Influence of perforation characteristics and geotextile envelopes on the drain pipe

Abstract

Preventing clogging effectively and ensuring stable drainage performance are crucial for the efficacy of subsurface drainage systems. This paper presents the results of a laboratory study on the drainage performance of drain pipes using soil samples from the Yinbei Irrigation District in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. The perforation characteristics and geotextile envelopes were investigated. Results demonstrated that a drain pipe with a six-row staggered perforation layout performed exceptionally well in drainage. Increasing the number and reducing the size of perforations while maintaining a constant perforation ratio can enhance drainage performance. A higher degree of clogging was observed in the geotextile envelope at the bottom of the drain pipe, and this issue can be mitigated by increasing the perforation ratio of the pipe wall. Findings from this study can provide theoretical support and practical guidance for optimizing the design of drain pipe perforations and the selection of geotextile envelopes in subsurface drainage.