Hyperbolic Method for Prediction of Ultimate Primary Settlement of Cla...

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Hyperbolic Method for Prediction of Ultimate Primary Settlement of

Clays treated with Vertical Drains
For rapid improvement of slow-draining clayey soils, it is common practice to install
closely-spaced vertical drains, and apply a surcharged load to accelerate the
consolidation of the clays by both vertical and horizontal drainage provided by the
drains. In recent years, the availability of band-shaped prefabricated drains have
led to a much greater application of vertical drains, as seen in the ongoing Changi
Airport and the Pasir Panjang Port reclamations.
In soil treatment using vertical drains and surcharge, the average degree of
consolidation is defined as the present settlement to the ultimate primary
settlement. Thus, an estimate of the ultimate primary settlement is required to
determine the state of consolidation of the present, and the appropriate time for
surcharge removal when the required degree of consolidation has been achieved. This
is usually done by calculating the primary consolidation settlement based on the soil
layer thicknesses, compressibility properties and applied load from surcharging.
However, soil properties are highly variable so that, even with the best soil
investigation program, settlement predictions based on soil properties alone can be
varied and off the mark compared to the actual settlement in the field.

Figure 1. Comparison of Theory with Field Hyperbolic Plots

As a result of research study , a hyperbolic fitting method is proposed in making
accurate estimates of ultimate primary settlement from the early stages of field
settlement measurements. The basis of the method is shown in Figure 1. When
settlement data is plotted in the form of t/d vs t (time/settlement vs time), the
feature of the plot is a convex section, followed by a linear section between the 60%
and 90% consolidation state. This feature can be exploited to identify the 60% and
90% points in any settlement data by noting that the radial lines from the origin of
the plot to the 60% and 90% consolidation points has a unique relationship to the
slope of the linear section of the plot. The slopes of these radial lines may be
determined by the equations : with the terms defined in Figure 1. To use the method,
the values of ai and Si must first be determined so that S60 and S90 can be
calculated and the radial lines drawn to intersect the hyperbolic plot at the 60% and
90% consolidation state. The value of Si can be measured from the t/d vs t plot. The

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value of ai has to be determined from theory. Knowing these points on the field
hyperbolic plot allow estimates of d60 and d90 (60% and 90% settlement) values to be
made.

Figure 2. Relationship between ai and drain parameters (n, H/D and ch/cv)
The research study has shown that ai for vertical drains is a function of the drain
parameters only, viz. the n(=D/d), H/D and ch/cv ratios. The parameter n is the drain
spacing ratio, H/D is the flow path ratio and ch/cv is the permeability ratio. These
drain parameters are usually known a priori, or they can be fairly well estimated in
a drain project. By applying the drain parameters relevant to the vertical drain
system under consideration, the value of ai may be obtained from the plot shown in
Figure 2. For the case without vertical drains, the value of ai is 0.824, and with
vertical drains, the values are all less than 0.824. It can be shown that the
estimate for the ultimate primary settlement is given by :
dult pri = ai/Si = d60/0.6 = d90/0.9 .
Thus, the hyperbolic fitting method provides three estimates of ultimate primary
settlement, and these must be in agreement to be correct. Good agreement obtained in
widely-ranging case histories have confirmed the validity of the method and its
usefulness for monitoring vertical drain applications.
Contact Person:

Dr SA Tan
(Tel: 7722278, Fax: 7791635,
Email: cvetansa@nus.sg)

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