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THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
& MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
VIETNAM EXPRESSWAY CORPORATION
GMS BEN LUC - LONG THANH EXPRESSWAY
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT
ADB Loan 2460-VIE
PROJECT DESIGN CONSULTING SERVICES
PACKAGE A2-1
SOFT GROUND TREATMENT
GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN REPORT
(The Document Was Revised Following The Decision No. 147/QD-VEC Of VEC, Date 13/04/2013)
April - 2013
Joint Venture of
Vcr KATAHIRA & ENGINEERS INTERNATIONAL (KE!)
= NIPPON ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS CO., LTD (NE) THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
VIETNAM EXPRESSWAY CORPORATION
GMS BEN LUC —- LONG THANH EXPRESSWAY
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT
ADB Loan 2460-VIE
PROJECT DESIGN CONSULTING SERVICES
PACKAGE A2-1
SOFT GROUND TREATMENT
GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN REPORT
Prepared by: Trinh Hong Tau
4
Was
Checked by: Nguyen Dinh Thu
Team leader : Masahisa KOMIYA
April - 2013 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
Project Design Consulting Services
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1...
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background..
1.2. Scope of Work
13. Design Report
CHAPTER 2
DESIGN METHODOLOGY..
2.1. Introduction.
2.2, Design Constraints and Design Criteria.
2.3. Design Criteria for Soft Ground umprovementt...
2.3.1 Design Standard
2.3.2 Residual Settlement and Degree of Consolidation
2.3.3 Safety Factor of Stability against Sliding
2.3.4 Traffic Load
2.3.5. Soil properties to be used for calculation.
2.3.6 Requirements for Calculation
2.3.7 Sand Mat
2.4. Topographical Survey and Geotechnical Survey
2.5. Subsoil Conditions.
2.6. Ground umprovementt Methods
2.6.1. Vertical Drain with Preloadin;
2.6.2. Deep Mixing Method...
2.6.3. Piled Foundation System
2.6.4. Soil Replacement with Preloading,
2.7. Suitability and Selection of Ground umprovementt Methods...
2.8. Summary.
CHAPTER
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS...
3.1 Introduction ..
3.2 Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) Method..
Package 4-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report
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3.2.1 Method of Estimating Settlement
3.2.2 Rate of Settlement in PVD System 25
3.2.3. Method of seleting soil’ properties for design..
© Unit weight.
© Anitial shear strength
3.2.4 Results of Analysis.
3.2.5 Criteria for Completion of Preloading Perio
3.2.6 Monitoring Instruments.
3.2.7 Summary
3.3. Prefabricated Horizontal Drain (PHD)or Super Boad Drain (SBD) Design
Calculatior 35
35
3.3.1 PHD Structure,
3.3.2 Super Board Drain Design Calculation.
3.3.3 Construction sequence .
3.4 Field Observation in Construction Stage.
CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY.
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Outline of the Whole Project.
Figure 2: Traffic load calculation diagram
Figure 3: Traffic load value and distribution by 22TCN262-2000.
Figure 4: Ground umprovementt Design Flowchart
Figure 5: Types of PVD preloading System
Figure 6: Typical Arrangement of Soil Cement Columns
Figure 7: Typical Pile Foundation or Bearing Unit System
Figure 8: Typical Soil Replacement Metho.
Figure 9: Design Flowchart of Soil Improvement (DMM)
Figure 10: summary unit weight in depth of layer 1a-1
Figure 11: Summary data from VST, UU and qu test Vs depth of layer! a-1
Figure 12: Summary data from (gu) test Vs depth of layer 2a.
Figure 13: Summary data from (qu) and (CU) test Vs depth of layer 2b .
Figure 14: OCR, PC, PO Vs depth of layer 1a-1, 2a and 2b;
Figure 15: Testing curves and typical values for soil layer 1a-1
Figure 16: Testing curves and typical values for soil layer 2a.
Figure 17: Testing curves and typical values for soil layer 2b.
Figure 18: Compression index Vs depth and typical values for soil layers: La-1 2a and. ...31
Figure 19: m value from CU test of layer La-1
Figure 20: Graphical Procedure of Asaoka Method ..
Figure 21: Super Board Drain Shape and Structure ..
Figure 22: Super Board Drain Structure Cross-Section.
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Outline of Soft ground treatment Sections.
Table 2: Cost comparison of PVD vs. SD.
Table 3: Assessment of Available Ground Modification Methods for the Project .
Table 4: General parameters of the finished PHD products
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 5 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
LL. Background
‘The Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway (Figure 1) forms the southern section of the
outer ring of the HCMC Urban Expressway, together with a spur connection towards Long
Thanh. It connects to the HCMC - Trung Luong Expressway in the west, which is under
construction, to the existing NH51, and the Long Thanh — Dau Giay Expressway in the east. The
proposed expressway is 4 lanes in phase 1 and 8 lanes for phase 2, and design speed of 100 kmv/h.
Figure 1: Outline of the Whole Project
The proposed Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway can be divided into three (3) sections
according to the contract. They include ADB section I (km0+-600 to km18+713.50), JICA section
II (km18+713.5 to km32+450) and ADB section III (km32+450 to km$7+700). The route is
further divided into eleven (11) design and construction packages, 01 package ITS.
ADB is providing technical assistance (TA) for the preparation of Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh
Expressway Project (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”), to be financed by a grant from the
Japan Special Fund. The consulting services (hereinafter referred to as the Services) have been
employed for the following project components:
© Detail design of the planned nearly 58 km long Ben Lue ~ Long Thanh
Expressway
© Engineering, economic, financial, social and environmental studies on the
alignment
© Preparation of environmental impact assessment, environmental management
plan, resettlement plan, and ethnic minority development plan for the Project
Table 1 presents briefly information for packages in the project including Station,
Section, Length and Soft soil thickness as well as Embankment height.
