This Ph.D. thesis addresses issues relevant to the
improvement of the strength properties of soft soils
and the dewatering and consolidation of sediments
and mine tailings. Electrokinetic treatment and
vacuum preloading are the techniques investigated in
the thesis. Despite the invention of electrokinetic
treatment of soil in the late 1930s, the technique
has not been commonly used due in part to lack of
a proper understanding of the factors influencing
the process. The vacuum preloading consolidation has
been applied in land reclamation and other projects
since 1957. However, the design of vacuum preloading
systems is primarily empirical. Numerical modelling
and experimental studies are needed to predict the
outcome of the treatment and optimize the technique.
The thesis contains two major studies in the
principles of soil improvement, i.e. electrokinetics
related and vacuum consolidation related. In the
electrokinetics studies, the thesis covers eight
major parameters that may influence the process. In
the vacuum consolidation, the thesis focused on
developing an analytical model, and designing a
testing apparatus to verify the model.
improvement of the strength properties of soft soils
and the dewatering and consolidation of sediments
and mine tailings. Electrokinetic treatment and
vacuum preloading are the techniques investigated in
the thesis. Despite the invention of electrokinetic
treatment of soil in the late 1930s, the technique
has not been commonly used due in part to lack of
a proper understanding of the factors influencing
the process. The vacuum preloading consolidation has
been applied in land reclamation and other projects
since 1957. However, the design of vacuum preloading
systems is primarily empirical. Numerical modelling
and experimental studies are needed to predict the
outcome of the treatment and optimize the technique.
The thesis contains two major studies in the
principles of soil improvement, i.e. electrokinetics
related and vacuum consolidation related. In the
electrokinetics studies, the thesis covers eight
major parameters that may influence the process. In
the vacuum consolidation, the thesis focused on
developing an analytical model, and designing a
testing apparatus to verify the model.