Wick Drain

Precast vertical drainage cores are a core material for soft soil foundation treatment. They accelerate the drainage of pore water from soft soil through vertical drainage channels, achieving foundation consolidation and improving bearing capacity. They are widely used in soft soil engineering projects such as highways, railway subgrades, ports, and airport runways.

Structure and Materials

• Core Structure: Composed of a core board and a filter membrane:
• Core Board: Made of polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (HDPE) through extrusion molding, it has a unique "cross-shaped," "plum blossom-shaped," or "rib-shaped" three-dimensional structure, forming continuous longitudinal drainage channels to ensure smooth drainage of pore water.

Filter Membrane: Made of non-woven fabric (polyester or polypropylene), it wraps around the outside of the core board. Its function is to allow water to pass through while preventing soil penetration, thus preventing soft soil particles from entering the drainage channels and causing blockage.

Finished Product Form: The overall shape is strip-like, with a width generally of 100-200mm, a thickness of 3-10mm, and a length that can be customized according to project needs (commonly 10-30m). It can be transported in rolls during construction, making it convenient and efficient.

Performance Characteristics

High Drainage Efficiency: The core plate has a large longitudinal water throughput and is not easily deformed under pressure, quickly draining pore water from soft soil and shortening the foundation consolidation period (more than 30% shorter than sand well drainage).

Good Strength and Durability: The core plate has a tensile strength ≥1.0kN/cm and excellent bending resistance, capable of withstanding the pressure of the inserting machine during construction; the filter membrane is acid and alkali resistant, anti-aging, and adaptable to different geological environments.

Convenient Construction: Lightweight and reel-able for storage, it can be quickly and vertically inserted into soft soil layers with minimal site disturbance when used with a dedicated inserting machine.

Excellent Economy: Material costs are lower than traditional sand wells, and construction efficiency is high, significantly reducing the overall cost of soft soil foundation treatment.

Applicable Scenarios

Reinforcement treatment of soft soil, silty soil, and fill soil foundations.

Foundation pretreatment for embankment, dam, and stockpile projects.

Foundation drainage consolidation for projects such as coastal mudflats and land reclamation.