Table 1: Outline of Soft ground treatment Sections
Package A-I: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 6 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Lue — Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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Package Section Length cera | ear
| Interchange No.1 0.84 km 1.5-3.0m 1.0-5.0m
Km01+336-Kmo2+174 | osskm | 15-7.0m | 15-60m
Ong Thoan Bridge
Ad Km02+258-Km03+018 | 0.76km | 30-90m | 15-60m
"Km00 + 600- I h No2 ~
i fe :
ia ane eee 3.00km | 3.0-8.0m 15-2.0m
(NHLIA Flyover)
Km03 + 823-Km06+025 | 2.20 km 25-11.0m 1.5-5.0m
Phuoc Ly Bridge
| Km06+631-Km07+900 | 1.27km 3.5-5.0m 15-5.0m
All Km07 + 900 — Km07 + 995, 0.10 km 3.5-5.0m 4.0-55m
"Km07 +900- in
nea Hai Son Flyover
Km09 + 372 —Km11 +200 1,828 km 3.5-4.5m LS-5.0m
Kml1 + 200—Kml2 + 081 0.881 km 35-45 m 15-5.0m
Service Area No.1 2.28 km 35-45 15-20m
A2-2 Ong Thin Bridge
"Km11 +200- T
Kint6+ 600" | Kml3+147—Km15 +573 ] 2.43 km 5.0-20.70 m 1.5-5.5m
Interchange No.3 | 2.54 km l 5.0-5.5m 1.5-6.5m
Ong Nam Bridge
Km15 +615 —Km16 + 600 0.99 km 11.0-20.70 m 1.5-5.0m
A3 | Km16 + 600 —Km16 + 703 0.10 km 19.0-20.0m 5.0-6.0m
"Km16 + 600 -
Kmi8 +173.5" Ba Lao Bridge
‘Viaduct No.1
Ad ‘Nguyen Van Tao Overpass
"Km18 + 713.5 — ~~ a —
-Km21 +
739.5" Interchange No.4 2.46 km 28.0-30.0m 15-4.5m
JA4,52,53 Binh Khanh Main & Approach Bridge
Beene Cha River Bridge, Viaduct No.2
~ Km32 +450" | Phuoe Khanh Main & Approach Bridge
T
Km32 +218 -Km32+450 | 0.232 km 8.0-9.0m
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; Softsoil | Embankment
Package Section ‘Length thickness height
Km32 + 450 —Km34 + 179 1.73 km 4.5-8.5m 15-5.0m
AS Ong Keo Bridge
"Km32 + 450-
Km35 +900" Km35 + 251 —Km35 + 647 0.40 km: 3.5-4,5m 4.0-5.0m
Bau Sen Bridge
Km35 + 688 —Km35 + 900 0.21 km 4.0-4.5m 3.5-5.5m
Km35 + 900 —Km37 + 000 1.10 km 10-4.0m 15-3.5m
Service Area No.2 0.54 km. 3.5-4.0m 2.0-3.0m
a6
"Km35 +900- Km39 + 000 -Km39 +600 0.60 km. 1.0-2.0m 1.0-2.0m
Kems2-+400" | mgs +500—Kma5 +900 | 0.40 km 10-50m | 20-30m
‘Normal Foundation (Vung Gam Bridge, Phuoc An Flyover)
Km52 + 150 -Km52 + 400 0.25 m 1.0-8.0m 15-6.5m
A-7 Km52 + 400 -Km52 + 417 0.02km 8.0-8.5m 3.0-5.0m
"KmS2 + 400-
Km57 +700" Thi Vai Main & Approach Bridge
Normal Foundation (Rach Ngoai Bridge, Interchange No.7, No.8)
Total Length of Soft Ground Treatment about | 27.80 km = =
‘The Package A-2 divided into 2 packages: A-2-1 from km7+900 to km11+200 and A-2-2
from km11+200 to km16+600;
For Package A-2-1 with embankment height (He: defined as the height between the
existing and the design profile grades) of 2.20 m to 5.70 m, there will be a need to treat the soft
clay for improving the overall stability during construction and for reducing post-construction
settlement of the expressway. It should be noted that the actual fill thickness used in the ground
‘umprovementt by means of the vertical drain consolidation system will be greater since it has to
account for the settlement during preloading and additional surcharge for reducing the
consolidation or construction time.
Due to some changes in the detail design, such as design profile grade, deeper soft soil
deposits, restriction on the right-of-way (ROW) etc., alternative ground umprovementt methods
were proposed to best suit the conditions encountered, The Package A-2-1 would have to be
constructed by Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) with or without surcharge, the deep mixing
method (DMM) and RC pile slab. In summary, the ground umprovementt methods proposed in
the detail design differ significantly from the methods proposed in the feasibility study because
of these reasons,
This report summarizes the design methodology and the proposed ground umprovementt
methods for Package A-2-1 from Station km 7+900 to km 11+200 only. Calculations of the
ground umprovementt design are provided in Appendices.
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The PVD method has the following merit
* To increase the degree of consolidation
© Toreduce the cost
* To carry out construction works easily
However, Deep Mixing Method is also adopted for foundation of culverts or
Embankment nearby bridge, On the other hand, the RC pile slab is adopted in the adjacent area
to the abutment of bridge if needed,
1.2. Scope of Work
The scope of the geotechnical design for ground umprovementt work consists of the
followings:
"Evaluate the subsoil conditions. From the new soil investigation results performed in
the Detail Design, the subsoil conditions in the relevant sections are evaluated with
focus on the thickness and the properties of the soft compressible soils close to the
ground surface. Based on the subsoil conditions in terms of soft soil properties and
their thickness, the subsoils along the route have been divided into four (4) major
geotechnical units,
= Evaluate and recommend suitable ground umprovementt methods for each section.
From the design criteria and other design constraints, the most appropriate methods of
ground umprovementt have been proposed. Embankment sections have been selected
based on the subsoil conditions, the design profile grades and the design criteria ete.
= Perform engineering analysis. For each section with selected methods, the
settlements during construction and operation are estimated, which are required to
meet the design criteria. Due to the soft nature condition of the upper soft soils along
with loads from the embankment fill, the embankment stabilities under various
configurations at the critical sections are checked with minimum factor of safety of
1.2 under the short term conditions (during construction). The stabilities of roadway
after completion are also estimated and verified.
" Highlight foreseeable construction issues. Some important construction issues are
also addressed in the report to increase the awareness of avoidable problems.
13. Design Report
This Ground umprovementt Design Report has been prepared along with the design
drawings and the technical specifications to meet the following design requirements:
+ Evaluation of the results of the soil investigation.
© Define the design criteria and soil parameters for ground umprovement.
* Determination of the soil parameters for the ground umprovementt,
‘© Establishment of appropriate methods for measuring the effectiveness of ground
‘umprovement.
This report describes the design approach and engineering analysis of the proposed
ground umprovement. Selection of ground umprovement method is made with consideration of
the present conditions as well as the construction cost.
