Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Simple Method for Calculating Settlement-Time Curves of PVD-Improved Deposits

  • SOIL MECHANICS
  • Published:
Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering Aims and scope

A simple method has been proposed for calculating the settlement-time curves of deposits improved by prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs). This method considers the vertical and radial horizontal drainage effects of a surface/bottom layer on the degree of consolidation of the PVD-improved deposit and the time-dependent loading. An approximate method with appropriately subdivided loading steps was developed to evaluate the consolidation of PVD-improved deposits induced by a time-dependent loading; the utility of the proposed method was verified by numerical investigations using finite element analyses. Finally, an experimental analysis of a test embankment was conducted on a PVD improved deposit in China to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed settlement prediction method.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D. T. Bergado, A. S. Balasubramaniam, R. G. Fannin, and R. D. Holtz, "Prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) in soft Bangkok clay: a case study of the new Bangkok International Airport project," Can. Geotech. J., 39(2), 304-315 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. B. Indraratna, I. Sathananthan, C. Rujikiatkamjorn, and A. S. Balasubramaniam, "Analytical and numerical modeling of soft soil stabilized by prefabricated vertical drains incorporating vacuum preloading," Int. J. Geomech., 5(2), 114-124 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Z. H. Sun, M. J. Gao, and W. Zhou, "Assessment of vacuum preloading of soft sediment applied to various drainage schemes," Soil Mech. Found. Eng., 50(6), 255-261 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. J. C. Chai and F. Xu, "Experimental investigation of lateral displacement of PVD-improved deposit," Geomech. Eng., 9(5), 585-599 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Y. Zhuang and X. Y. Cui, "Evaluation of vacuum preloading with vertical drains as a soft soil improvement measure," Soil Mech. Found. Eng., 53(3), 210-217 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. J. C. Chai, C. Y. Ong, D. T. Bergado, and J. P. Carter, "Lateral displacement under combined vacuum pressure and embankment loading, Geotechnique, 63(10), 842 -856 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. F. Xu and J. C. Chai, "Lateral displacement of PVD-improved deposit under embankment loading," Geosynth. Int., 21(5), 286-300 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. G. Zhu and J. H. Yin, "Design charts for vertical drains considering construction time," Can. Geotech. J., 38(5), 1142-1148 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. E. Conte and A. Troncone, "Radial consolidation with vertical drains and general time-dependent loading," Can. Geotech. J., 46(1), 25-36 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. X. Y. Geng, B. Indraratna, and C. Rujikiatkamjorn, "Analytical solutions for a single vertical drain with vacuum and time-dependent surcharge preloading in membrane and membraneless systems," Int. J. Geomech., 12(1), 27-42 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. M. M. Lu, S. Y. Wang, S. W. Sloan, B. Indraratna, and K. H. Xie, "Nonlinear radial consolidation of vertical drains under a general time-variable loading," Int. J. Numer. Anal. Met. Geomech., 39(1), 51-62 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. K. Terzaghi, Theoretical Soil Mechanics, John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA (1943).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  13. S. Hansbo, "Consolidation of fine-grained soils by prefabricated drains," Proc. 10th Int. Conf. Soil Mech. Found. Eng., Stockholm, 3, 677-682 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  14. J. C. Chai, S. L. Shen, N. Miura, and D. T. Bergado, "Simple method of modeling PVD-improved subsoil," J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 127(11), 965-972 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. K. Terzaghi, Erdbaumechanik auf Bodenphysikalischer Grundlager, Franz Deuticke, Vienna, Austria (1925).

    Google Scholar 

  16. I. Sathananthan, B. Indraratna, and C. Rujikiatkamjorn, "Evaluation of smear zone extent surrounding mandrel driven vertical drains using the cavity expansion theory," Int. J. Geomech., 8(6), 355-365 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. D. H. Shin, C. Lee, J. S. Lee, and W. Lee, "Detection of smear zone using micro-cone and electrical resistance probe," Can. Geotech. J., 46(6), 719-726 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. N. Carrillo, "Simple two and three dimensional cases in the theory of consolidation of soils," J. Math. Phys., 21(1), 1-5 (1942).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. M. A. Biot, "General theory of three-dimensional consolidation," J. Appl. Phys., 12(2), 155-164 (1941).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. X. Deng, "Improvement of soft highway foundation by combined vacuum pressure and surcharge load," M.S. Thesis, Central South University, Changsha, China (2009).

  21. Y. G. Wang, "Theory and experiment of vacuum combined surcharge preloading method for foundation improvement," Ph.D. Thesis, Central South University, Changsha, China (2010).

  22. J. O. Osterberg, "Influence values for vertical stresses in a semi-infinite mass due to an embankment loading," Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Soil Mech. Found. Eng., London, 1, 393-394 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China

    Fang Xu, Rusong Nie, Wuming Leng & Qi Yang

  2. National Engineering Laboratory for High Speed Railway Construction, Changsha, China

    Fang Xu, Rusong Nie, Wuming Leng & Qi Yang

  3. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Saga University, Saga, Japan

    Jinchun Chai

  4. Institute of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

    Yang Zhou

Authors
  1. Fang Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinchun Chai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rusong Nie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wuming Leng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Qi Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yang Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rusong Nie.

Additional information

Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 1, p. 13, January-February, 2019.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, F., Chai, J., Nie, R. et al. A Simple Method for Calculating Settlement-Time Curves of PVD-Improved Deposits. Soil Mech Found Eng 56, 21–27 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-019-09564-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11204-019-09564-z

Search

Navigation