Efficient Installation of Gravel Drains

The gravel drain system aims to avert liquefaction in a sandy soil by quickly dissipating excess pore water pressure. We have developed a compaction-rod type machine which allows efficient construction of gravel drains. Main attributes of this machine are: (1) extremely fast installation of gravel drains, (2) low noise, (3) low level of vibration, (4) virtually no ground deformation during construction, and (5) densification of the surrounding soil. Large-scale model tests demonstrated that a cone-type compaction rod is most effective in densifying the surrounding soil when installing gravel drains with our machine