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CHAPTER 2
DESIGN METHODOLOGY
21. Introduction
‘The main geotechnical issues in the design and construction of the roadway in lowland
areas are usually related to the settlement of the subsoils and the gross stability of the earth
structure. Since the roadway will be built on the embankment over the original subsoils, the
loading on the subsoils would induce settlement and/or cause instability on the earth structure. It
is therefore essential to design the structure in satisfying the design criteria with consideration of
other critical constraints,
From the previous soil investigation works in phase of detail design, the subsoil
conditions and the problematic soils have been identified. Soft clay deposit with thickness of
2.6m to 4.0 m has been encountered in the area of Package A-2-1. With the embankment placed
over the soft clay deposit, there is a need to improve the soft ground by appropriate ground
umprovementt method for increasing the stability during construction and for minimizing the
settlement during operation, The merits and limitations of various ground umprovementt methods
are presented and discussed in this chapter.
Soft soil solutions of whole Project Detailed Design Consultant has been submitted VEC
on 12/2012. But Total Project Cost is very high, MOT and VEC to guide Detailed Design
Consultants has found solutions to decrease Total Project Cost, including soft soil treatment
alternative. Based on Re-detailted design, PVD method is major solutions for soft soil treatment
of the Project. This method is proposal in FS and has been approved by MOT in decision No
2925/QD-BGTVT, dated 8/10/2010. PVD solution is best method for decreasing cost estimate,
but the waiting time for consolidation is longer comparision with DMM or Pile slab and residual
settlement is bigger. The embankment to bridges no used PVD method becuase the big diffrence
residual settlement between abutment and embankment to cause the traffic and to damage
pavement structure.
2.2. Design Constraints and Design Criteria
The most important and critical issues in the design and construction of the embankment
have been identified and listed as follows:
a) Settlement criteria:
‘According to the Vietnamese Standards (22TCN262-2000), the settlement criteria for
various sections of the embankment shall be as follows:
© Near Abutment: Post Construction Settlement < 10 em
© Culvert zone: Post Construction Settlement < 20 em
© FillEmbankment: — Post Construction Settlement < 30 em
4) Factor of safety:
The adopted factor of safety (FS) against instability during construction is maintained
above 1.2, The long term stability of the roadway will be controlled with FS of no less than 1.4,
©) Right of way:
Package A:
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It is noted that the right of way (ROW) of the expressway in Package A-2-1 from 63 to 75
m. To minimize any impact on adjacent land, do not carry out earthwork, including temporarily
fill, beyond the available right of way. This is the main factor governing the methods of ground
Improvement.
In summary, the above constraints and criteria have been considered in the design
process, which are described in later section.
23. Design Criteria for Soft Ground Improvement
2.3.1 Design Standard
© Code of practice for Highway 22TCN 263-2000 issued by MOT;
© Code of practice for soil investigation, design road embankment on soft soil 22TCN
262-2000 issued by MOT;
© Expressway design requirement TCVNS729-1997
©. Standard for Field Vane Shear Test: 22TCN 355-06 and ASTMD-2573
©. Standards for laboratory test: AASHTO, ASTM and Vietnam;
© Standard for SPT: ASTM-D1586;
2.3.2 Residual Settlement and Degree of Consolidation
Residual settlement (Sr) of the bridge approach sections shall be less than 10em. And
20cm (Sr) of the culvert sections and others section shall be less than 30cm.
Degree of consolidation shall be equal or bigger than 90%, and/or residual settlement
speed shall be less than 2em/year.
2.3.3 Safety Factor of Stability against Sliding
Safety factor during construction (including waiting time for consolidation) shall be not
less than 1,2.
Safety factor after the completion of construction shall be not less than 1.4.
2.3.4 Traffic Load
Traffic load shall be considered in the calculations of both settlement and stability.
Traffic load shall be evaluated in accordance with 22TCN262-2000 that is shown at
equations below:
_nxG
9° BxI
1)
B=nxb+(n-l)xd+e (2.2)
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Figure 2: Traffic load calculation diagram
Figure 3: Traffic load value and distribution by 22TCN262-2000
In which (cf. Figure 2):
n: Number of vehicle (= 4),
Weight of vehicle (=30 ton in case of H30),
B: Width of traffic load (Max. 13.75m as designated, 1 side in phase 1),
J: distance between front wheel and rear wheel (=6.6m, in case of 130),
b= 18 m,e=0.5m,d=1.3m
Calculation result is q=1.57 tm? (B =11.60m), and q shall be distributed in the carriage
way like as shown in Figure 3.
2.3.5 Soil properties to be used for calculation
Soil properties to be used for calculation of the soft soil improvement shall be decided
from the soil investigation results of the DD stage (including the FS stage).
The examination results of soil parameters are shown in Appendices (Soil Data and
Selected Soil Parameters),
2.3.6 Requirements for Calculation
Soil properties to use for calculation of the soft soil improvement shall be decided from
the soil investigation results of the DD stage (including the FS stage).
Time for soft soil treatment shall be decided in the range of 12 months to 18 months by
the calculation.
Package A-I: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 12 ‘Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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2.3.7 Sand Mat
Sand mat shall be placed between the soft soil and the embankment for increasing quickly
the consolidation drainage capacity,
The thickness of the sand mat shall be estimated based on the ground water head caused
by embankment loading, which is calculated from the following equation:
_Pxs
Kxh
Ah (23)
In which:
Ah: Ground water head,
h + Thickness of sand mat,
XK: Permeability of sand mat,
L: Horizontal drain length,
S: Settlement velocity,
In order to ensure the drainage capacity, the thickness of sand mat should be not less than
the above Ah value (minimum 50cm).
Criteria of the sand used for Sand mat shall obey 22TCN262-2000 that is shown at below:
© Medium sand with particle diameter > 0.25mm > 50%;
© Patticle diameter <0.075mm < 5%;
© Organic content < 5%;
© Coefficient of permeability > 10 cm/s
When acquisition of the sand suitable for sand mat is difficult around the project site, to
adopt Prefabricated Horizontal Drain (PHD) will be recommended,
2.4, Topographical Survey and Geotechnical Survey
Detailed topographical and geotechnical (through soil boreholes) surveys along with the
hydrological study have been conducted during the detailed design stage, There is some increase
in the design profile grade or the embankment height due to the rise in the design flood level
from the hydrological study as well as refinement on the overall profile grade,
2.5. Subsoil Conditions
The geological features along the Project route are sediments (cohesive soil and sandy
soil) of Diluvial — Alluvial Epoch in Quaternary Period, the sediments are lying over the
basement rock (Rhyolite, etc.) of the latter Jurassic Period — the early Cretaceous Period in
Mesozoic Era.
