Pilot tests on vacuum preloading method combined with short and long PVDs

Dredged marine clay has been widely used as a filling material for land reclamation in China. The difficulty of using the vacuum preloading method to improve the dredged marine clay together with the bottom sediment clay is the different spacing requirement of the PVDs. To solve this problem, the Vacuum Preloading method combined with the Short and Long PVDs (VPSL) is proposed in this paper. The short PVDs are installed only into the dredged marine clay layer in-between the long PVDs which are installed through the whole clay layer. Pilot tests are also conducted at a land reclamation site in Tianjin, China, to investigate the performance of the proposed method. The ground settlement, the applied vacuum pressure and the pore water pressure in the soil are monitored during the pilot tests. The average degrees of consolidation are calculated based on the monitored settlement and pore pressure data. It is found that the proposed VPSL method is more effective for improving top dredged clay together with the bottom sediment clay than the conventional vacuum preloading method. The vane shear strength profiles of soil layers after ground improvement also show that the VPSL method is more effective to achieve a uniform soil strength profile.     

Deformation characteristics of soil between prefabricated vertical drains under vacuum preloading

The deformation characteristics of soil among prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) subjected to vacuum pressure are investigated using a model test conducted on dredged slurry. Red iron particles are used to indirectly indicate the lateral displacement of soil under vacuum preloading. Test results showed that, in addition to the settlement of soil between two PVDs, there was also lateral displacement that varied with consolidation time and lateral distance from the PVD because of lateral vacuum suction. The lateral displacement arose successively with the increasing lateral distance. And it increased from zero on the PVD surface and dropped back to zero again at the midpoint between the two PVDs. There should have been a maximum value of the lateral displacement at a point near the PVD. The combined vertical and lateral displacement formed a soil pile around the PVD and showed a ‘V’ shaped soil surface.     

Experimental study on a dredged fill ground improved by a two-stage vacuum preloading method

The vacuum preloading method has been wisely chosen among many ground-improvement methods considering the time limit of many projects and the characteristics of reclaimed soil. However, the loss in vacuum with soil depth, the clogging around prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs), and the deteriorative consolidation of the deep soil layer, among other factors, create a large challenge to vacuum preloading for dredged marine clay fill. Thus, this study proposes a two-stage vacuum preloading method and focuses on its feasibility and effectiveness. Contrasting laboratory tests are performed in two identical experimental tanks with dredged marine clay fill from the Wenzhou land reclamation site in China. In one tank, the one-stage vacuum preloading method is used to serve as a baseline for this study. In the other tank, use of the two-stage vacuum preloading method is proposed for consolidation; it comprises two stages. In the first stage, the dredged marine clay fill is conditioned by vacuum preloading using half of the PVDs, where the dissipation of the excess pore water pressure tends to be steady. In the second stage, vacuum preloading is activated using all the PVDs. The results show that a better consolidation effect is achieved with the proposed method in terms of the settlement, vacuum pressure, pore water pressure, water content, vane shear strength, and soil particle microstructure after soil consolidation.     

Preloading using fill surcharge and prefabricated vertical drains for an airport

This paper presents the field measurements and analysis of a preloading project with the installation of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) in Wenzhou, China. At the site, PVDs were installed to a depth of 22?m from the ground surface with a spacing of 1.5?m in a triangular pattern. The preloading fill thickness was 6?m with a unit weight of approximately 18 kN/m³. After a total elapsed time of 310 days, approximately 3?m thick fill was removed. The measured preloading settlement was approximately 1.5?m. The measurements and analytical results indicated that the soil layer with PVD improvement reached almost 100% primary consolidation when part of the fill was removed. After partial unloading, the PVD-improved zone was in an over-consolidated state. After the runway was opened for traffic, a settlement increment of approximately 7?mm was monitored over a period of 11 months. Analysis indicated that the settlement was mainly due to the consolidation of soil layers below the PVD-improved zone and post-surcharge secondary consolidation of the PVD-improved zone. The values of the parameters related to PVD improvement were back-estimated from the field measurements. These findings can be used to guide the design of PVDs improvement along the east coast of China.     

