Bio Hori-Drain®
Biodegradable Horizontal Drain for Soft Ground Improvement
Overview
Bio Hori Drain® is a Prefabricated Horizontal Drain (PHD) for soft ground improvement, which is biologically degraded in the natural soil condition after the completion of the ground consolidation without leaving any residual plastic behind. Bio Hori-Drain® is an eco-friendly product which can economically replace existing drainage system using natural sand and aggregates thanks to its high discharge capacity.
Bio Hori-Drain® is composed of PBS(Poly Butylene Succinate) affiliated with aliphatic polyester and PLA(Poly Lactic Acid) extracted from cornstarch.
Comparision of Bio Hori-Drain® and other horizontal drains
| Bio Hori-Drain® | Fiber Mat | Plastic horizontal drains | |
| Section |  |
 |
 |
| Description | · Discharged pore water is drained by flowing into Bio Hori-Drain® through Bio Verti-Drain® | · Discharged pore water is drained by flowing into natural fiber mat through prefabricated vertical drain | · Discharged pore water is drained by flowing into plastic horizontal drains through prefabricated vertical drain |
| Environmental Efficiency | Excellent(Degrades after settlement underground) | Normal (Degrades underground) |
Not good (Stays underground after settlement) |
| Discharge Capacity | 3,500cm3/s | Undetermined | 400 ~ 1,200cm3/s |
| Characteristics | · Great efficiency of drainage with open structure of water channels
· Highly economical
· Eco-friendly using biodegradable material
· Product made by DAEHAN, Stable supply |
· Eco-friendly material made of natural fiber
· Unstable quality as products are manually produced
· Significant reduction of water channel under surcharge |
· Highly economical
· Significant reduction of water channels under surcharge
· Bio-disintegrable Plastic material (poor environmental quality) |
*Testing condition: ASTM D 4716, 500kPa, i=0.1
Determination of Biodegradability
Bio Hori Drain® maintains its stable performance until the completion of the settlement. After 3 years from installation, it biologically degrades without leaving behind soil pollutants in the ground.
Comparison of long-term discharge capacity
According to the comparison of long-term discharge capacity of Bio Hori-Drain® and other horizontal drains, the discharge capacity of Bio Hori-Drain® is 2.5 ~ 8 times higher than other plastic horizontal drains.
FAQ For Bio Hori-Drain®
Q1. What is Bio Hori-Drain®?
Bio Hori-Drain® (BHD) is a biodegradable prefabricated horizontal drain (PHD) used as an eco-friendly, sand-free alternative to conventional sand blanket layers — designed to biodegrade progressively after the ground improvement process is complete.
Q2. How does biodegradable PVD work with biodegradable PHD?
Bio Verti-Drain® discharges pore water upward from soft ground through vertical drainage paths, while Bio Hori-Drain® collects and conveys that water horizontally at the ground surface — providing a fully biodegradable, integrated ground improvement drainage system.
Q3. Can biodegradable PHD replace a conventional sand blanket?
Yes. Bio Hori-Drain® eliminates the need for natural sand or gravel — removing dependency on scarce or imported aggregates — while delivering the additional environmental benefit of progressive biodegradability after consolidation is complete.
Q4. What sustainability standards does biodegradable PHD meet?
Bio Hori-Drain® is manufactured from certified biodegradable biopolymers — a PBS core and PLA filter — designed to biodegrade progressively after consolidation, leaving zero plastic residue in the ground and supporting government Green strategies, ESG procurement requirements, and sand-free construction initiatives.