Wick Drains and the Benefits of Soil Stabilization in Gambia
Wick drains are a type of prefabricated vertical drain that is installed into soft compressible soils. They help to accelerate the consolidation process by providing drainage paths for pore water to escape.
These drains consist of a band-shaped plastic core wrapped in a geotextile fabric. They are installed by static or vibratory methods into compressible saturated silts, clays and sludges.
Wick Drain Installation Gambia
Wick drains are a type of vertical drainage material that allows for free flow of pore water in soft compressible soils. They accelerate soil consolidation and reduce the amount of equipment needed.
These prefabricated geotextile filter-wrapped plastic strips act as drainage paths for pore water. They also help reduce the risk of differential settlements by ensuring that all parts of each layer of soil are equally drained.
They are typically coupled with surcharging to expedite soil consolidation. The surcharge temporarily increases the effective stress of the soil to a value that is usually equivalent or greater than design stresses.
The wick drains are installed using a hollow mandrel driven into the ground by a machine that can apply both static and dynamic force (like an OMS Vibro Hammer). Once the mandrel is in place, it is withdrawn and the wick drain leaves the ground.
Soil Stabilization Contractors Gambia
When it comes to road construction, dust control and erosion control, soil stabilization is a key component in getting the job done. Soil stabilization improves the strength and stability of the subgrade soils that are used to support new pavements and foundations.
Soil stabilization can include a variety of techniques, including the addition of cement or lime. Soil stabilization is also a cost-effective way to make roads.
Wick drains are prefabricated vertical drains encased in a geotextile that are used to expedite consolidation of slow draining soils. During the settling process, the drains shorten the pore water travel distance by allowing it to disperse in multiple directions.
Soil Improvement Contractors Gambia
Gambia is Africa’s smallest country, but one with a growing economy and an impressive decline in poverty. However, with a heavy dependence on tourism and rain-fed crops for agricultural production, the country remains highly vulnerable to external shocks such as droughts.
In rural communities, soil fertility has deteriorated rapidly, threatening to reduce food production for the majority of subsistence farmers. This has led to a rise in rural household poverty and food insecurity, especially in the months before harvest when stockpiles of seeds are low.
As a result, the Gambian government has teamed up with the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to finance the Food and Agriculture Sector Development Project. This project works with small-scale farmers in the Gambia’s most vulnerable and food-insecure regions to boost agricultural production, productivity and commercialization.
Wick Drain Design Gambia
Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs), also known as wick drains, are used to expedite consolidation of soft compressible soils. They are composed of a channeled or studded plastic core wrapped with geotextile filter fabric.
PVDs provide drainage paths for pore water, shortening the travel distance of pore water from the ground surface to an underlying or overlying drainage layer, accelerating the consolidation process and reducing construction costs. They are installed by feeding down through a hollow mandrel mounted on an excavator or crane mast, connected to an expendable anchor plate.
A pattern of wick drains was installed on this site in Gambia to accelerate primary settlement. Early evaluations of the wick drains demonstrated that they increased the rate of primary consolidation by a factor of 25.
Ground Stabilization Contactors Gambia
A ground stabilization contactor can offer a wide range of benefits for a soil improvement project. These include the ability to provide dust control, minimize erosion, and stabilize a soil’s structure. The use of wick drains can also help reduce the amount of dust that is released into the atmosphere and improve safety during the construction process. In addition, wick drains can be used to separate angular stone layers within the sub-base of a construction site and prevent them from intermixing. This is particularly beneficial for sites where there are a number of different layers of construction. The market for ground stabilization contactors is expected to grow throughout the forecast period.