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.

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.

The invention relates to a machine for putting a drain into place in ground, machine comprising: a drive tube presenting a longitudinal axis and having a bottom end; a movement device for moving the drive tube in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis; a drain extending inside the drive tube and having a bottom end extending outside the drive tube; at least one anchor; a fastener device (70) for fastening the anchor to the drain; and a cutter member for cutting the drain (18) and arranged under the fastener device.

The machine of the invention further comprises a cutter device (60) for cutting the anchor from a strip (54).

The installation of prefabricated drains in a horizontal, generally co-planar pattern below the surface of the CCR with suction or a vacuum to withdraw water from the CCR material to lower the water level down to the level of the prefabricated drains below the CCR surface. Dewatering may be coupled with imparting vibrations to the material to further promote both additional dewatering and compaction of the CCR material in the pond. A suitably graded bottom ash, fly ash, sand or large-diameter-solid particle layer may be added on top of the horizontal drains to enhance dewatering of finer CCR material.

The installation of prefabricated drains in a horizontal, generally co-planar pattern below the surface of the CCR with suction or a vacuum to withdraw water from the CCR material to lower the water level down to the level of the prefabricated drains below the CCR surface. Dewatering may be coupled with imparting vibrations to the material to further promote both additional dewatering and compaction of the CCR material in the pond. A suitably graded bottom ash, fly ash, sand or large-diameter-solid particle layer may be added on top of the horizontal drains to enhance dewatering of finer CCR material.

The present disclosure concerns a method for designing a drainage well network pattern for soil liquid drainage and constructing same. The method comprises performing a preliminary soil characterization in a selected area to be drained, wherein the preliminary characterization includes soil measurements sampled from the soil in the selected area at different locations thereof, and wherein the soil measurements include saturated hydraulic conductivity and one of soil total porosity, bulk density, air-filled porosity and gas diffusion measurements at different depths of the soil in the selected area; and using the preliminary soil characterization, generating the drainage well network pattern, including determining parameters of drainage wells to be constructed including a spatial distribution, a depth and a radius of the drainage wells to improve at least one of water table drawdown, capillary rise and surface aeration.

A wick drain shoe is configured to be connected to a free end of a length of wick drain material and driven by a mandrel of a wick drain insertion system. The wick drain shoe comprises a base portion and an extension portion secured to the base portion to define first and second shoe openings, an anchor portion, and a bearing portion. The wick drain material is connected to the wick drain shoe by inserting the free end through the first and second shoe openings such that the anchor portion and bearing portion engage the wick drain material when the wick drain material is under tension. The base portion is sized and dimensioned to engage the mandrel such that displacement of the mandrel in a first direction causes displacement of the wick drain shoe in the first direction.

The invention described herein includes materials and methods for segmental wick drain installation for versatile groundwater management. The invention comprises modified mandrels that may be coupled together for segmental installation wick drain installations to desired depths that are not achievable using currently known methods. Each modified mandrel is configured with a shoe coupler that may be permanently affixed to one end and configured with a means for securing the shoe coupler to a modified end of another mandrel. Each shoe coupler includes transverse bore holes through which set pins may be inserted that engage with an end of another modified mandrel with grooves corresponding to the locations of the bore holes when set pins are inserted. Once the wick drain is installed to the desired depth, the mandrels may be extracted and uncoupled by removing the set pins. The modified mandrels may be prefabricated and reused, ideal for multiple installations.

The invention described herein includes materials and methods for segmental wick drain installation for versatile groundwater management. The invention comprises modified mandrels that may be coupled together for segmental wick drain installations to desired depths that are not achievable using currently known methods. Each modified mandrel is configured with a shoe coupler that may be permanently affixed to none end and configured with a means for securing the shoe coupler to a modified end of another mandrel. Each shoe coupler includes transverse bore holes through which set pins may be inserted that engage with an end of another modified mandrel with grooves corresponding to the locations of the bore holes when set pins are inserted. Once the wick drain is installed to the desired depth, the mandrels may be extracted and uncoupled by removing the set pins. The modified mandrels may be prefabricated and reused, ideal for multiple installations.

Shear drain devices are used to prepare ground with a weak soil layer to receive a static load, for example a structural foundation or a soil embankment, in which the ground includes a weak soil layer that consists of fine grained soils over a base layer. Each shear drain devices each include an elongate perforated pipe member, a surrounding reinforcement member providing tensile reinforcement and aggregate fill. The ground is prepared by (i) inserting the pipe members and reinforcement members in an upright orientation within the fine grained soils such that fluid in the surrounding soil can readily pass into the pipe members and (ii) subsequently placing the aggregate fill in the pipe members to occupy the hollow interior thereof such that the resulting shear drain devices increase a shear strength of the weak soil layer.