Boreholes were drilled beyond the soft soil layer down to depth of 7.0m to 25.0m to
determine the subsoil conditions along with some field vane shear tests. The laboratory tests were
conducted for soil classification purposes as well as for determining the stress history of the soft
soils through consolidation tests. A geotechnical investigation report has been separated,
describing the subsoil conditions in details.
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 13 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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For Ben Luc-Long Thanh Package A-2-1 starting at km 7+900 and ending at km11+200,
the upper soil layer consists of primarily soft clay deposit with thickness varying from 1.6 m to
4.0m.
Based on the test results, the subsoil conditions for soft ground treatment in Packages A-
2-1 can be divided into five (4) basic soil layers, including:
(@) Layer 1:
This layer is fluvial sediments of Alluvial Epoch, which consists of very soft - soft —
medium clay, silt and sandy-clay, and sandwich intermittent sand layers partially, and contains
organic matters sparsely. Layer 1 can be classified into the 2 sub-layers (1a, 1b) according to the
difference of N-value and physical properties. In detail, the N-value is from 0 to 3 and soft soil
thickness varies in a range of 1.60 and 4.0m. Layer I is a weak soil, needs to be treated.
(b) Layer 2:
This layer is fluvial sediments of the latter Diluvial Epoch, which consists of medium —
stiff — very stiff clay, silt and sandy-clay, and sandwich intermittent sand layers partially and
contains gritty laterite sparsely. Layer 2 can be classified into 2 sub-layers (2a, 2b) according to
the difference of N-value and physical properties.
(©) Layer 3:
This layer is fluvial sediments of the middle — latter Diluvial Epoch, which consists of
medium — dense — very dense sand and clayey-sand, and sandwich intermittent clay layers
partially. Layer 3 can be classified into 2 sub-layers (3a, 3b) according to the difference of N-
value and physical properties.
(@) Layer 4:
This layer is fluvial sediments of the early - middle Diluvial Epoch, which consists of stiff
very stiff - hard clay, silt and sandy-clay, and sandwich intermittent clay layers.
The soil properties and consolidation characteristics from the consolidation tests for
Package A-2 is shown in Appendices.
2.6. Ground Improvement Methods
There are several methods of improving the properties of soft soils for reducing the post-
construction settlement or for increasing the stability of the embankment during and after
construction. Without any improvement, the fill embankment may suffer from low stability
during construction and excessive settlement after operation due to consolidation of the
compressible soils. It should be kept in mind that most of the ground Improvement methods ean
be rather costly compared with the conventional earthwork, therefore the use of any ground
Improvement would depend greatly on both technical and financial aspects of the project.
The examination of ground Improvement method is carried out from both technical aspect
and finance side in accordance with following policies:
(a) Ground Improvement method for sections below abutment:
Characteristics of the soft ground along the project route are high fine fraction content
and extremely low hydraulic conductivity. Therefore, it is difficult that the residual settlement
vanish perfectly, even if the soft ground is treated by “Vertical drain with preloading”. When the
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report ‘Page 14 Loan 2460-ViE: GMS Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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residual settlement remains near the abutment of bridges, the downdrag Toad is added fo the pile
foundation of the abutment, and construction costs of the abutment are increased by the
downdrag load, Therefore, the soft ground for sections below abutment should be treated by “RC
pile slab” that can prevent settlement from occurring,
(b) Foundation of Culverts:
Foundation of culverts shall be treated so that degree of consolidation can achieve 90%
by “Vertical drain, Soil replacement or Deep Mixing Method” before carrying out culverts
construction works. Therefore, pile foundation should be not used at culverts,
(©) Length of approach bridge section and culvert section
At approach bridge section and culvert section, the same ground umprovementt method
shall be used to secure the smooth run of motor vehicles. Besides, the length of approach bridge
section and culvert section shall be determined according to "22TCN 262-2000",
Bridge approach section:
The length of “approach bridge section” shall be equal to 3 times of the abutment length.
Culvert section:
The length of “culvert section” is the length which is added to the approach section of the
Starting point side and the terminal side to width of culvert, and the length of approach section
shall be equal to 3 - 5 times of the width of culvert, but it should be more than 15m,
@) Soil replacement of the subgrade portion in the low embankment section
In the low embankment section where soft soil is located in a part of subgrade of the
Pavement, the soft soil shall be replaced with good quality soil with equivalent depth of the
subgrade,
In addition, about the normal foundation section where soft soil is not distributed over,
the topsoil shall be replaced with good quality soil in the low embankment section (ineluding the
cutting section). Because, the topsoil in the normal foundation section is loose clayey-sand, it is
easy to become soft and weak condition when water content goes up, and unsuitable for
subgrade.
Figure 4 presents the ground umprovementt design flowchart adopted for this Package A-
21 based on the technical viability and the construction cost, starting with no ground
modification, followed by prefabricated vertical drain, deep mixing method and pile slab
foundation.
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 15 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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sg eOnsTaRISTH, ROW]
Legend:
‘and construction time 1H, :Embankmentheignt
ROW : Rightotway
FS :Factorofsatety
Design enter: soudonertin
revi Preven i8ettlementin 15 years
T
Select estan parancles |__ -Saitmvesigation
‘Cafeulate stability and
Estimate settlement
Figure 4: Ground umprovementt Design Flowchart
The following sections briefly describe the successful ground umprovementt methods
available in this region.
2.6.1. Vertical Drain with Preloading
The vertical drain system, including sand drain or prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) as
shown in Figures 5, has been widely used for treating the soft compressible soils in Vietnam over
the last decade. The maximum PVD installation depth in Vietnam had reached over 38 m in
some projects. The improvement via this method had proven to be very effective, but it requires a
‘moderate construction (or preloading) period and for stability purpose.
The primary difference between the sand drain and the PVD is the material used as the
drainage media. In sand drain system, a column of good permeability sand has to be installed in
the soft soils in shortening the drainage path during the preloading process. The installation of
sand drain is always time consuming due to the process of preparing the hole and placing the
sand. In addition, significant effort has to be placed in controlling the quality of the sand and the
installation which may vary depending on the sand sources and the contractors. In the South area,
it is relatively difficult to find the sand type which satisfies the technical requirements as in the
standard of design, high price and the particle size distribution is not proper.
During the past few decades, the PVD has replaced the sand drain because of its speed in
installation, better quality control of the drainage media as well as lower improvement cost eto.
In summary, the PVD system is a better alternative than the sand drain system, therefore this
method is considered to be more superior than the sand drain system,
The comparison results of ground umprovementt methods are as follows.
(@ “PVD (Prefabricated Vertical Drain)” vs. “SD (Sand Drain)”
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* The result of the economic comparison is shown at Table 2, and PVD is
cheaper than SD.
