Method for densification of an amount of soil and apparatus

Abstract

Vibration-based method and system for densification of ground soil, method comprising the steps of providing a draining unit, comprising a drain installation, at a depth in the ground soil and providing a vibration unit, determining one or more ground soil locations for applying vibration to the ground soil based on a position of the draining unit, and extracting fluid from ground soil using the drain installation while at least during an overlapping period of time applying vibration with the vibration unit to the one or more ground soil locations in order to densify the ground soil. Unlocking insights from Geo-Data, the present invention further relates to improvements in sustainability and environmental developments: together we create a safe and liveable world.

1 . Vibration-based method for densification of ground soil, method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing ( 1001 ) a draining unit ( 901 ), comprising a drain installation ( 906 ), at a depth in the ground soil and providing a vibration unit ( 902 );   b) determining ( 1002 ) one or more ground soil locations for applying vibration to the ground soil based on a position of the draining unit ( 901 ); and   c) extracting ( 1003 ) fluid from ground soil using the drain installation while at least during an overlapping period of time applying vibration with the vibration unit ( 902 ) to the one or more ground soil locations in order to densify the ground soil.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ground soil has an initial permeability K in the range of 10 −4  to 10 −8  m/s, preferably as measured by the method described in determination of soil permeability coefficient according to ISO 17892-11:2019, and wherein the densification of the soil obtains a ground soil having a decreased permeability K′ by at least a factor of 5 relative to the initial permeability K, preferably having a decreased permeability K′ by at least a factor of 10 relative to the initial permeability K, more preferably having a decreased permeability K′ by at least a factor of 50 relative to the initial permeability K. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 or 2 , wherein the drain installation ( 906 ) comprises at least one drain, and wherein step a) comprises installing the least one drain vertically beneath an upper surface of the ground soil, and
 wherein the at least one drain is a vertical drain ( 301   b ) comprising an elongated body ( 302   b ) with at least one inlet and at least one outlet ( 303   b ) for expelling fluid extracted through the drain.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  any preceding claim , wherein the drain installation ( 906 ) comprises at least one drain, and wherein step a) comprises installing the least one drain horizontally beneath an upper surface of the ground soil, and
 wherein the at least one drain is a horizontal drain ( 601   b ) comprising an elongated body ( 602   b ) with at least one inlet and at least outlet ( 6031   b ;  6032   b ) for expelling fluid flowing into the drain.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  any preceding claim , wherein step a) further comprises providing a vacuum pump ( 905 ), the vacuum pump ( 905 ) being provided in the draining unit ( 901 ), and
 wherein step c) further comprises applying a vacuum to extract fluid from the ground soil.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  any preceding claim , wherein the vibration is applied externally on an upper surface of the ground soil and/or internally from below the upper surface of the ground soil, preferably at the determined one or more soil locations. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  any preceding claim , wherein the vibration unit ( 902 ) comprises at least one vibratory probe ( 404 ) and the vibration is applied by the at least one vibratory probe ( 404 ) in the ground soil. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 or 4 , wherein the step of providing a draining unit a) comprises installing a plurality of vertical drains below an upper surface of the ground soil and wherein the plurality of vertical drains are spaced apart from one another, wherein the spacing between the drains is in a range of 1.5 m to 8 m,
 and preferably wherein a first vertical drain ( 301   a ) is installed substantially parallel to and at a spacing L from a second vertical drain ( 301   b ) in an X direction parallel to the upper surface of the ground soil, and the first vertical drain ( 301   a ) is installed substantially parallel to and at a spacing 2L from a third vertical drain ( 301   e ) in a Y direction parallel to the upper surface of the ground soil, and wherein the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein an elongated body ( 602   a ) of a first horizontal drain ( 601   a ) is disposed substantially parallel to an elongated body ( 602   b ) of a second horizontal drain ( 601   b ), at different depths below the upper surface of the ground soil, and/or wherein the spacing between the drains is determined based on at least one of permeability of the soil, a drainage speed, and a vacuum pressure applied to the drains. 
     
     
         10 . The method of any one of  claims 3-9 , wherein the step of providing a draining unit ( 901 ) further comprises connecting an outlet ( 303   b ,  6031   a ,  6032   a ) of the at least one drain ( 301   b ,  601   a ) to at least one vacuum pump ( 304 ,  604 A,  604 B), configured to extract fluid. 
     
     
         11 . A vibration-based soil densification system ( 900 ) for densification of ground soil having an upper surface, comprising:
 at least one draining unit ( 901 ) comprising a vacuum pump ( 905 ) configured to be installed in the ground soil below the upper surface of the ground soil;   at least one vibration unit ( 902 ) for applying vibration to densify the ground soil, and   a controller ( 903 ) configured to control the draining unit ( 901 ) with the vacuum pump ( 905 ), and the vibration unit ( 902 ) to extract fluid from the ground soil while at least during an overlapping period of time applying a vibration to the ground soil in order to densify the ground soil.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the draining unit ( 901 ) comprises a draining installation ( 906 ) having at least one drain, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the drain is arranged to be vertically or horizontally disposed beneath the upper surface of the ground soil, based on a depth ground soil. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 or 12 ,
 wherein the draining unit comprises at least one vertical drain ( 301   b ), the at least one vertical drain ( 301   b ) comprising an elongated and permeable body ( 302   b ) and at least one outlet ( 303   b ) for expelling fluid extracted via the drain,   or   wherein the draining unit comprises at least one horizontal drain, the horizontal drain ( 601   b ) comprising an elongated and permeable body ( 602   b ) and at least one outlet ( 6031   b ;  6032   b ) for expelling fluid extracted via the drain.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  any one of the above claims 11 to 13 , wherein the vibration unit is an external vibration unit configured to apply vibration externally on the upper surface of the ground soil and/or an internal vibration unit configured to apply vibration internally from below the upper surface of the ground soil. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  any of the above claims 11 to 14 , further comprising a plurality of drains below the upper surface of the ground soil and which are spaced apart from one another, with a spacing between the drains is in a range of 1.5 m to 8 m and
 wherein the plurality of drains comprises at least a first ( 301   a ), second ( 301   b ) and third ( 301   c ) vertical drains installed vertically below the upper surface of the ground soil, such that   the first vertical drain ( 301   a ) is installed substantially parallel to and at a spacing L from the second vertical drain ( 301   b ) in an X direction parallel to the soil surface, and   the first vertical drain ( 301   a ) is installed substantially parallel to and at a spacing 2L from the third vertical drain ( 301   c ) in a Y direction parallel to the upper surface of the ground soil,   wherein the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of drains comprises at least a first and a second horizontal drain ( 601   a ,  601   b ) installed horizontally below the upper surface of the ground soil, and such that an elongated body ( 602   a ) of a first horizontal drain ( 601   a ) is disposed substantially parallel to an elongated body ( 602   b ) of a second horizontal drain ( 601   b ), at different depths below the upper surface of the ground soil. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 or 16 , wherein the controller ( 903 ) is further configured to determine a spacing between the drains based on at least one of the permeability of the ground soil, a drainage speed, and a vacuum pressure applied to the drains.