Sonic method and apparatus for installing monitor wells for the surveillance and control of earth contamination

A method for installing monitor wells in the ground comprising the steps of:

• loosely fitting a first casing into a second casing in concentric relationship therewith,
• loosely fitting a driving end piece on one end of one of said casings,
• attaching a sonic oscillator to the other end of said one of said casings,
• placing said driving end piece on the ground,
• operating said oscillator at a frequency such as to effect resonant standing wave vibration of said one of said casings thereby driving both of said casings into the ground, and
• when said casings have penetrated into the ground to a predetermined depth, pulling upwardly on said one of said casings while continuing to operate said oscillator to remove said one of said casings from the ground, leaving the other of said casings and said end piece in place in the ground.

A system for installing monitor wells in the earth for sampling the earthen material therein comprising:

• a first elongated casing of an elastic metal material, said casing having top and bottom ends and an inner surface,
• a second elongated casing of an inert plastic in internal concentric relationship to said first casing, and loosely held to said first casing,
• a sonic oscillator coupled to the top end of said first casing, said oscillator having a bottom end, and
• a driving end piece removably attached to the bottom end of said first casing and not attached to said second casing,
• said oscillator being operated at a frequency such as to effect resonant standing wave vibration of said first casing thereby to drive said casings into the ground and when said casings have been driven to the desired depth said oscillator being operated to vibrate said first casing to facilitate the removal thereof from the earth while said second casing and said driving end piece are left in place in the ground.

A system for installing monitor wells in the earth for sampling the earthen material therein comprising:

• a first elongated casing of an elastic metal material, said casing having top and bottom ends and an inner surface,
• a second elongated casing of an inert plastic in concentric relationship to said first casing, and loosely held to said first casing,
• a sonic oscillator coupled to the top end of said first casing, said oscillator having a bottom end, and
• a driving end piece removably attached to the bottom end of said first casing and not attached to said second casing, said driving end piece comprising a cap member loosely fitted onto said first casing,
• said oscillator being operated at a frequency such as to effect resonant standing wave vibration of said first casing thereby to drive said casings into the ground and when said casings have been driven to the desired depth said oscillator being operated to vibrate said first casing to facilitate the removal thereof from the earth while said second casing and said driving end piece are left in place in the ground.