Table 2: Cost comparison of PVD vs. SD
PVD (Prefabrisated Vertical Drain) (Sand Drain)
Unit Price | Cost
(usp) ems | Unt | Quaniy | “us) | _ cso)
277 | SD @=T0emy 160 45 1192
items — | Unt | Quantiy
PVD. m_| 954
Total
Ratio
‘Note: Comparison terms are as follows;
1) Construction area is assumed to be 100m?.
2) The installation length is assumed t0 be 10m
3) The placement of "PYD (Prefabricated Vertical Drain)" is assumed to be triangular 1.1m interval
4 The placement of "SD (Sand Drain)Prefabricated" is assumed to be square 2.5m interval.
* Acquisition of the sand suitable for SD is difficult (suitable sand for SD is
very expensive) around the project site.
* PVD is advantageous for securing traffic ability in the soft mud zone such
as this project site, because the weight of the construction equipment of PVD
is lighter than the construction equipment of SD.
Consequently, “PVD (Prefabricated Vertical Drain)” has been adopted as Vertical Drain
that shall be used in this project.
In the PVD preloading method, it is usually more economical to construct the
embankment in a number of loading stages, benefiting from the gain in undrained shear strength
of the improved soils through consolidation during the preloading period. The rate of loading
(that is, filling of the embankment) can also contribute to gain in the shear strength of the
improved soils. Therefore, even in stage of loading, slow continuous loading or a combination of
two can be adopted in the loading process, provided that there is sufficient construction time for
this method of ground modification.
with
Countorwoight.
b
easel TTI
Figure 5: Types of PVD preloading System
The major components in the PVD preloading method can be summarized as follows:
% Geotextile: It is common to place a layer of geotextile just below the sand mat
(Grainage layer) in preventing any contamination to the sand mat. The geotextile can
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sometimes be used as the reinforeing member depending on the design requirements.
In this case, the geotextile may have to be placed above the PVDs to prevent from the
loss of its integrity due to penetration by the PVD mandrel during the PVD
installation.
* PVD: The PVDs are the primary components in shortening the drainage paths of the
soils in the preloading process. To reduce the future settlement caused by the
consolidation of soils, the PVDs are normally installed down to the bottom (close to
bottom) of the soft soils or to depth of soft soils where the stress induced from the
embankment is sufficiently low. The rate of settlement during preloading is
proportional to the spacing of the PVDs. If the construction time is limited, then
shorter PVD spacing in triangular grid pattern can be adopted.
* Perforated drainage pipes or prefabricated horizontal drains (PHD): When there
is a possibility of discontinuity in the sand mat during preloading process (for
example, large differential settlement between the main PVD embankment and its
counterweight berm), additional drainage (perforated and flexible) pipes or
prefabricated horizontal drains may be needed to releasc any buildup of water
pressure in the sand mat, For a very wide filling area, it may be more economical to
place the perforated drainage pipes at a certain distance within the sand mat, so that
the water in the sand mat can be drained out more easily.
> Fill: The fill, including the embankment material and surcharge, is placed as the
loads for consolidating the soft soils in the PVD improvement area. This fill may be
placed in stages or at a prescribed filling rate, taking advantage of the gain in the
shear strength of the improved soft soils during preloading process.
It should be noted that this method will require a moderate construction time compared
with other methods of improvement. Nevertheless, the PVD preloading method is the most
common technique in improving soft soils at present, primarily because of its high performance,
low cost and well established construction procedure. In this report, the PVD preloading
combining with geotextile and/or sand mat, PHD is recommended.
2.6.2. Deep Mixing Method
The deep mixing method (DMM) or the soil cement column method shown in Figure 6
has been evolved from the lime column method in 1960s. It is well understood that the undrained
shear strength of soft clay can be increased by adding small amount of lime or cement to the soil.
The deep mixing method by means of cement slurry was brought into practice in 1975 and the
dry cement powder mixing was introduced in 1980. ‘These two methods are sometimes referred
to as wet method and dry method, respectively. Presently in Vietnam, the wet method has been
used on infrastructure and building projects, and the dry method has been applied to some civil
engineering works as well.
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Figure 6: Typical Arrangement of Soil Cement Columns
The lime column method was developed in Sweden at about same time as in Japan, and it
‘was brought into practice in early 70s. Although the lime column method is still used in the Nordic
countries, e.g., Sweden, Finland and Norway, lime is gradually being replaced by cement-lime mix
and in some cases, cement only.
The primarily use of this method in roadway construction is to transfer the surface
loading (including embankment, pavement and traffic load) to the composite mass foundation as
shown in Figure 6, which is very effective in increasing stability and in reducing the post
construction settlement with adequate length of the soil cement columns.
If lime is used, the lime columns can function as a vertical drain, however preloading and
waiting period should be considered to decrease the post construction settlement by
consolidation. Therefore, it is recommended to use cement instead of lime because of the
following reasons:
1) Unslaked lime is more hazardous material;
2) Slaked lime has limited production;
3) Cement is easier to treat;
4) Soil coment mix has shorter curing time; and
5) Soil cement mix has higher strength.
The deep mixing method has been incorporated in the Vietnamese Standard TCXDVN
385:2006, which is somewhat similar to the European Standard EN14679:2005 entitled
“Execution of special geotechnical works ~ Deep mixing”.
2.6.3, Piled Foundation System
Piled foundation system can be an alternative for supporting an earth embankment.
Typically, the piles are installed down to a firm soil layer; then a concrete slab is cast over the
piles forming a base to support the fill and the pavement above as illustrated in Figure 7. Due to
the high cost, this method is only used when the construction time or the settlement is limited
where other more economical ground umprovementts cannot be applied.
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Figure 7: Typical Pile Foundation or Bearing Unit System
In recent years, geosynthetics has been introduced to replace the conerete slab, but a small
pile cap is needed on each pile in improving the load transfer from the fill embankment to the
piles through the geosynthetics. Some settlements may arise when the geosynthetics are stressed
and stretched, In general, the rigid slab offers a better load transfer from the embankment above
to individual piles, and the slab also provides a better slope stability than the geosynthetics.
