• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.525-537
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• 2014

The typical design of ground improvement with prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) and surcharge preloading involves a series of deterministic analyses using averaged or mean soil properties for the various combination of the PVD spacing and surcharge preloading height that would meet the criteria for minimum consolidation time and required degree of consolidation. The optimum design combination is then selected in which the total cost of ground improvement is a minimum. Considering the variability and uncertainties of the soil consolidation parameters, as well as considering the effects of soil disturbance (smear zone) and drain resistance in the analysis, this study presents a stochastic cost optimization of ground improvement with PVD and surcharge preloading. Direct Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and importance sampling (IS) technique is used in the stochastic analysis by limiting the sampled random soil parameters within the range from a minimum to maximum value while considering their statistical distribution. The method has been verified in a case study of PVD improved ground with preloading, in which average results of the stochastic analysis showed a good agreement with field monitoring data.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.79-88
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• 1996

In this study, prediction of soil behavior under vacuum preloading with vertical drain is explored on the basis of numerical models and toe results were compared with field measurements. Reasonable prediction of the time rate of settlements and pore pressure dissipation under vacuum preloading is the maj or concern. The conventional method for vatsuum preloading is based on modeling vacuum preloading as surcharge loading for the consolidation analysis. However, this modeling may violate the real behavior of soils under vacuum loading since the total stress in the analysis varies due to the modeled surcharge loading whereas in'.situ total stress of soils under vacuum loading is constant. In this study a new method is suggested. Instead of modeling vacuum loading as surcharge loading, negative hydraulic head is applied at the surface drain boundary to simulate the vacuum preloading. Comparisons of predictions and field measurements of soil behavior under vatsuum preloading are presented and the usefulness of the new modeling technique is demonstrated.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.7-24
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• 1987

Preloading surcharge method along with vertical drains was adopted to improve the performance of a very soft marine clay deposit. The onshore deposit, located in the Ulsan Bay area, consists of a 2 to 10m thick, very soft, highly compressible marine clay layer developed just below. the sea water level. The initial undrained shear strength of the clay layer was about 0.6 ton/m2. But, the deposit was designed after treatment to support some auxiliary facilities for a new ilo refinery plant, requiring bearing capacities of 3.6 to 5.4 ton/m2 and maximum allowablee settlement of less than 7.5cm. A total of 35, 000 wick drains Ivas installed to expedite drainage during preloading, and surcharge loads of up to 5m above the original ground level were applied in a step-by-step loading sequence to prevent ground failure by excess surcharge loads. An extensive program of field instrumentation was implemented to monitor the behavior of the clay deposit. Measurers!ends included settlements, excess pore pressure and its dissipation, ground farmer level fluctuation, and lateral movement of the so(t clay layer under the preloads. This paper describes the design concepts, construction methods and control procedures used for improvement of the clay layer. It also presents the ground behavior measured during construction, rind comparisons with theoretical predictions.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.963-975
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• 2017

Improvement of soft clay deposit by preloading with vertical drains is one of the most popular techniques followed worldwide. These drains accelerate the rate of consolidation by shortening the drainage path. Although the analytical and numerical solutions available are mostly based on equal strain hypothesis, the adoption of free strain analysis is more realistic because of the flexible nature of the imposed surcharge loading, especially for the embankment loading used for transport infrastructure. In this paper, a numerical model has been developed based on free strain hypothesis for understanding the behaviour of soft ground improvement by vertical drain with preloading. The unit cell analogy is used and the effect of smear has been incorporated. The model has been validated by comparing with available field test results and thereafter, a hypothetical case study is done using the available field data for soft clay deposit existing in the eastern part of Australia and important conclusions are drawn therefrom.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.5C
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• pp.155-162
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• 2011

