CHAPTER : PRELOADING + SAND DRAIN

MATA KULIAH S1 : PERBAIKAN TANAH

ASSOC. PROF Ts DR ADNAN BIN ZAINORABIDIN
FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

1
 Precompression
• Simply place a surcharge fill on top of the soil that requires consolidation
• Once sufficient consolidation has taken place, the fill can be removed and
construction takes place
• Surcharge fills are typically 10-25 feet thick and generally produces
settlement of 1 to 3 feet.
• Most effective in clay soil
 Advantages of precompression
• Requires only conventional earthmoving equipment
• Any grading contractor can perform the work
• Long track record of success
 Disadvantages of precompression
• Surcharge fill must extend horizontally at least 10 m beyond
the perimeter of the planned construction, which may not be
possible at confined sites
• Transport of large quantities of soil required
• Surcharge must remain in place for months or years, thus
delaying construction
5
6
 EXAMPLE 1
• During the construction of a highway bridge, the average permanent load
on the clay layer is expected to increase by 115 kN/m2 . The average
effective overburden pressure at the middle of the clay is 210 kN/m2 . The
clay is normally consolidated. Determine the surcharge, ∆σ’(f) needed to
eliminate the entire primary consolidation settlement in 9 months by
precompression. Use Hc = 6 m, Cc = 0.28, e0 = 0.9, and Cv = 0.36 m2/mo.
 SOLUTION

• Cv = 0.36 m2/mo
• H = 3 m (two – way drainage)
• t2 = 9 months

• Tv = (0.36)(9)/32
= 0.36
According to Figure
14.19, for Tv = 0.36, the
value of U is 47%
• Given;
– ∆σ’(p) = 115 kN/m2
– σ’0 = 210 kN/m2

– ∆σ’(p) / σ’0
= 115 / 210
= 0.548
According to Figure 14.17, for U = 47% and ∆σ’(p) / σ’0 = 0.548
∆σ’(f) / ∆σ’(p) ≈ 1.8, thus

∆σ’(f) = (1.8)(115) = 207 kN/m2

 Vertical Drains
• Vertical drains are installed under a surcharge load to
accelerate the drainage of impervious soils and thus speed up
consolidation
• These drains provide a shorter path for the water to flow
through to get away from the soil
• Time to drain clay layers can be reduced from years to a couple
of months
 Sand drains
• Sand drains is another method to accelerate the
consolidation settlement of soft and normally consolidated
clay layers.
• Constructed by drilling holes and then backfilled with sand.

• Example of methods:
i. Rotary drilling and then backfilling
ii. Drilling by continuous-flight auger with a hollow stem and
backfilling
iii. Driving hollow steel piles, soil jetted out and backfilling.
• After backfilling the drill holes with sand, a surcharge is applied
at the ground surface.

• The surcharge will increase the pore water pressure in the clay.

• The excess pore water pressure in the clay will be dissipated by

drainage both vertically and radially to the sand drains, thereby
accelerating settlement of the clay layer.

15
The figure below shows a schematic of a sand drain.

17
Preloading with vertical drains
19
 To determine the surcharge that needs to be applied at the ground surface and the
length of time that it has to be maintained, see the figure below and use the equation

   '
( p)
log 1  
  
'
o
U v ,r 
  (' p )   (' f ) 
log 1  '  1  ' 
   
 o  ( p )  

20
During the installation of sand drains, a certain zone of clay surrounding
them is smeared, thereby changing the hydraulic conductivity of the clay.

rs is the radial distance from the center of the sand drain to the farthest
point of the smeared zone.

When the entire surcharge is applied instantaneously,

æ -8Tr ö
Ur = 1- exp ç ÷
è m ø

21
Where

n2 n 3 S
2
kh  n2  S 2 
m 2 ln     2    ln S
n S 2
 S  4 4n k s  n 
2
de
n
2rw
= hydraulic conductivity of clay in the horizontal direction in the
rs
unsmeared zone
S
rw
= horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the smeared zone
C vrt 2
= nondimensional time factor for radial drainage only = de2
kh
 e 
 
= coefficient of consolidation for radial drainage =
  '
(1  e )
av 

22
 EXAMPLE 2
• From previous example, recalculate with addition of some sand
drains. Assume rw = 0.1 m, de = 3 m, Cv = Cvr , and the surcharge is applied
instantaneously. Assume no – smear case.
 SOLUTION
• Previously,
Tv = 0.36