2.6.4. Soil Replacement with Preloading
Apart from improving the compressible soils by cementation or by consolidation through
PVDs, soil replacement can be a possible option as illustrated in Figure 8. The principle of the
soil replacement is to remove the compressible soils down to required depths, and to replace with
suitable compacted fill. The depth of excavation will be governed by the long-term settlement of
the remaining compressible soils and the overall stability of the excavated pit. It will not be
economical and practical to replace the soft compressible soils if the replacement depths are too
deep because of the vast quantity in replacement and excavation,
Figure 8: Typical Soil Replacement Method
The main merits of this method are as follows:
° Ease of construction. The soil replacement with preloading method
predominately involves earthwork with excavation, fill placement and compaction
etc., which can be handled by the earthwork contractor with appropriate
construction equipment. Dewatering should be planned if there is a possibility of
water flowing into the excavated pit.
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« Excavation and filling time. The excavation and filling time can be adjusted
depending on the capacity of the construction equipment and manpower. To
accelerate the construction, it is possible to increase the construction equipment
and manpower.
It should be noted that the disposal of the excavated materials has to be considered in
making decision.
2.7, Suitability and Selection of Ground Improvement Methods
Table 3 summarizes the available methods of ground umprovement in this region,
highlighting their limitations and suitability for those problem sections.
The PVD is major method for soft soil treatment in this Package because the soft soil in
this package is mainly 4.0m in depth. The most common ground Improvement method used in
Vietnam at this moment is the prefabricated vertical drain with preloading (PVD) because of its
suitability and acceptable cost, but the main issue today will be the supply of the sand blanket or
sand mat material as the drainage layer. The Vacuum consolidation method is not to propose for
soft soil treatment.
The main advantages of the deep mixing method include minimum width of
embankment, minimum use of fill material and shorter construction time and so on (Figure 9).
The primary disadvantages include more stringent quality control and higher construction cost.
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Table 3: Assessment of Available Ground Modification Methods for the Project
Prefabricated Vertical
Drain (PVD) with
preloading
Deep Mixing
Method
RC Pile Slab
Soll Replacement with
Preloading
Initial Settlement
Low if factor of safety
‘shigh
Very low due to
load transfered to
lower stiffer layer
Very low due 0
load transfered t0
lower stir layer
Low if factor of safety i
high
Consotidaion |
Settlement
High
Very Low
Very Low
Controlled by soll
replacement thickness
Residual
‘Settlement
‘Technical Issues
‘Can be controlled
through proper
application of surcharge
Very low due 10
load transfered 10
lower stifer layer
Very low due t
load transfered (9
lower stir layer
Controlled by
replacement thickness
and preloading period
Stabiiy
Tneease in Factor of
Safety due (0 increase
in soil strength during
consoldation
High Factor of |
Sefey initially, bot
may reduce with
High Factor of
Safety
Tnorease in Factor of
Safty due to
replacement with Fimer
soil
Low
Moderate
igh for igh
embankment
‘Moderate Depend on
replacement depth
Longest - depend on
surcharge time
Short 0 Moderate
= Depend on
equipment used
‘Moderate ~ Depend on
equipment used and
‘material supply
Long Term
Performance
Small differential
setlement
Small ifferential
settlement
‘Small diferent
settlement
‘Small differential,
settlement
Right of Way
Require significant area
‘or counter-weight berm
No ROW problem
No ROW problem
Require some ROW
Local
Experience in
Construction
Very good - ess
‘operator dependent
Moderate ~ Highly
‘operator dependent
Good —
operator
dependent
(Other Related Isues
use in
Viernamese Road
project before
Yes, but limited
No problem, except
sand mat supply
Relatively new to
Vietnam
Fill supply may be
major issue
Likelihood of |
Usage
Atractive method but
requiring tong,
construction period
More expensive
with short
construction period
Most expensive
with short
period
Suitable method for
thin soft clay deposit,
The proposed ground Improvement methods used for various sections in Package A2-1
based primarily on the availability of the right of way, followed by construction time, settlement,
and material handling are listed in summary of soft soil improvement solution results.
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[LEcEND
io. -ankment Height
JRow Right ofway
Desi Const
on tne, IFS Safety Factor oSaility
Ho, Contretion ing, ROW Pan :Setlenent in 1 eas
‘Design Crew
F500 Piyan
Soll Profile Previous Geotechnical
Design Parameters [*—Tnvestigation (fom FS, 2009)
Caloulte Stabiy &
Estimate Setlerent
No
Deep Mining Method
coMny,
‘Vasu Consolation
Prefabricated Vertical Drain
Caius Sabiy &
Estimate Setlement
¥e$_ “Bo 8 and Pignan
meet Criteria?
No
[Calculate Siabity& Estimate]
Prelouding Surcharge, Time,
Seulement
OFS and Pisa
meet Criteria?
Meet ROW?
[Change oF Design Parameters]
Figure 9: Design Flowchart of Soil Improvement (DMM)
Summary
From the above analysis, the design consultant summarizes the applied methods for
package A-2-1 as follows:
* The remaining sections use conventional PVD method;
© Replacement : in the section with soft soil thickness less than 3.50m;
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CHAPTER 3
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
3.1 Introduction
The selection of ground Improvement techniques for Packages A-2-1 is primarily
governed by the available right of way, construction time and cost, soft soil thickness. Due to the
limited ROW, the width of counterweight berms used for stability purpose during preloading in
the conventional PVD method is restricted, resulting in inadequate stability of the embankment in
the preloading process. As a result, other ground Improvement methods, such as. soil
replacement, have to be considered and introduced.
This chapter describes the methodology of each adopted ground Improvement technique
along with design examples. The soil parameters used in the engineering analysis are
summarized in the Appendix. The outputs of the engineering analysis for the PVD, replaccement
are provided respectively in Appendices.
3.2 Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) Method
The most important soil parameters in the settlement analysis are the consolidation
properties, such as compression ratios, stress history of the soils and the coefficients of
consolidation which govern the rate of settlement and the preloading period. The settlement
analysis involves estimating the fill required to raise the road to required elevation. The
settlement of this required height of sand by conventional preloading will be estimated (target
settlement), and after that the surcharge will be applied for accelerating the settlement in reaching
90% of this target settlement, Once the total applied load is estimated, the stability analysis is
then performed.
3.2.1 Method of Estimating Settlement
The methods of estimating the settlement due to surface loading differ according to the
soil types. For clayey soil, the rate of settlement will depend on dissipation of the excess pore
water pressure, which governs by the coefficient of consolidation.