真空预压法中塑料排水板弯曲对固结的影响

 工程实践表明,真空预压法处理超软弱地基时因过大的地基压缩量而使塑料排水板弯曲,导致其纵向通水量减少,进而影响深层土体的加固效果。为降低这种影响,提出二次插板方案,即先对浅层土体进行处理,待其达到一定强度后,再插设较长的塑料排水板对软基进行整体加固。结合浙江省温州丁山垦区围垦造陆的真空预压工程,对不同弯曲率的塑料排水板进行纵向通水量的测试以确定其纵向渗透系数在加固过程中的变化,并基于ADINA有限元软件,开发邓肯–张本构模型,在三维有限元数值模拟中考虑排水板纵向渗透系数的变化和超软弱土中未消散的初始超孔压。分析比较数值计算结果与监测数据,结果表明,二次插板方案所产生的沉降与孔压消散值均比一次插板方案的要大,计算时考虑排水板弯曲对固结的影响比未考虑这种影响的计算值更接近实际值,所得结论可为类似工程的设计和施工提供理论支持。     

Improvement of ultra-soft soil using prefabricated vertical drains

A case study of using prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) to accelerate the consolidation of an ultra-soft fine-grained soil with high moisture content for a land reclamation project is described in this paper. Large-scale laboratory model tests were carried out to assess the suitability of the selected PVD and the effectiveness of the PVD in the consolidation of the ultra-soft soil. The model tests indicate that the discharge capacity of the drain can decrease substantially after the drain has experienced large deformations. To overcome this problem, PVDs were installed in two rounds. The first round was before the application of surcharge, and the second round was after substantial settlements have taken place. Field instrumentations were utilized to monitor the performance of PVDs during consolidation. The monitored settlement and pore water pressure results are presented and discussed. The study shows that it is effective to use PVD for the consolidation of the ultra-soft soil if special care has been taken in selection and installation of PVD and in fill placement to overcome the difficulties involved in the consolidation of ultra-soft soil.     

New methods for measuring the installation depth of prefabricated vertical drains

The installation depth of prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) is one of the key factors affecting the outcome of soil improvement when PVDs are used to accelerate the consolidation of soft soil. As PVDs are installed underground, it is difficult to verify the installation depth of PVDs for quality control purpose.     

Land reclamation using the horizontal drainage enhanced geotextile sheet method

Increasingly waste materials or soft soil dredged from sea or river have to be used as fill materials for land reclamation. Although preloading using prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) has been commonly used as the treatment method for soft soil, this method is time consuming as it can only be applied after all the fill materials have been placed. In this paper, a conceptual design for land reclamation using a horizontal drainage enhanced geotextile sheet (HDeGs) method combined with vacuum preloading is proposed. Large-scale model tests are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the HDeGs method. The proposed method is also compared with the existing prefabricated horizontal drain (PHD) method and the advantages and disadvantages of the HDeGs with vacuum preloading method are discussed. This study has demonstrated that the proposed HDeGs method is not only effective, but also more efficient compared with the PVD or PHD methods, as it can reduce substantially the construction time required for land reclamation.     

Experimental study on the clogging effect of dredged fill surrounding the PVD under vacuum preloading

Clogging effect surrounding prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) is a typical problem when vacuum preloading is applied to a dredged fill foundation. A large-scale model test was designed to clarify the cause and mechanism of the clogging effect, and the basic physical and mechanical parameters of the soil in the clogging zone were tracked during the test. The results demonstrated that a clogging zone was formed around the PVD in the early stage of improvement with conventional vacuum preloading, and the boundary of the clogging zone was approximately 0.2–0.4 of the boundary radius. The clogging zone surrounding the PVD was formed because of the overall movement of the soil toward the PVD under the high vacuum pressure gradient, rather than fine particle migration. The soil in the clogging zone exhibited permeability anisotropy and equivalent ‘smear’ effect. The permeability ratio (k_h/k_v) was less than 1, and the ratio of horizontal permeability coefficients at the test distances of 45 cm and 10 cm were 9.6 at a depth of 20 cm and 8.9 at a depth of 80 cm. An analysis of the microstructure of the soil in the clogging zone demonstrated that the clay particles tended to be vertically oriented. The re-orientation of the clay particles reduced the horizontal permeability coefficient and led to the permeability anisotropy of the soil in the clogging zone. Thus, decrease in the horizontal permeability coefficient and equivalent ‘smear’ effect of the soil in the clogging zone affect the consolidation of dredged fill, which leads to the clogging effect. The permeability anisotropy also slightly affects consolidation.     

