Non-graphical Matching Method for Time-Settlement Analysis in Preloading Projects

Preloading, coupled with vertical drains, is one of the popular ground improvement techniques for the stabilization of soft clay deposits due to its efficiency and environmental credentials. Accurate prediction of the magnitude of final settlement and settlement duration is vital for planning preloading projects. Commonly, Asaoka’s method and Rectangular hyperbola method are used for the prediction of ultimate settlement from the field data recorded during the preloading period. In this paper, a non-graphical matching method is proposed for the prediction of ultimate settlement (Sf) and determination of the radial coefficient of consolidation (ch). The proposed method is validated by analyzing five field data reported in the literature.