It is possible to calculate consolidation settlement by using original formula as depicted
below (hereinafter referred to as-Ae method):
G-1)
Where:
e«i- Void ratio corresponding to pas
e1:- Void ratio corresponding to (partdp))
Poi~ Overburden pressure at middle of sub-layer i
dp; — Pressure caused by the embankment at middle of sub-layer i
Hi- Thickness of sub-layer i
The settlement due to the embankment fill can easily be estimated from the settlement
formula given in Equation (3.1), and the soil parameters used for each package are summarized,
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3.2.2 Rate of Settlement in PVD System
The rate of settlement is estimated based on a vertical drain spacing of 0.9 m to 1.1 m
arranged in triangular grid pattern under radial flow condition. For radial flow as in vertical
drains, Barron (1948) proposed a solution for consolidation by radial drainage only as follows:
Degree of consolidation, ~ebsiirl
G.2)
where G3)
¢,= horizontal coefficient of consolidation
4, = diameter of equivalent soil cylinder
Hansbo (1979) suggested that the factor F, consisted of the following components with
consideration of the effect of smear zone and well resistance:
F=F(n) + F,+ F, G4)
Where F(a)=inSe-075 6.5)
(dy = equivalent diameter of the drain)
E 4,
[st]. G6)
fea 4 (assumed), and
fen based on recommendation by Hansbo (1979)
F=n2(L-2)4 = 0.001 @G.7)
From Equations (3.4) through (3.7), it can be observed that the F value is dominated by
the first component; the other two components have small contribution to the degree of
consolidation; but, the effects of smear zone and well resistance are considered for the F value.
Based on the above equations, the relationship between the degree of consolidation and time can
be estimated.
3.2.3 Method of seleting soil’ properties for design
In the article It is presented to select soil’ properties of soft soil layers for design (layer
Ja-1 section from km7+900 to km13+144 » and 2a, 2b (with SPT <10), and other layer properties
shown in Report on soil investigation of the Project.
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© Unit weight
ight (v3) Vs. Depsn
Layer to
lo 12 14 16 1820
Ze)
3 -———_ —
“
[ ‘Unit weight tind) Vs. Depth ‘Unit weight (m3) Vs. Depth
Layer 24 Layer
Zo)
Lem)
if weight Ve depth —&—Unt weight for dei
Uni weight We depth —=— Unit weight fordesin| |»
Figure 10: summary unit weight in depth of
layer 1a-1, 2a and 2b
© Anitial shear strength
Initial undrained shear strength of soil layer (Co) will be determined from these following
bases:
- Field Vane Shear Test (FVST): in-situ Co value will be directly determined from FVST
conducted during embankment boring;
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~ Triaxial test, UU-diagram (OU Test): Co value is also directly determined from this
laboratory UU test conducted on undisturbed samples,
~ Unconfined comprestion test (qu): Co value is also directly determined from this
laboratory qu test conducted on undisturbed samples: Co= qu/2.
Cudng d6 khang clit khong thoat nude cia cée lop dét yéu (Co) sé duge danh gid tir cde
co si sau:
Lop la-l
‘Undrain shear Strengi Undratn Shear Strength
‘acnma) ve. Dept “acivina) vs. Depts
Layerta-t Layerta
© $ 10 15 20 25 ° 1o___20 30
uaa :
24 i724
‘i
A =
Sof =
s
10 2.
‘Undratn Shear Strength ‘Undrain Shear Strength
(KN/m2) Vs. Depes (CkN/m2) Va. Depth
Layerta-t
o 10 20
Figure 11: Summary data from VST, UU and qu test Vs depth of layer! a-l
and selected value for design
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‘Undrain Shear Strength (Uin2) Vs ‘Undrain Shear Strength (KN/m2) ‘Unirain Shear Sireng
Depth ‘Va Depth (Nim) Vs, Depth for dels,
Layer2a Leyer24 Tavera
20 30 4 2 3 40 50
2» 0 00 ° ° —
o
1
| 2
2
3
3450
‘ 4
= Es
x x
‘ ote +
>
7
5 8
°
0 0
© Siig) Sedge
© Seri) Booher | ven iz
eeu) ASS CRDS —
=
Figure 12: Summary data from (qu) test Vs depth of layer 2a
and selected value for design
Layer 2b
‘Undrain Shear Strength (KNim2)
Ve. Depth
Undrain Shear Strength (KNim2)
Va. Dept
Layer 2b
Pr
+ Sutiqu) a Sunt avergne
Figure 13: Summary data from (gu) and (CU) test Vs depth of layer 2b
and selected value for design
+ aria
S-Su=ilqt) aversae
Su=ftew)
* Pre-consolidation condition and consolidation soil parameters
In the figure 14 presents relationship between Po, Pe and OCR with depth of layer 1a-1
2a and 2b of package A2.
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Po, Pe, OCR (ayer ta-1
"Po, Pc, OGR Vs depth (ayer 2a)
8
10
‘Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
Po, Pc, OCR (layer 2)
100
150200 250
Figure 14: OCR, PC, PO Vs depth of layer la-1, 2a and 2b;
‘The figure 14 shown that, layer 1a-1, 2a and 2b are Overconsolidation condition.
According to consolidation test,
Cc values and testing curves of compression,
consolidation coefficients of soil layer 1a-1,2a and 2b as well as typical values of respective
Soils recommended for design are summarized in following figures 15 to 18.
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2219] 2167] 2osel_ss2af 1.657] 1.354] 1082] ors] 1.164[ 1.043 0.875| 0.645] 0,395] oseal otal Oo
Figure 15: Testing curves and typical values for soil layer la-1
° eV. P foyer 20)
Se)
08 THT ; 7
SAT MATT AMT
. H
ao B |
“c |
ar H rT
iil ll i
a Ot 1.00 10.0 100.¢
0.10 100.001 00 .00
| , ee
aE
Vs. P ayer 28)
10
“COT
ae [Sy
01 0401001000 10000
Pe
P L a
0 Tors ozs 05 | 713 [a4 af 00si[ o0es] Os7a] 075] ts] a] a]. 19]
o7erl oveol o7s{ osssl 657] 0.6361 0.508] 054] 0.724] ossel esr] o.css] arent Oeil OmeL
100.0
Figure 17: Testing curves and typical values for soil layer 2b
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00 04 08 12 16 20
Ta
© CoVs depth
—H-Ce selected for design
Figure 18: Compression index Vs depth and typical values for soil layers:
lal , 2a and 26
+ Factor of increase of undrain shear strength
Undrained shear strength of soft soil will increase due to consolidation with a factor
called “Factor of Increase of undrained shear strength” — m, which is basically evaluated from
Triaxial test, CU scheme ~ CU test and, as instructed in the Standard 22TCN262-2000, m equals
to tan(..). With layer 1A in this Package; friction angle varies from 9° to 18°. Increase of
undrained shear strength is from m = 0.19 to 0.32, respectively;
The m factor calculated based on experience formula as follows:
m=0.11+0,0037(Ip)
From the tested results, Ip=40, the m factor calculated from the above equation is 0.26,
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In addition, the m factor can also be estimated through the relationship between the ratio
of the undrained shear strength and pre-consolidation pressure. The m value of 0.27 is obtained.
