Manufacturers of Wick drains/Prefabricated vertical drain(PVD) 

What are Wick Drains?

Long term settlement of soft silt and clay often creates serious problems in construction. Ten or more years may be required for consolidation of thick compressible layers of soil. This design problem can be overcome by creating closely-spaced artificial vertical drainage paths to which the pore water can flow, thus decreasing the consolidation time to a matter of months. These artificial drainage paths, called wick drains, consist of a central plastic core, which functions as a free-draining water channel, surrounded by a thin geosynthetic filter jacket. A typical wick drain is approximately 4 inches wide, 1/8 inch thick and comes in rolls up to 1,000 feet in length.

How are Wick Drains Installed?

Wick drains are installed with specialized equipment, called stitchers. The stitchers, which are mounted on either backhoes or cranes, consist of a vertical mast housing a special installation mandrel. The mandrel, containing the wick drain, is hydraulically pushed or vibrated into the ground to the desired treatment depth, typically to the bottom of the soft-soil stratum. As the mandrel is withdrawn back into the mast, the undamaged wick drain is left in place within the soil mass. The mandrels are generally less than 10 square inches in cross-section, thus causing minimal disturbance to the soil. Depending upon soil conditions, installation rates may be as high as 2,000 feet per hour.    

Manufacturers of Wick drains/Prefabricated vertical drain(PVD)