Consolidation behavior of dredged ultra-soft soil improved with prefabricated vertical drain at the Mae Moh mine,Thailand

The effectiveness of the prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) in the consolidation of ultra-soft dredged soil with various soil water contents (W) in Mae Moh mine, Lampang, Thailand was researched via a series of large-scale model tests and numerical analysis. Large settlements with the delay of excess pore pressures is a distinct behavior of ultra-soft soil. The PVD dimensions were found to have a significant effect on the rate of consolidation and the delay of excess pore pressure at low total vertical stress (σ_v). The smaller PVD dimension resulted in the smaller rate of consolidation and longer delay of excess pore pressure. The undrained shear strength (S_u) of ultra-soft clay at various degrees of consolidation could be approximated by the vertical effective stress (σ′_v) based on the SHANSEP where the σ′_v was determined from the Asaoka's observational method. The finite element analysis with axisymmetric and plane strain models showed that the axisymmetric model produced an excellent settlement prediction. However, the excess pore pressures were not well predicted by the axisymmetric model, due to the delay of excess pore pressures at the early stages of consolidation. In practice, the plane strain models proposed by Chai et al. and Indraratna and Redana's methods are suggested to predict the consolidation settlement of the Mae Moh dredged soil improved with PVD. The outcome of this research will facilitate the geotechnical design of reclamation of ultra-soft dredged soil in Mae Moh mine and other similar soils.     

Effects of temperature circulation on dredged sludge improved by vacuum preloading

Vacuum preloading is an effective and common method used for clay soil improvement. However, the smear zone generated by the installation of prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) hinders additional efficiency improvements. PVD combined with heat is applied to overcome this problem. This study presents a series of model tests conducted on clayey soil improved by vacuum preloading with different rectangular-wave temperature circulation modes to investigate the effects of cyclic temperature on vacuum consolidation. During the test, the settlement, pore-water pressure, and drainage were monitored. The degree of consolidation was analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of this method, and the coefficient of energy consumption was used to quantify the energy consumption at different cyclic temperature modes. The results indicated that the rectangular-wave temperature circulation mode of 30–75–30 °C was the most effective. The results of this study contribute substantially to the state of knowledge regarding the cyclic temperature effects on dredged slurry performance subjected to vacuum preloading. Concurrently, a novel approach is introduced for the determination of the optimal soil consolidation.     

底部抽真空法在围垦工程中优越性研究

 将应用于围垦工程中的底部抽真空技术同传统的上部抽真空方法进行对比试验,研究底部抽真空的优点。经过改进的仪器能够对试样施加80 kPa的真空压力,同时能够量测不同土层深度下土体的孔隙压力、沉降及体积随时间的变化情况。试验用土取自南京秦淮河,研究结论表明：底部抽真空方法对土体的加固效果优于上部抽真空方法。与上部抽真空方法相比,底部抽真空方法加固后土体含水率低10%,干密度大11%,不排水剪强度提高35%,最终沉降则增加22%。除此之外,试验结果还显示底部抽真空方法固结更快,不同深度土层加固效果差异较小,底部法还能够有效保持真空度的恒定。底部抽真空方法与上部抽真空方法的最大区别就在于：上部抽真空过程中,土体内部水位不会发生变化,因此总保持饱和状态。相反,采用底部法时,真空压力的施加使得排水板内的水位快速下降到土层底部,土体中水位也因此随时间增加而逐渐下降,土体不再被水浸没,可以由饱和态转变成为非饱和态。     

