Soft Ground Improvement by Vertical Drains

As a result of rapid increase in population and associated development activities taking place in the world, particularly in Southeast Asian countries during the last few decades, most soft clay land has been utilized for construction. The land required for industrial, commercial and residential purposes is found mainly in low-lying areas, where construction activities are now concentrated. Low-lying marshy land comprises highly compressible weak organic and peaty soils of varying thickness. These soft clay deposits have low bearing capacities as well as excessive settlement characteristics. When such low-lying areas are selected for development work, it is essential to raise the ground with fill in order to keep the surface area above the ground water table or flood level. If a fill is placed without proper compaction, a differential settlement may develop due to the heterogeneity of the fill and the compressibility of underlying weak sub-soils.