The Importance Of French Drains For Ground Remediation

By Author: William Hauselberg
Total Articles: 816
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Water laden soil is a huge problem to construction crews. Wet soil can bog down heavy construction equipment and can substantially increase construction time. One of the easiest ways to fix this problem is to install a French drain. A French drain is a small trench filled with gravel and sand. On top of this corrugated drain pipe is laid down, covered with topsoil and topped with sod. The importance of French drains cannot be underestimated as they are cheap and easy to install, and the basic principal behind their operation is easy enough for anybody to comprehend. French drains operate by catching the water and draining it away to a lower section of land in a non damaging fashion. There are however two main uses of French drains, and depending on their intended use changes where they are installed.

Drying Out Land

French drain trenches can be used to catch sub-surface water and drain it away, helping to dry the land and keep it from becoming overly saturated. This is very useful to construction companies when they are building on a low spot, where all the water tends to settle. To install this form of French ...
... drain first the highest point of the land must be found. The trench is then dug across the property at this high point, and is run to a lower area of land. This method works by capturing the water in the drain and using gravity to pull the water away to a more desirable area.

Keeping Building Foundations Dry

Another ready for French drain construction is to keep water from seeping into building foundations. This is done by essentially forming a moat around the foundation. The installation method for this use of French drains is to dig the trench four to six feet away from the foundation in a 'U'' Shape. This method catches and pools the water in the trench and drains it away, stopping it from seeping into the foundation.

Advantages to Use During Construction

Both uses of French drains are very advantages to construction. Using them to drain the water out of the soil can help stop the heavy machines from bogging down, and speed up construction. Using them to keep the foundation dry obviously can increase the value of the building by slowing down or eliminating water damage to the building. This will cause the building to be more structurally sound and safer.

Geo Solutions specializes in the construction of Bio-Polymer Drain and Trench Construction. For more information about French drain trenches and French drain construction visit the site.