考虑板土相互作用的排水板通水特性试验研究

为研究排水板在实际工况下的通水特性,研制排水板纵向通水量测试新仪器,采用室内真空预压模型试验、堆载预压模型试验和直接充灌淤泥等方法来制作板土单元体(试样),并开展板土单元体(试样)通水能力测试。试验结果表明:无论是直接充灌淤泥法、堆载预压法还是真空预压法,高性能排水板通水量均大于现行规程试验结果,而普通排水板通水量均小于现行规程试验结果,现行规程方法高估了真空预压后普通排水板的通水能力。对比结果表明:高性能排水板在堆载预压后通水能力与真空预压后通水能力接近,而普通排水板在堆载预压后通水能力明显高于真空预压后通水能力。因此,对于变形大且固结时间长的新近吹填淤泥地基加固工程应优先选用高性能排水板。     

Instability of a geogrid reinforced soil wall on thick soft Shanghai clay with prefabricated vertical drains: A case study

A 7.6 m high geogrid reinforced soil retaining wall (RSW) was constructed at the end of an embankment on very thick, soft Shanghai clay with 12 m deep prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs). The settlement of the ground, the wall movement and pore water pressure were monitored during the construction. From day 118, halfway through the construction, unexpected pore water pressure increment was recorded from the pore water pressure meters installed in the PVD drained zone indicating a possible malfunction of the PVDs due to large deformation in the ground. After the last loading stage, on day 190, a sudden horizontal movement at the toe was observed, followed by an arc shaped crack on the embankment surface at the end of the reinforced backfill zones. The wall was analyzed with a coupled mechanical and hydraulic finite element (FE) model. The analysis considered two scenarios: one with PVDs fully functional, and the second one with PVD failure after day 118 by manually deactivating the PVDs in the FE model. The comparison between the measured and simulated ground settlement, toe movement, and pore water pressure supported the assumption on the malfunction of the PVDs. It is believed that the general sliding failure in the wall was caused by the increase of pore water pressure in the foundation soil and soils in front of the toe. It is suggested that possible failure of PVDs should be considered in the design of such structures, and the discharge rate of the PVDs and the pore water pressure should be closely monitored during the construction of high soil walls on soft soils to update the stability of the structures, especially for grounds where large deformations are expected which may cause the failure of the PVDs.     

Effect of surcharge loading rate and mobilized load ratio on the performance of vacuum–surcharge preloading with PVDs

The results from three laboratory model tests performed under various vacuum and surcharge loads with PVDs are reported. Different SLRs were adopted to investigate the effect on the consolidation of dredged soil. To measure the lateral displacement, a refitted inclinometer was developed and tested. In the tests, the settlement, lateral displacement, and vane shear strength were measured, and the degree of consolidation (DOC), horizontal coefficient of consolidation (C_h), and bearing capacity were calculated. The results indicate that larger SLR values promote consolidation. The largest vane shear strength, settlement, and C_h values were all obtained under the highest SLR, and the bearing capacity under this SLR was more than double that under the lowest SLR. The DOC was found to increase with the growth of the SLR. However, considering the vacuum pressure was higher in Case-III, the influence of SLR on reinforcement effect may not be so significant.     

新型防淤堵真空预压法室内与现场试验研究

 针对目前直排式真空预压法的真空应力难以到达深部土体,排水板淤堵严重,加固效果欠佳,难以满足工程实际应用需要的问题,提出一种新型真空预压吹填土地基处理技术--新型防淤堵真空预压法,是对直排式真空预压法的技术改进和创新,该真空预压技术采用防淤堵排水板,其滤膜为无凹凸结构亲水性材料,滤膜与芯材轧在一起,提高排水效果;此外采用无孔真空管、密封接头直接与竖向防淤堵塑料排水板密闭连接,形成水平密闭排水系统,缩短真空传递路径,减少真空度的沿程损失,真空度直达土体深部,加快土体孔压的消散,防止淤堵,提高加固效果。通过不同排水板真空预压试验,以及室内模型试验和现场试验对直排式真空预压法与新型防淤堵真空预压法加固吹填淤泥地基加固效果进行对比研究,获得不同排水板的加固效果和新型真空预压防淤堵加固机制,并证明新型防淤堵真空预压法的有效性,为该技术的应用和发展提供理论依据。     

