Segmental method for installing wick drains

Abstract

The invention described herein includes materials and methods for segmental wick drain installation for versatile groundwater management. The invention comprises modified mandrels that may be coupled together for segmental wick drain installations to desired depths that are not achievable using currently known methods. Each modified mandrel is configured with a shoe coupler that may be permanently affixed to none end and configured with a means for securing the shoe coupler to a modified end of another mandrel. Each shoe coupler includes transverse bore holes through which set pins may be inserted that engage with an end of another modified mandrel with grooves corresponding to the locations of the bore holes when set pins are inserted. Once the wick drain is installed to the desired depth, the mandrels may be extracted and uncoupled by removing the set pins. The modified mandrels may be prefabricated and reused, ideal for multiple installations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A segmental wick drain made by:
 obtaining a plurality of mandrels;   then loading a first mandrel into a drive system;   then feeding a wick drain through the first mandrel;   then installing an anchor plate on a first end of the first mandrel;   then attaching the wick drain to the anchor plate;   then driving the first end of the first mandrel into the ground, leaving a second end of the first mandrel above ground;   then cutting the wick drain above the second end of the first mandrel to define a first wick drain segment;   then loading a second mandrel into the drive system;   then feeding the wick drain through the second mandrel until the free end protrudes through the first end of the second mandrel;   then splicing the free end of the wick drain to the cut end of the first wick drain segment;   then removably coupling the first end of the second mandrel to the second end of the first mandrel by inserting the first end of the second mandrel into a shoe coupler attached to the second end of the first mandrel and then inserting at least one set pin through the shoe coupler to affix the first end of the second mandrel therein; and   then driving the second mandrel into the ground.   
     
     
         2 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe coupler comprises an open-ended receptacle having an identical aperture at both ends configured for slidable insertion of a mandrel, the shoe coupler having an interior passage interrupted by a partition offset from one end, and at least one transverse bore hole offset from the other end for insertion of the at least one set pin. 
     
     
         3 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 2  wherein the partition defines a first section and a second section of the interior passage of the shoe coupler and the at least one transverse bore hole is located in the second section. 
     
     
         4 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one transverse bore hole is a pair of spaced transverse bore holes and the a least one set pin is a pair of set pins. 
     
     
         5 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 4 , wherein the pair of set pins partially interrupts the interior passage of the shoe coupler when inserted into the pair of spaced transverse bore holes. 
     
     
         6 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 5 , wherein the pair of spaced bore holes is located in correspondence to a pair of transverse grooves of the first end of the second mandrel, wherein the pair of set pins engages the pair of transverse grooves when the first end of the second mandrel is inserted through the second section of the interior passage of the shoe coupler and through the pair of spaced transverse bore holes. 
     
     
         7 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 5 , wherein the pair of spaced bore holes is located midway between the partition and a distal end of the interior passage. 
     
     
         8 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 6 , wherein a second end of the second mandrel is inserted into the first section of the shoe coupler, wherein the first section of the shoe coupler is thereby permanently affixed to the second section end of the second mandrel. 
     
     
         9 . The segmental wick drain of  claim 8 , wherein the first section of the shoe coupler is welded to the second end of the second mandrel.