Soft soils, characterized by low shear strength, high compressibility, and high-water content, present significant challenges in construction, often leading to excessive settlement and potential structural failure. Settlement is defined as the deformation of soil due to applied stresses. The primary mechanisms driving soft soil settlement include primary consolidation, where pore water pressure dissipates under sustained loading, and secondary compression. The rate of consolidation is influenced by factors like natural variability of the ground and soil permeabilities. Since soft soils are often unavoidable in construction, steps must be taken to enhance their strength to allow for safe and stable development. This paper explores three widely used ground improvement methods: preloading with Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs), geosynthetics, and deep soil mixing (DSM). The usage, limitations, and feasibility of each method are discussed in detail to provide insights into effective mitigation strategies for soft ground construction.
Ni et al. (Mon,) studied this question.