A wick drain shoe assembly adapted 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 comprises a base portion, an extension portion secured to the base portion, and a wick drain shoe gasket. The wick drain material is connected to the wick drain shoe by securing the free end to the extension portion. 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 wick drain shoe gasket is arranged between the mandrel and the base portion.

A horizontal-vertical drain board-flocculation vacuum preloading sediment treatment method, including (1) electro-osmotic electrodes disposed on the top and bottom of each reinforcing bar of the reinforced frame; (2) after the sediment is blown to the bottommost layer of vacuum preloading tank, the support is fitted over each reinforced frame, and the clips are fastened; (3) the transverse drain board passes through the support, one end of transverse drain board is connected to a curved tube; (4) repeat Step 2 and Step 3 until the sediment is blown to the surface layer of vacuum preloading tank; (5) a vertical drain board is arranged vertically between two adjacent rows of reinforced frames; (6) the curved tube is connected to the first junction block through the second junction block, and then the geotextile and sealing film are laid, the vacuum pump and power supply are switched on at last.

A wick drain shoe assembly adapted 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 comprises a base portion, an extension portion secured to the base portion, and a wick drain shoe gasket. The wick drain material is connected to the wick drain shoe by securing the free end to the extension portion. 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 wick drain shoe gasket is arranged between the mandrel and the base portion.

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.

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.

A horizontal-vertical drain board-flocculation vacuum preloading sediment treatment method, including (1) electro-osmotic electrodes disposed on the top and bottom of each reinforcing bar of the reinforced frame; (2) after the sediment is blown to the bottommost layer of vacuum preloading tank, the support is fitted over each reinforced frame, and the clips are fastened; (3) the transverse drain board passes through the support, one end of transverse drain board is connected to a curved tube; (4) repeat Step 2 and Step 3 until the sediment is blown to the surface layer of vacuum preloading tank; (5) a vertical drain board is arranged vertically between two adjacent rows of reinforced frames; (6) the curved tube is connected to the first junction block through the second junction block, and then the geotextile and sealing film are laid, the vacuum pump and power supply are switched on at last.

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.

A set of three tubular drainage units, each comprised of expanded recycled polystyrene aggregate which is gray in color, is wrapped in film which optionally compresses the drainage units radially and which impedes transmission of infra-red radiation to the aggregate when the drainage units are exposed to sunlight during shipping or storage.

The Passive Tailings Compactor is a system of components for facilitating the continuous passive drainage and consolidation of fine-grained sediments in active and continuous deposition environments. The invention consists of a flotation device, an anchor mass, and a drainage conduit which acts as a tether between the flotation device and the anchor. The flotation device also serves to orient the drainage conduit horizontally. As water or sediment levels rise, the flotation device rotates, releasing drainage conduit wrapped around its axis. This allows the flotation device to move upwards, extending the drainage conduit passively. The flotation device uses asymmetrical fixed weights to resist lesser rotational forces. The drainage conduit serves to create a path of relatively high hydraulic conductivity, protected by a filter barrier, for the dissipation of pore pressures and consolidation of buried sediments. The anchor mass fixes the system in place.

The invention relates to a machine for putting a drain into place in ground, the 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).