Settlement Analysis of Locally Available Soft Soil Reinforced with Prefabricated Vertical Drain

Prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) are frequently used to decrease the drainage path of water within soft soils to accelerate the time rate of consolidation. In this paper, the settlement of PVD-reinforced silty-clay soil prepared at OMC is determined using a model box of measures 33.90 cm diameter and 60 cm high to evaluate the effectiveness of the PVD at OMC. For an increase of surcharge load, the increase in the settlement is recorded every 10 days of an interval with the help of dial gauges attached with it. Settlement of the PVD-reinforced soil bed is found to be increased compared to the unreinforced one and is more pronounced in the cases where higher surcharge loads are applied. But, the results of the settlement became closer to each other at 6 and 8 kPa of surcharge load (stress). From these testing results, it may be concluded that PDVs are effective around up to 6 kPa or it may be said that PVDs can extract water from soft soils even when the soil is compacted at OMC.