Presentation and key elements
What is it?
Menard Vacuum™ is an atmospheric consolidation system. The procedure consists of installing vertical and horizontal drainage networks that are combined with a vacuum pumping system under an airtight impervious membrane.
This creates a depression under the airtight membrane that has been lain over the soil, which imposes an isotropic pressure on the soil matrix whose magnitude is close to the atmospheric pressure!
When and why use it?
Menard Vacuum™ is a technique created and developed by Menard to control long term residual settlement in saturated cohesive compressible soils.
The drainage of water and soil consolidation can be a very lengthy process. Menard VacuumTM accelerates the process so you can safely develop your projects.
💡 Menard’s tip
Menard Vacuum™ is particularly relevant for deep layers of highly compressible cohesive soils. Because of the stabilising effect of the isotropic pressure, it is effective in reclaimed coastal environments and other projects where the stability of the earthworks and additional embankments may be of concern.
