Experimental evaluation demonstrates improved discharge capacity under bending in composite vertical drains, suggesting enhanced consolidation in compressible soft soils.
Key Points
To develop and evaluate a novel composite vertical drain that prevents loss of discharge capacity caused by bending and kinking during large soil settlements.
Fabricated composite vertical drains (CVDs) by encasing geofoam (CVDG) or Styrofoam (CVDs) cores within multiple layers of polypropylene mesh.
Conducted laboratory tests to measure discharge capacity, tensile strength, and water absorption, followed by bending-flow tests under deformed conditions.
Identified equivalent composite designs (CVDG with seven mesh layers and CVDs with six mesh layers) that matched conventional drain discharge capacity and satisfied the tensile strength threshold (>1 kN).
Under a 60° single bend, conventional prefabricated vertical drains experienced up to a 22% reduction in discharge capacity, whereas CVDG and CVDs lost only 3% and 9.9%, respectively.