Influence of plastic vertical drain on bearing capacity and settlement of subsoil after vacuum preloading

The plastic vertical drains(PVDS),which are left in the foundation after the vacuum preloading construction,may exert influences on the bearing capacity and settlement of the subsoil.The limit equilibrium method and the FEM are applied to analyze the effect of PVDS on the subsoil stability.The results show that the left PVDS enhance the bearing capacity of subsoil and the effect is related to the interval of the PVDS and the width of foundation.When the applied load exceeds the design value,the PVDS will elevate the subsoil bearing capacity but the foundation settlement will increase with the length of PVDS.