Quality management of prefabricated vertical drain materials in mega land reclamation projects: A case study

The quality management of Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) material installation in ground improvement works in land reclamation projects is a critical task for designers, contractors and clients alike. Only if a good quality management system is established, can the expected performance of the PVD improvement works in the field be ensured. A case study of quality management of PVD materials in the mega Changi East land reclamation Project in the Republic of Singapore is presented in this technical report. The quality management of PVD works consisted of several processes, starting from selection of the type of PVD, properties of the PVD materials and ultimate performance verification in the field. This paper describes selection of PVDs against the comprehensive specification adopted in this project. The paper also describes the selection of the PVD installation rig and accessories based on the in-situ ground conditions. Test results from quality control test laboratories such as tension, permeability and discharge capacity are also presented and discussed. This paper seeks to set a benchmark for material quality management of PVD works in large-scale PVD ground improvement projects.