Recommended Method for Ground Improvement:

1. Preloading

Constructing a shallow foundation for the proposed two storey restaurant is a great

challenge because bearing capacity failure and excessive settlement could occur due to the low

shear strength and high compressibility of the 17 meter saturated soft clay. Soil stabilization is

necessary to address these problems. The saturated soft clay needs to be consolidated before the

start of construction to increase its shear strength and reduce the settlement during and after the

construction phase. Our group believed that preloading combined with vertical drain is the most

effective method of soil improvement for this project site. Preloading method is suitable for soils

having high moisture contents, high compressibility and low shearing strength such as soft to

medium soft saturated clays and silts, organic clays, and peats. Furthermore, it requires only

conventional earth moving vehicles, and has a long track record of success. The principles and

mechanism of Preloading is discussed in detail below.

Soil Stabilization by Preloading

Preloading is surcharging the ground with a uniformly distributed surface load prior to the

construction of the structure. It is a technique that can successfully be used to densify soft to very

soft soils. Preloading compresses the soil. The additional stress to the soil increases its early

settlement, which in turn reduces the settlement when actual construction takes place at site. This

ultimately reduces the risk of collapse/defect/damage in structure, resulting from differential

settlement.
 Before starting the proposed construction, the weak soils are improved by applying

preloading technique. The magnitude of the pre-load pressure usually rages from 1.2 to 1.3 times

of the actual structural pressure or is slightly greater than the maximum pressure that is generated

by the proposed structural load. Earth fills, water lowering, vacuum under impervious membrane

are some of the techniques used for applying pre-load. Once the settlement under the preload is

completed, the preload is removed and the construction of the structure is started.

The preloading method is usually combined with vertical drain such as a sand drain. The

use of prefabricated vertical drain in a soft soil layer can shorten the treatment time of ground by

increasing the rate of consolidation. The installation of vertical drain shortens the drainage path by

allowing the water to flow horizontally towards the drain, and drain out to the soil surface through

the vertical drain.

A sand drain is basically a hole drilled in a cohesive soil and filled with sand. Since the

sand has larger particle size, its permeability is much higher, thus water will flow through it much

more easily.

The arrangement of sand drains is explained below:

a. It consists of a series of vertical sand drains or piles. Normally medium to coarse sand is used.

b. The diameters of the drains are generally less than 30 cm and the drains are placed in a square

grid pattern at distance of 2 to 3 meters apart. Economy requires a careful study of the effect of

spacing the sand drains on the rate of consolidation.

c. Depth of the vertical drains should extend up to the thickness of the compressible stratum.
d. A horizontal blanket of free draining sand should be placed on the top of the stratum and the

thickness of this may be up to a meter.

e. Soil surcharge in the form of embankment is constructed on top of the sand blanket in stages.

The application of surcharge squeezes out water in radial directions to the nearest sand drains and

also in the vertical direction to the sand blanket.

Installation of Vertical Sand Drains

a. A casing pipe of the required diameter with the bottom closed with a loose fit-cone is driven up

to the required depth.

b. The cone is slightly separated from the casing by driving a mandrel into the casing.

c. The sand of the required gradation is poured into the pipe for a short depth and at the same time

the pipe is pulled up in steps. As the pipe is pulled up, the sand is forced out of the pipe by applying

pressure on to the surface of the sand. d. The procedure is repeated until the holes are completely

filled with sand.