Research & Development

 

The Emas Kiara Group has spent more than a decade in setting up the trusted factories and in achieving the top choice products by most designers and contractors in Malaysia and the region with its continuously broadening range of geosynthetics and technical fabrics.

In searching global accolade for excellence and in keeping pace with changes, the Group has equipped itself with an up-to-date testing laboratory and a group of highly specialized engineers, who are extensively involved in international and local learned societies such as IGS, MGS, IEM, REAM and etc; to be exposed to the latest developments in geosynthetic engineering .

The Group is also directing more effort and funds towards R&D to sustain its growth with new niche products to add to staple products with which markets have been established.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Research and Development efforts at Emas Kiara has resulted in the development of the Electro-Osmosis Vertical Drains (or EVD in short). The EVD applies the principle of electro-osmosis in combination with prefabricated vertical drains to improve the engineering properties of soft clay and in the process accelerate the consolidation of the soft clay. Electrodes are placed within the core of prefabricated vertical drains so that a direct electric current can be passed throughout the length of the vertical drain, forming a system of anodes (+ve) and cathodes (-ve). The net water movement due to the electro=osmosis effects is towards the cathode, and when drainage is provided by the vertical drains, consolidation occurs beginning at the anode.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principle of Electro Osmosis

A trial has been conducted in Dengkil near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at  an approach embankment to a bridge structure, The trial site is underlain by soft to very soft alluvial silty clay of up to 10m thickness, with undrained shear strength of 8kPa at the surface, increasing to 18 kPa at a depth of 10m. The trail site is fully instrumented with settlement plates, piezometers and field vane shear measurements at periodic time intervals. A marked increase of the undrained shear strength was observed upon completion of the EVD ground treatment process.

A view of the trial site

Ground water being drawn up the EVD

Shear strength profile of the treated ground

The EVD increase the rate of ground settlement, when compared to conventional PVD ground treatment.

In comparison with PVD ground treatment which requires placement of a surcharge load and lengthy consolidation time, the EVD ground treatment does not require the placement of surcharge loads and the treatment period is relatively shorter.

Typical time-settlement behaviour