Consolidation behavior of soft deposits considering the variation of prefabricated vertical drain discharge capacity

This paper is primarily focused on why and how to consider the varied discharge capacity during simulations of consolidation via prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) for soft soil deposits. First, the existing studies regarding discharge capacity are summarized and discussed. These studies conclude that the discharge capacity of PVDs at sites vary with the confining pressure and consolidation time. Next, a series of analytical solutions that consider the variation of discharge capacity with ground depth, consolidation time or both simultaneously are presented and compared. Applications of these solutions and of the newly introduced parameters are described. Then, a well-documented case history on ground treatment with PVDs is analyzed, in which the parameters related to the time-dependent discharge capacity were obtained from laboratory tests. A comparison between a classical solution and the newly presented method indicates that consideration of the varied discharge capacity in the consolidation theory can better predict the consolidation process of PVD-improved ground.