GROUND DEFORMATION INDUCED BY COMBINATION OF VACUUM PRESSURE AND SURCHARGE LOAD

Laboratory large-scale model (length: 1.50m, width: ~0.62m, height: 0.85m) tests and finite element analyses (FEA) were conducted to investigate the deformation characteristics of soft clayey ground under the combination of vacuum pressure and surcharge load. Both the model test and FEA results indicate that the combination of vacuum pressure with surcharge load can reduce the lateral displacement of the model ground. The outward lateral displacement increases with the increase of the loading rate (LR) of surcharge load and the ratio of surcharge load to vacuum pressure (RL). The results also indicate that by adjusting LR and RL, the lateral displacement of the ground can be minimized.