In certain embodiments, a sand-boil filter includes a hollow, conical, water-porous structure made of a mesh material having spaced mesh holes. The filter is inserted narrow-end down into a sand boil to allow water to flow from the ground through the mesh material and out the top of the sand boil, while blocking solid matter larger than the mesh holes from passing through the mesh material. In some implementations, the filter is filled with gravel that holds the filter in place while allowing water to flow out of the sand boil. Such filters prevent sand boils from growing while relieving the underground hydrostatic pressure that created the sand boil in the first place and inhibiting subterranean erosion that can cause failure of a nearby levee. The conical shape provides relatively large surface area that inhibits clogging and allows each filter to be used for a range of different sand-boil sizes.

In certain embodiments, a sand-boil filter includes a hollow, conical, water-porous structure made of a mesh material having spaced mesh holes. The filter is inserted narrow-end down into a sand boil to allow water to flow from the ground through the mesh material and out the top of the sand boil, while blocking solid matter larger than the mesh holes from passing through the mesh material. In some implementations, the filter is filled with gravel that holds the filter in place while allowing water to flow out of the sand boil. Such filters prevent sand boils from growing while relieving the underground hydrostatic pressure that created the sand boil in the first place and inhibiting subterranean erosion that can cause failure of a nearby levee. The conical shape provides relatively large surface area that inhibits clogging and allows each filter to be used for a range of different sand-boil sizes.

The invention relates to an arrangement for vertically introducing drainage ribbons into a subsoil, comprising an hollow mandrel and a drainage ribbon that is fed through the mandrel, wherein the mandrel comprises a permanent section with a first elongate mandrel profile and a mandrel drive, and a replacement section at the end of the mandrel, wherein the replacement section comprises a second elongate mandrel profile that is joint with the end of the first mandrel profile by means of a weld, a bottom face at the bottom end of the second mandrel profile, and a push bar and a spring that biases the push bar towards its extended position with respect to the bottom face, wherein the mandrel drive comprises a drive cable that extends through the hollow mandrel and that is at one end operatively connected with the push bar by means of a releasable coupling.

A laboratory device to measure horizontal displacement of soil around a region treated by vacuum preloading includes a box injected with dredger fill. A vertical drainage board and a vacuum pumping tube are buried within soil in the treatment region in connection with a vacuum degree detector and a vacuum pump. A seal membrane covers soil in the treatment region. A loading device is above the seal membrane. Transverse tubes are inserted into a side of the box and in surrounding soil of the treatment region. An annular sensing source, which moves together with the soil and which is movable along the transverse tubes, sleeved on the transverse tubes. Each transverse tube is provided with a sensing instrument, and the sensing instrument is connected with a sensor is inserted into the transverse tube. The different positions of the sensing source at different moments of time are determined.

A laboratory device to measure horizontal displacement of soil around a region treated by vacuum preloading includes a box injected with dredger fill. A vertical drainage board and a vacuum pumping tube are buried within soil in the treatment region in connection with a vacuum degree detector and a vacuum pump. A seal membrane covers soil in the treatment region. A loading device is above the seal membrane. Transverse tubes are inserted into a side of the box and in surrounding soil of the treatment region. An annular sensing source, which moves together with the soil and which is movable along the transverse tubes, sleeved on the transverse tubes. Each transverse tube is provided with a sensing instrument, and the sensing instrument is connected with a sensor is inserted into the transverse tube. The different positions of the sensing source at different moments of time are determined.

A drill assembly that includes one drill and a displacement unit, where the drill is releasably or permanently attached to said displacement unit, such that:the displacement unit includes a guide unit and a channel unit, where the channel unit includes a guide channel, and said guide unit includes one or more guides adapted to engage with said guide channel, such that said guide channel is a circumferential channel that follows a wave or wave like path;the drill includes a drill bit and/or a drill flight attached to a central shaft, wherein the drill bit and/or drill flight co-terminate at a first terminal end of the drill;said first terminal end is the terminal end of the drill that is configured to enter the ground first; andthe central shaft is a thin elongate member that extends between the longitudinally separated terminal ends of the drill.

In certain embodiments, a sand-boil filter includes a hollow, conical, water-porous structure made of a mesh material having spaced mesh holes. The filter is inserted narrow-end down into a sand boil to allow water to flow from the ground through the mesh material and out the top of the sand boil, while blocking solid matter larger than the mesh holes from passing through the mesh material. In some implementations, the filter is filled with gravel that holds the filter in place while allowing water to flow out of the sand boil. Such filters prevent sand boils from growing while relieving the underground hydrostatic pressure that created the sand boil in the first place and inhibiting subterranean erosion that can cause failure of a nearby levee. The conical shape provides relatively large surface area that inhibits clogging and allows each filter to be used for a range of different sand-boil sizes.

A ground stabilisation system is used for stabilising a subgrade region which includes a peat layer under a railway having rails supported across rail ties on a ballast layer over the subgrade region. The system uses a plurality of drain members submerged in an upright orientation within the peat layer of the subgrade region in which each drain member has a hollow interior and a plurality of openings therein which allow communication of fluid from the peat layer surrounding the drain member into the hollow interior of the drain member so as to be arranged to reduce fluid pressure in the peat layer when the peat layer undergoes dynamic loading from a passing train. Each drain member is a semi-rigid pipe having an axial stiffness greater than a dynamic stiffness of the peat layer to reduce loading on the peat layer under dynamic loading from a passing train.

A ground stabilisation system is used for stabilising a subgrade region which includes a peat layer under a railway having rails supported across rail ties on a ballast layer over the subgrade region. The system uses a plurality of drain members submerged in an upright orientation within the peat layer of the subgrade region in which each drain member has a hollow interior and a plurality of openings therein which allow communication of fluid from the peat layer surrounding the drain member into the hollow interior of the drain member so as to be arranged to reduce fluid pressure in the peat layer when the peat layer undergoes dynamic loading from a passing train. Each drain member is a semi-rigid pipe having an axial stiffness greater than a dynamic stiffness of the peat layer to reduce loading on the peat layer under dynamic loading from a passing train.

Bio-derived glycerides formed from a reaction between waste glycerol and biodegradable or bio-derived fatty acid esters such as crude biodiesel or soybean oil triglycerides are useful as dust suppressants.