Combined prefabrication vertical drain (PVD) with variable preloading and vacuuming method to improve soft ground in the Mekong Delta

Abstract

The treatment of the foundation of construction works on weak soil often raises issues that need to be resolved such as: the low load-bearing capacity of the ground, the large settlement, and stability of the large area. As a result, it is important to develop appropriate methods to treat the foundation of construction works on weak soil. Dealing with weak soil is a pressing issue in the construction industry. Currently, there are various measures that can be adopdetd to increase the soil durability and reduce settlement of construction works such as: reinforced concrete piles, sheet piles, bored piles, cushion of loose materials, soil mixing with cement or lime, and preloading with vertical drainage. The method, which uses a prefabrication vertical drain (PVD) combined variable preloading and vacuuming, has not been widely studied and implemented. This paper proposes a solution, which incorporates preloading and vacuuming in the PVD, to process weak soil in the residential areas of the Mekong Delta region. The results show that the settlement of weak soil at the core of the embankment is 2.36m after 135 days using the PVD with variable preloading and vacuuming. The safety factor is 1.295.