TWO-DAY COURSE ON: “RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN GROUND

IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES AND CASE HISTORIES”; 10-11

AUGUST 2010

Part III
Vacuum Preloading Techniques
3-1. Principles
3-2. Methods & Case Studies
3-3.
3 Analysis

Assoc Prof Chu Jian

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Tel: 65-
65-67904563; Email: cjchu@ntu.edu.sg

Need for vacuum preloading

„ When there is a lack of granular fill, cohesive fill
dredged from the seabed can be used for
reclamation..
reclamation
„ In this case, fill surcharge preloading will not be
practical as the soil to be consolidated is too soft
to sustain the fill
fill..
„ In this case,, vacuum preloading
p g mayy be used
used..
„ When the vacuum load is not sufficient, a
combined fill and vacuum surcharge method can
be used
used..

1
3

2
 3.1 Principles
„ The surcharge is applied using vacuum pressure.
„ The limit of vacuum pressure is 98 kPa and the nominal
value is about 80 kPa
kPa.
pa Sealed −Δu

pa

time
u0 Δσ
−Δu
Δ

Δσ
pa

time

3.1 Principles (cont’d)

3
 3.2 Methods: VC or VC+Surcharge

Vacuum Surcharge
Membrane

sand blanket

PVDs

Schematic arrangement
of vacuum preloading
method:
1, drains;
2, filter piping;
3, revetment;
4, water outlet;
5, valve;
6, vacuum gauge;
7, jet pump;
8 centrifugal pump;
8,
9, trench;
10, horizontal piping;
11, sealing membrane.

Schematic arrangement of vacuum

1、排水管 2、过滤管 3、砂垫层 4、出水口 5、阀 6、真空
8 preloading method
表 7、真空泵 8、离心表 9、壕 10水平管道 11、聚乙烯膜

4
 Land reclamation using dredged clay slurry

10

5
 Install a layer of sand blanket and vertical drains
11

Place corrugated flexible pipes

12

6
 Installation of 2-3 layers of membrane
13

Seal with membranes

14

7
 Apply vacuum
15

Apply vacuum and fill surcharge together

16

8
 Install instruments for field monitoring
17

VACUUM CONSOLIDATION IN MALAYSIA

1st vacuum consolidation project in Malaysia - Package 8E1 of the PLUS

North South Expressway in 1992.
18

9
 Menard System

19

Menard Vacuum System

Soft clay
(k < 10-9 m/sec)

20

10
 KUCHING DEEPWATER PORT CONTAINER TERMINAL (1995)
Area Imposed Load Drain Settlement
Spacing
PVD – T1 3m fill 1.5m Δ 510mm (t = 12 mths)
PVD – T2 3m fill 2.0m Δ 500mm (t = 12 mths)
Vacuum 65 kPa 1.5m ■ 570mm (t = 4 mths)
Consolidation (mean)

21

Case Study-1: a road on very soft clay

~ { ~ {
51
1m

⊕ • ⊕ •
+ Δ + Δ

SECTION I SECTION II

364.5 m

• Borehole ⊕ Field Vane

{ Water stand pipe ~ Inclinometer
+ Multi-level settlement gauge Δ Pore-water pressure transducer

22

11
 LL, PL and Wo Void ratio, e c u (kPa)
0 20 40 60 80 0 10 20 30 40
0.5 1 1.5 2
0 0
0

4 4 4

8 8 8
Depth (m)

Depth (m)
Depth (m)

12 12 12

16 16 16

Wo
PL
LL
20 20 20

Soil profiles and basic properties

23

Vacuum load and settlement versus duration

24

12
 Duration (days)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
0.0

-0.2
Settlement (m)

-0.4

-0.6

0.0 m
-0.8 2.0 m
5.5 m
75m
7.5
-1.0 9.5 m
13.0 m
15.5 m
-1.2

Settlement measured at Section I

25

Duration (days)
0 20 40 60 80 100
0
1.0 m
Pore water pressure reductioon (kPa)

-10 4.0 m
6.0 m
-20 8.5 m
11.0 m
-30 14.5 m
18.0 m
-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-90

