal lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent body; a plurality of mechanical fasteners along each of the overlapped ends of adjacent bodies for mechanically fastening the bodies having the integrated planar fins; wherein said plurality of said bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each body extend away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the fin.

Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for detecting a change in an orientation of a portion of a structure. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a processor, an energy storage unit, a location reporting unit, a wireless communication module and one or more inclination sensors. In some embodiments, each of the one or more inclination sensors is configured to measure inclination by measuring an orientation of the each of the one or more inclination sensors relative to a gravitational acceleration vector.