Design Method and Verification of Electroosmosis-Vacuum Preloading Method for Sand-Interlayered Soft Foundation

Abstract

The design method of electroosmosis-vacuum preloading for soft foundation treatment is not systematic and complete, thereby restricting the application of the technology in engineering. A design method for the electroosmosis-vacuum preloading treatment of sand-interlayered soft foundation is therefore presented. A compressible electrical prefabricated vertical drain is developed, and a vacuum sealing and draining system is designed for the application of the electroosmosis-vacuum preloading in sand-interlayered soft foundation. Calculation formulas of site resistance considering the interlayer and interface resistivity of the electrode are established to design the power supply and electrical circuit. A simple numerical simulation method is proposed to predict the ground settlement treated by electroosmosis-vacuum preloading. A field test of electroosmosis-vacuum preloading is designed using the suggested method, and comparison tests between the electroosmosis-vacuum preloading and the vacuum preloading are performed to verify the proposed technique. The test results show that the proposed design method is reasonable for the design of electroosmosis-vacuum preloading in engineering.