The MENARD Vacuum™ Consolidation allows great time and cost savings in particularly difficult soil conditions. In this method, the soil body is sealed by a plastic foil and water bearing side ditches. The air pressure in the system is lowered in relation to the atmospheric pressure, which causes a natural compaction of the soil. With this method it is possible to preload water-saturated soft soils up to highly organic peat economically and quickly at any depth.

In order for this process to be implemented so efficiently in practice, it requires particularly powerful and efficient vacuum systems. Menard has relied on the HC487/15 from HÜDIG for years. The oil-lubricated vacuum pumps each generate a volume flow of up to 100m³/h and a vacuum of -0.99bar at the peak. In addition, the HC487/15 operates fully automatically and adapts to the incoming water volume.

Advantages

• Great time saving compared to the classical pre-load filling
• Elimination of cost-intensive and environmentally harmful ground transportation
• A negative pressure of 0.8 bar replaces a 4 m ballast.
• Elimination of the risk of ground fracture due to the isotropic stress increase
• Can be combined with the classic ballast bed for an additional increase in the preload stress
• Reduction of lateral deformations Pre-loading directly next to the stock possible

Fields of application

• Foundation of various surface founded buildings like Power stations
• Sewage treatment plants
• Freeway and road embankments
• Further infrastructureareas