Abstract
ABSTRACT Preloading with surcharge and prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) was used to construct road and rail embankments on a 26-m-thick soft clay layer across Boubyan Island, Kuwait. Given the variations in the horizontal and vertical coefficients of consolidation (Ch and Cv, respectively) measured in the laboratory, the preliminary analysis predicted that the time to reach 90% consolidation may vary from three months to one year. To validate these predictions, a full-scale pilot project that included an instrumented section under a surcharge load with PVDs was carried out. Back analysis of the consolidation parameters was carried out by an observational method and numerically by finite element modelling. The results indicated that 98% consolidation was achieved in 367 days. The numerical model of the heave due to surcharge removal and settlement due to reloading predicted 70 mm of heave and minimum primary and secondary consolidation for a service period of 20 years.
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