Pore water pressure reductions in Section 1

26

13
 0
Initial Pore water
2 30 days
60 days pressure
4 90 days variation
versus
6
uo (z) depth
profiles
Elevation (m)

10

12

14
us(z)
16
Section I
18

20
-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250
Pore water pressure (kPa)
27

0
Initial
30 days
2 60 days Pore water
4
90 days pressure
variation
6 versus
8
depth
Elevation (m)

u0 (z)
profiles
10

12

14

16
us(z)
Section II
18

20
-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250
Pore water pressure (kPa)
28

14
 Undrained shear strength (kPa) Water content (%)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 20 40 60 80
0 0
Before
2 2
After Before
After
4 4

6 6

8 8
Depth (m)

Depth (m)
10 10

12 12

14 14

16 16

18 18

20 20
29

Effect of lateral displacement

30

15
 Combined loading can reduce
lateral displacement
500

400
displacement (mm)
Ground lateral

300

200

100 S ti I
Section
Section II
0
0 50 100 150 200 250
Duration (days)

Ground lateral displacement versus time curves

31

Other Techniques
„ When the top layer is not
purely clayey soil, a cut-
cut-off
wall is required to seal the
area to be vacuum loaded.
loaded.
Alternatively, PVD with
plastic sleeve or a direct
p
connection of PVD to
vacuum tube can be usedused..
PVD and tubing for vacuum preloading
(after Seah, 2006)

32

16
 Vacuum without membrane

After Seah (2006) and Saowapakiboon et al. (2008)

B4. Combine DC with PVD or well

points for cohesive soil

Well point spacing: 3.5 x 4.0 m 
p p g
Compaction energy: 3000 kNm

Zheng, Chu & Lu (2004);  
Shanghai Harbour Soft Soil 
Design & Research Institute
34

17
CASE HISTORY – KUCHING PORT, SARAWAK (1995)

Kuching Deepwater Port Container

Terminal at Kg. Senari
Client: Kuching Port Authority
Engineer: Acer Consultants

Vertical Contractor: Transfield (Australia) /

Drains + Dr. TA Ooi
1.5m
surcharge

Sarawak River

STABILITY DURING CONSTRUCTION

FoS < 1FoS

(Problem
= 1.6 (with
of vacuum)
STABILITY)
Equivalent
Vertical
Vertical
3m
Drains + 3m
Drains +
surcharge
surcharge
1.5m
surcharge
Isotropic vacuum
consolidation
with Pa = 0.6 bars

Vacuum to provide required consolidation1 (to reduce differential

settlement), replace 3m surcharge2 (to maintain Δσ = 0), improve local and
overall stability3 and shorter consolidation time4.

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CONSOLIDATION SETTLEMENT

Area Imposed Drain Spacing Settlement

Load
PVD – T1 3m fill 1.5m Δ 510mm (t = 12 mths)
PVD – T2 3m fill 2 0m Δ
2.0m 500mm (t = 12 mths)
Vacuum 65 kPa 1.5m ■ 570mm (t = 4 mths)
Consolidation (mean)

Section 3.3
Analysis and Estimation of
Degree of Consolidation
using Field Measurement

3.3.1 Based on settlements

3.3.2 Based on Pore pressure measurements

38

19
 Design Specifications

„ (Average) Degree of Consolidation (DOC

or Uavg) is often used as one of the
contract specifications.
specifications. However, different
DOC values can be obtained depending on
the methods adopted in estimating DOC DOC..
This
hi often
f l d to dispute
leads di b
between
consultant and contractor
contractor..

39

Methods for Calculating DOC

„ Normally based settlement monitored

monitored::
DOC = S(t)/Sult
Different methods for estimating Sult has been
adopted (Asoaka, Hyperbolic, and Zeng et al
al..).

„ Based on pore water pressure (PWP) monitored.

monitored.
Can be done easily using the following method.
method.

