Along Australia's coast, the abundance of soft clay often hampers the design and construction of transport infrastructure including embankments. The use of vacuum pressure and prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) ensures rapid drainage and consolidation of the clay, thus increasing its shear strength and bearing capacity while reducing long term deformation. The main aim of this project is to achieve technological advancement in sustainable and cost-effective PVD-vacuum systems by minimising the time to achieve the desired degree of consolidation, thereby controlling post-construction settlement and lateral movement. Extensive laboratory and field studies supported by numerical modelling will result in new industry guides and standards.
Along Australia's coast, the abundance of soft clay often hampers the design and construction of transport infrastructure including embankments. The use of vacuum pressure and prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) ensures rapid drainage and consolidation of the clay, thus increasing its shear strength and bearing capacity while reducing long term deformation. The main aim of this project is to achieve technological advancement in sustainable and cost-effective PVD-vacuum systems by minimising the time to achieve the desired degree of consolidation, thereby controlling post-construction settlement and lateral movement. Extensive laboratory and field studies supported by numerical modelling will result in new industry guides and standards.
