The effect of PVDs length on the lateral displacement of embankments

One of the most challenging parts of every project including prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) with surcharge preloading for ground improvement in construction period is lateral displacements that occur in toe of embankment. In this paper Finite element Geostudio 2018 was used for modeling and verification of the full-scale test embankment which were constructed to study the effectiveness of PVDs combined with surcharge preloading at Bangkok airport. The surcharge preloading was modeled by staged construction using a coupled analysis which gives best results for primary consolidation cases. Different depths were modeled and the results were compared and analyzed. It was shown that by increasing the installation depth of PVDs the lateral displacement increased underneath but lateral displacement at ground surface remain approximately constant. In the case of decreasing PVDs length the lateral displacement remains constant for ground surface and decrease slightly with respect to verified model. Although it should be mentioned that like any geotechnical big scale project because of distinct soil characteristic of clay soils and layers properties of any project, complete investigation and modeling is essential prior to finalizing the ultimate design by competence geotechnical consultants.