Settlement prediction based on field monitored data, which is used to control subsequent surcharges, is very important in construction management for soft ground improvement with the preloading method. Observational settlement prediction methods, which are suggested for an instantaneous loading, have been widely used in fields. However, they have difficulties in the settlement prediction with subsequent surcharge change. In this paper, a simple method to predict the settlement with subsequent surcharge change is suggested. The suggested method adopts assumptions to simplify the complex field condition and utilizes observational methods. The suggested method is applied to a large consolidation test result, FDM analysis results, and field monitored settlement data to confirm its practicability. From the applications, the suggested method produces reasonable prediction results with various subsequent surcharge changes.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.6C
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• pp.287-294
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• 2009

Suction Drain Method is a relatively new technique to improve soft ground using vacuum pressure which can be directly applied to the soft ground through drains that the pore water pressure around them are decreased without changing total stress. This can accelerate volume changes and increase strength of the ground. This paper shows the results of field test of the suction drain method applied at dredged and reclaimed clay. To evaluate the improvement effects of soft ground by the suction drain method, this paper analyzed real-time field measurements to the results of the laboratory tests and numerical analysis. The comparisons of the settlement and shear strength between suction drain method and surcharge preloading method show possibilities for replacement of the preloading methods. The settlements by suction drain method were 2.3 times larger and undrained shear strength were 300%~400% higher than surcharge method. Moreover, the water content is decreased about 30% and the preconsolidation pressure is increased about $0.52kgf/cm^2$.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.5C
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• pp.201-208
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• 2010

In this study, the ground settlement was investigated by using monitoring data of the test sites where vacuum consolidation method and surcharge method were applied for improving deep soft soil. The monitoring data are chosen in ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ area port construction site reclaimed with very soft dredged clay. These data are analyzed to compare the consolidation characteristics between the different loading methods for soil improvement. Through analysis of the loading time, it is shown that the ground settlement reaches its allowable value under vacuum consolidation loading by about 45% faster than that of the surcharge loading consolidation. This could be explained that vacuum consolidation method makes the isotropic consolidation condition so that the time for reaching a certain final preloading without soil failure can be shortened.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.1256-1263
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• 2010

Suction Drain Method is soft ground improvement technique, in which a vacuum pressure can be directly applied to the Vertical Drain Board to promote consolidation and strengthening the soft ground. This method does not require a surcharge load, different to embankment or Preloading Method. In this study, ground improvement efficiency of suction drain method was estimated when duplex loading pressure with vacuum and pressure. During suction drain method process, surface settlement and pore pressure were monitored, and cone resistance test as well as water content were also measured after the completion of Suction Drain Method treatment.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2011

Individual Vacuum Pressure Method (IVPM) is a soft ground improvement technique, in which a vacuum pressure can be directly applied to the vertical drain board to promote consolidation and to strengthen the soft ground. This method does not require surcharge loads, different to embankment or pre-loading method. In this study, the ground improvement efficiency of Individual Vacuum Pressure Method was estimated when suction pressure increases step by step(-20, -40, -60, -80kPa) with different periods. During Individual Vacuum Pressure Method process, surface settlement and pore pressure were monitored, and cone resistance as well as water content were also measured after the completion of Individual Vacuum Pressure Method treatment. From the results, optimum duration of each step of vacuum pressure was determined, and the settlement was calculated using FEM numerical analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.83-91
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• 2008

Previous settlement prediction methods based on settlement monitoring were developed under instantaneous loading condition and have restriction to be applied to soft ground under ramp loading condition. In this study, settlement prediction method under ramp loading was developed. New settlement prediction method under ramp loading considered influence factors of consolidation settlement such as thickness of clayed layer, quantity of surcharge load and preconsolidation pressure, etc. Geometrical correction method based on hyperbolic method (1991) and correction method based on probability theory were applied to increase accuracy of settlement prediction using field monitoring data after ramp loading. Large consolidation tests for ideally controlled one dimensional consolidation under ramp loading condition were performed and the settlement behavior was predicted based on the monitoring data. New prediction method yielded good result of entire settlement behavior by using data during an early stage of ramp load. Additionally, new prediction method offered better settlement prediction which had final settlement prediction in close proximity and low RMSE(Root Mean Square Error) than previous method such as hyperbolic method did.