40

20
 Asaoka’s method
The procedure requires
settlement readings to be
taken at constant time
intervals ∆t, or equivalent
values interpolated from a
time-settlement curve.
Settlement reading sn is
plotted versus the
preceding settlement sn-1.
A line drawn through the
points plotted,
extrapolated, and
intersected with the 450
line. This intersection
point represents the final
settlement sf.
41

0
-12.57 m

Example
200 -9.73 m
Settlement (mm)

-7.11 m
400
-4.28 m

-0.37 m
600
4.69 m

800 surface
Section I
1,000
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Duration (days)

1000
t (days) s(n-1) s(n)
800
20 110 650
40 650 710
60 710 775
600
80 775 800
Sn

100 800 830

400 120 830

200

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Sn-1
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21
 Asaoka’s method (cont’d)
The method is based on the fact that 1D consolidation
settlement at times 0,, ∆t,, 2∆t,, 3∆t,, etc. can be expressed
p
mathematically in the general form:
i=w
sn = β 0 + ∑ β n sn −i
i =1

For w = 1, a first-order approximation is obtained:

sn = β0 + β1sn-1
Then β1 is the slope of the line in the Asaoka plot.

43

Asaoka’s method (cont’d)

si
s f (1 − )
s f − si sf 1 − U (ti )
β1 = = =
s f − si −1 s f (1 − i −1 ) 1 − U (ti −1 )
s
sf
8Th π2 ⎛ 8 ch π 2 cv ⎞
− 8 − Tv
8 −⎜ +
⎜ F (n) d 2 4 H 2
⎟t
⎟ 8
1 − U = (1 − U h )(1 − U v ) = e F (n)
e 4
= e ⎝ e d ⎠
= e − Λt
π 2
π 2
π2

8
e − Λt i
β1 = π
2
= e − (...)(t i − t i −1 ) = e − ΛΔt
8
e − Λt i −1
π 2

ln β1 8c π 2 cv
− =Λ= 2 h +
Δt d e F (n) 4 Η 2d

44

22
 Asaoka’s method (cont’d)
Note: The results of Asaoka’s method is affected by the
time interval used (the larger the ∆t, the smaller the Sf)
and the secondary settlement. Early plot (with DOC<70%)
may not be reliable.

45

Calculation of DOC using PWP

Hydrostatic
pore water
pressure line
li
ut(h)
Depth (m)

u0(h)
Suction
line us
Uavg = 1−
∫ [u (h) − u ]dh
t s

∫[u (h) − u ]dh

0 s

PWP (kPa)
46

23
 0 0
Initial Initial
30 days 30 days
2 2 60 days
60 days
90 days
4 90 days 4

6 6
uo (z)
Elevation (m)

8 8

m)
Elevation (m
u0 (z)
10 10

12 12

14 14
us(z)
16 16
us(z)
18 18

20 20
-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250

Pore water pressure (kPa) Pore water pressure (kPa)

PWP Distribution Profiles in a vacuum

preloading project
47

DOC Calculated using PWP and

Settlement
Degree of Based on settlement data Based on pore water
consolid pressure data
ation 30 60 90 End 30 60 90 End
(DOC)

Section I 54% 77% 86% 90% 54% 69% 73% -

Section II 49% 66% 83% 90% 54% 66% 75% -

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24
 Why DOC_PWP is smaller than
DOC_Settlement?

„ It is related to how PWP and settlement

are measured
measured.. When limited instruments
are used, instruments will be placed to
measure the largest settlement and
PWP..
PWP
„ When DOC is more than 85% 85%, the
differences tend to be small
small..

49

Disadvantages of Each Method

„ DOC_Settlement
DOC Settlement: uncertainties in the
Sult predicted
predicted.. No unique Sult value even
when the same method is used.
used.

„ DOC_PWP
DOC PWP: the spatial PWP profile can
hardly be obtained
obtained.. The PWP
measurement is affected by the position of
the transducers to the drain
drain..
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25
 Recommendations

„ As both settlements and PWPs are

measured, DOC should be calculated using
both settlement and PWP data
data..

„ Even if DOC is to be evaluated using

settlement, PWP distribution profiles
provide a way to visualize how PWP and
effective stress are changing with time
time..
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