Non-imiform consolidation around vertical drains installed in soft ground

摘要

Improvement of soft ground, such as that encountered during construction of roads, railways and airports on near-shore or reclaimed shallow-water areas, is often achieved by the use of preload and vertical drains. Design is usually based on Barron's theory although there is evidence that non-uniform consolidation occurs which cannot be explained by such a simplified approach. This paper presents results from experimental plane-strain tests and numerical simulations devised to establish the mechanism of non-uniform consolidation. The results confirm that vertical compression under global K_o conditions involving non-vertical drainage can result in horizontal displacements during the consolidation process and non-uniform water contents at the end of consolidation. Preliminary numerical simulations show that the soil macro-fabric can have a significant effect on these variations.