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Soil consolidation

Vertical drains, also known as wick drains, are mainly used to accelerate the soil consolidation process, creating preferred pathways for the outlet of pore water from soft soils, through channels that intercept excess water and expel them into porous strata.

They can also be used to collect contaminated groundwater or to release pore pressures.

The construction process consists of four stages of simple execution:

1.- Placement of the machinery in the appropriate location.
2.-Driving of the hallow drill stem with the drain inside
3.- Anchoring of the drain and removal of the stem.
4.-Cutting off the drain approximately 30cm above the ground.

After the installation of the vertical drains the area to be consolidated is preloaded for a period of time until the desired consolidation is achieved

Among the advantages of this type of technique for soil improvement, we can highlight:

- Machined process
-Fast execution with simple equipment
- Ensures continuity of the drain to the desired stratum
- Low cost
- Minimal disturbance of the terrain
- Leaves no residue in the terrain

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