Engineering application of vacuum preloading combined with electroosmosis technique in excavation of soft soil on complex terrain

Abstract

This paper presents the design and construction of vacuum preloading incorporated with electroosmosis (VPE) engineering application for the treatment of soft soil on complex terrain for sluice foundation excavation in order to reduce the amount of cement used in construction. Monitoring was conducted during the VPE treatment and laboratory geotechnical tests were carried out once the treatment came to an end. Results show that the electrification mode has a significant influence on electric energy consumption. Stepped-up voltage helped in saving electric energy while electrode conversion consumed a lot of electric energy. The dispersion of soil parameters became larger after VPE treatment. The stability of physical parameters is better than the mechanical parameters, and the latter is better than the deformation parameters. Soil water content has a linear relationship with density and compression coefficient. The given linear fitting equations can help in simplifying the calculation and acquisition of these indexes. Although the mean values of the soil index parameters slightly improved, their coefficient of variation (COV) significantly increased. These locations with improved index parameters scattering in the construction site ensured that the subsequent construction tasks such as pit slope and excavation were successfully realized in this area.