NON-UNIFORM CONSOLIDATION AROUND VERTICAL DRAINS INSTALLED IN SOFT GROUND

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.