Combined effect of PVDs and reinforcement on embankments over rate-sensitive soils

A numerical study of the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced embankments constructed on soft rate-sensitive soil with and without prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) is described. The time-dependent stress–strain-strength characteristic of rate-sensitive soil is taken into account using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model. The effects of reinforcement stiffness, construction rate, soil viscosity as well as PVD spacing are examined both during and following construction. A sensitivity analysis shows the effect of construction rate and PVD spacing on the short-term and long-term stability of reinforced embankments and the mobilized reinforcement strain. For rate-sensitive soils, the critical period with respect to the stability of the embankment occurs after the end of the construction due to a delayed, creep-induced, build-up of excess pore pressure in the viscous foundation soil. PVDs substantially reduce the effect of creep-induced excess pore pressure, and hence not only allow a faster rate of consolidation but also improve the long-term stability of the reinforced embankment. Furthermore, PVDs work together with geosynthetic reinforcement to minimize the differential settlement and lateral deformation of the foundation. The combined use of the geosynthetic reinforcement and PVDs enhances embankment performance substantially more than the use of either method of soil improvement alone.     

Effects of pressurizing timing on air booster vacuum consolidation of dredged slurry

Air booster vacuum preloading is a newly improved method applied in land reclamation projects. Highly pressurized air can provide an additional pressure difference between the prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) and injection point, thereby increasing the hydraulic gradient and generating small fractures that can improve the soil permeability and the transmission efficiency of the vacuum pressure. However, with a premature activation time, the pressurized air can create air channels connected to the PVD, which may drastically decrease the vacuum pressure. With a delayed activation time, the strength of the dredged clay may be too high to permit fractures, thus limiting the permeability improvement. In this study, soils with degrees of consolidation (DOCs) of 0%, 40%, 60%, and 80% were selected for testing the efficacy of initial booster activation times in four tests. The results show that the pressurizing groups were more effective in improving the consolidation of soils, and the best effect of the use of air booster is obtained when soil has been consolidated to a DOC of 60%. The lower soils of the pressurized groups showed greater increase rates than those demonstrated by conventional vacuum preloading.     

压桩过程中静压桩挤土位移的动态模拟和 实测对比研究

 圆孔扩张法及应变路径法由于土体的大变形和桩土界面摩擦接触问题而难以模拟动态的压桩过程,数值模拟法能够考虑到土体的本构关系、大变形和桩土的相互作用等诸多因素的影响,因而在静压桩挤土效应方面得到了广泛的应用。采用合适的土体屈服准则及有限变形理论,通过在桩土界面设置接触以及在桩顶施加位移荷载建立了能够实现动态压桩过程的有限元模型。利用得到的有限元模型模拟了沉桩产生的水平及竖向挤土位移场,讨论了动态压桩过程对沉桩挤土位移场的影响,并和现场实测进行了对比。研究结果表明,挤土位移场动态模拟结果与实测值相一致,且能反映土性的变化情况;在动态压桩过程中,水平向的挤土位移随着压桩深度的增加而增大,竖向挤土位移随着压桩深度的增加浅层土体表现为隆起增加,而深层土体表现为下沉量增加。挤土位移的最大值与压桩深度存在滞后效应,因此在压桩过程中要给以足够的重视。     

Consolidation analysis of clayey deposits under vacuum pressure with horizontal drains

A method has been developed for the consolidation analysis of dredged mud or clayey soil deposits containing strip-type, prefabricated horizontal drains (PHDs), based on either the axisymmetric or plane strain unit cell theory. An approximate consolidation theory has also been proposed for a surface soil layer subjected to vacuum pressure applied through the PHDs at a shallow depth from the surface. The proposed method and the consolidation theory have then been applied to the analysis of a field project in Japan involving dredged mud consolidated by vacuum pressure with PHDs. By comparing the field-measured and analyzed results in terms of water content distributions with depth and the thickness variation of the deposit, the usefulness of the proposed method has been demonstrated.