4𝑇𝑉 (4)(0.36)
𝑈𝑉 𝑥 100 = 𝑥 100 = 𝟔𝟕. 𝟕%
𝜋 𝜋
 𝑑𝑒 3
𝑛= = = 15
2𝑟𝑤 2 𝑥 0.1

𝐶𝑣𝑟 𝑡2 (0.36)(9)
𝑇𝑟 = 2 = 2
= 0.36
𝑑𝑒 (3)

– Table 14.5 : Ur = 77%

𝑈𝑣,𝑟 = 1 − 1 − 𝑈𝑣 1 − 𝑈𝑟
= 1 − (1 − 0.67)(1 − 0.77)
= 0.924
= 92.4%
– According to Figure 14.17, for ∆σ’(p) / σ’0 = 0.548
and Uvr = 92.4%

– ∆σ’(f) / ∆σ’(p) ≈ 0.12, thus

– ∆σ’(f) = (0.12)(115) = 13.8 kN/m2

 EXAMPLE 2
Suppose that, for the sand drain project, the clay is normally consolidated. Given the following
data:
Clay:
Hc = 4.57 m (two-way drainage)
Cc = 0.31
eo = 1.1

Effective overburden pressure at the middle of the clay layer

= 47.92 kN/m2
Cv = 106.15 x 10-4 m2/day

Sand drain: rw = 0.091 m

de = 1.83 m
Cv = Cvr
• A surcharge is applied as shown in figure below. Assume this to be a no-smear case. Calculate

the degree of consolidation 30 days after the surcharge is first applied. Also, determine

the consolidation settlement at that time due to the surcharge.

 SOLUTION

𝐶𝑣 𝑡𝐶 (106.15 𝑥 10−4 𝑚2 /𝑑𝑎𝑦)(60)

𝑇𝐶 = =
𝐻 2
4.57 2
2
= 0.122

𝐶𝑣 𝑡2 (106.15 𝑥 10−4 )(30)

𝑇𝑉 = 2
= 2 = 0.061
𝐻 4.57
2
SOLUTION (CONT.)

From figure, UV ≈ 9%
 𝑑𝑒 1.83
𝑛= = = 10
2𝑟𝑤 (2) (0.091)

𝐶𝑣𝑟 𝑡𝐶 (106.15 𝑥 10−4 )(60)

𝑇𝑟𝑐 = 2 = 2
= 0.19
𝑑𝑒 (1.83)

𝐶𝑣𝑟 𝑡2 (106.15 𝑥 10−4 )(30)

𝑇𝑟 = 2 = 2
= 0.095
𝑑𝑒 (1.83)
For the no-smear case,

𝑛2 3𝑛2 − 1 102 3 10 2 − 1
𝑚= 2 ln 𝑛 − = ln 10 − = 1.578
𝑛 −1 4𝑛2 102 − 1 4 𝑛 2

2 2
𝐴= = = 1.267
𝑚 1.578
1
𝑇𝑟 − 𝐴 [ 1 − exp(−𝐴𝑇𝑟 )]
𝑈𝑟 =
𝑇𝑟𝑐

1
0.095 − 1.267 [ 1 − exp(−1.267 𝑥 0.095)]
𝑈𝑟 = = 0.03 = 3%
0.19
𝑈𝑣,𝑟 = 1 − 1 − 𝑈𝑣 1 − 𝑈𝑟 = 1 − 1 − 0.03 1 − 0.09 = 0.117 = 𝟏𝟏. 𝟕%

The total primary settlement is thus

𝐶𝐶 𝐻𝐶 𝜎′0 + ∆𝜎′ 𝑝 + ∆𝜎′𝑓

𝑆𝑐(𝑝) = log
1 + 𝑒0 𝜎′0

(0.31)(4.57) 47.92 + 95.84

= log = 0.322 m
1 + 1.1 47.92

And the settlement after 30 days is

𝑆𝑐(𝑝) 𝑈𝑣,𝑟 = 0.322 0.117 𝑥 1000 = 𝟑𝟕. 𝟔𝟕 𝐦𝐦

TERIMA KASIH
adnanz@uthm.edu.my ;
adnz7574@gmail.com

38