Therefore, the average m factor of 0.27 is used for all sections in calculating and
designing package A-2-1 of layer la-l.
~ Layer 2a "m" based on equation m= 0.11+0.0037 Ip , m=0.25 (with Ip max);
~ Layer 2b : "m" based on equation m= 0.11+0.0037 Ip (with Ip is average value 20.96
and max value is 49.30, choosen m=0.25.
mVs depth
layer Jacl
03 of
Figure 19: m value from CU test of layer 1a-1
and proposal value for design
* Summary of soil parameters for soft soil treatment design A2-1
‘Tong hop chi tiéu eo If ding cho thiét ké A2-1
‘Summary of Soil Parameters for Sof Soil Treatment Design-A2-1
No | Parameter | Unit Layer Lat Layer2a | Layer2b | Fiing soit | Pavement
1 Y Tn 19 201 1.95 1.80 2.20
2 Go Tit 16 345 497 0 0
3 o Degrees o © e 30°00" 30°00
4 m 027 028 035
3 ©
6 | cut? | cate) Figure 15, Figue 16 | Figure 17
7 & tl 0.150 0170
8 Cs om 01s 0.017
9 Pe Tint $37 B92 19.00
10 OCR 207 275 5.10
3.24 Results of Analysis
The summary of PVD method analysis is shown in Appendices; the calculation is, based
on Vietnamese standard 22TCN262-2000.
‘The PVD method will be applied to the improved maijor method in Package A-2-1. Asa
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result of stability analysis for ail sections, the safety factor during construction 1s more thar 1D
and that in operation stage is more than 1.4 without counterweight berm, which meet the design
criteria,
‘The calculations for all PVD sections in Package A-2-1 are presented in Appendices,
3.2.5 Criteria for Completion of ‘Preloading Period
During preloading, there is a need to predict the total settlement in advance so that the
degree of consolidation at that stage could be determined, Since the criteria for acceptance (that
is, completion of preloading) is primarily based on settlement, the method of estimating the final
settlement has to be defined, Frequently, Asaoka method is adopted, which is described briefly
below.
Asaoka method (1978) can be used to estimate the magnitude of final settlement as well
8s the horizontal coefficient of consolidation from the measured settlement data. ‘This method
adopts a curve fitting procedure based on the consolidation theory, and some essence of the
method is explained below. The procedure of this method is illustrated graphically as shown in
Figure 22.
The solution of the consolidation equation under radial drainage condition takes the
following form:
8c,
The settlement, S(O=S,-S, ox @F 4 G8)
or S(@)=S, [I -exp(as)] G.9)
where A= (3.10)
Fill Height
Settlement
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Figure 20: Graphical Procedure of Asaoka Method
Equation 10 can be expressed in the form of an ordinary differential equation:
£ -Ap=f G.11)
where fis a constant.
‘The variable Sin Equation (3.8) will satisfy all conditions in Equation (3.11). Ifthe time
is evenly divided into Ar interval and S, = S (4), then Equation 4 becomes:
5,-8.4
FSi ag
ig Sf
1 Ar
= naa at
or G12)
where (3.13)
At
id —— 3.14
an a 6.14)
‘The two constants, Ap and fi, will be the intercept and the slope of the fitted straight line
in Si1-S\ axes, and they can be obtained graphically with example shown in Figure 20. It should
bbenoted thatthe final settlement could also be obtained from the following expressions:
5, as time approaches infinity, then
(3.15)
The horizontal coefficient of consolidation can be obtained by substituting Equation 10
into Equation 13, giving.
ea lAa F
8B, At (3.16)
Therefore, the horizontal coefficient of consolidation and the final settlement can be
determined from this method,
3.2.6 Monitoring Instruments
A series of monitoring instruments, such as settlement plates, inclinometers, piezometers
and observation wells, Lateral Displacement Observing Stake, have been proposed.
Measurements should be made periodically and the monitoring data should be evaluated to verify
the performance of the embankment.
The settlement plates are mainly used for checking the vertical settlement during
preloading, and they would eventually be used for determining the end of the preloading period
based on the settlement criteria stated.
The inclinometers can be used for checking the horizontal movements of the
embankment; they will be placed at locations where the maximum horizontal movements are
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expected, that is, beside the main embankment. The inclinometers can be Installed Wy ailical
areas adjacent to any existing structure if any,
1 is highly recommended that the performance of the embankment based on the
measurements of the instruments should be evaluated periodically, so that preventive measures
could be made. Any damage to the settlement plate will affect the decision on termination of
preloading; therefore, it is important to replace the damaged instruments immediately, and
otherwise it wll be very difficult to evaluate the performance of the preloading,
3.2.7 Summary
In Packages A-2-1, extensive ground umprovementt will be needed to support the
embankment. Due to the high embankment requirements, limit of ROW, construction time and
ost as well as soft soil thickness, the conventional PVD method will be applied for height
embankment; and soil replacement is used some section with soft ground less than 3.50m.
3.3. Prefabricated Horizontal Drain (PHD)/or Super Boad Drain (SBD) Design
Calculation
3.3.1. PHD Structure
Prefabricated Horizontal Drain has shape and structure similar to normal Prefabricated
Vertical Drain (using in foundation settlement by Prefabricated Vertical Drain method), but
bigger size (Figure 21).
‘Water from road-bed
Water penetration
direction
filter Ditch Core
Figure 21: Super Board Drain Shape and Structure
Prefabricated Horizontal Drain has 0.8cm in thickness, 15cm, 20cm, 30cm, and 60cm ...
in width, Prefabricated Horizontal Drain was fabricated in every 50m or 100m long roll,
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 35 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc ~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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depending on the manufacturer and installation needs. T-200 Super Board Drain oF Testing
Section has common parameters of products as follows (Table 4):
Table 4: General parameters of the finished PHD products
Super Board | Width | Length of | Thickness | Weight | Container | Container
Drain Type | (cm) | roll(m) | (cm) (kg) | 20FT | 40FT HQ:
11,500m | 28,800m
(233 rolls) | (576 rolls)
T-200 20 50 8 7.10
Super Board Drain structure includes two main parts (Figure 22), which is:
~ Core: formed into ditch for water leading, usually made of Polyvinyl Chloride or
Polyolefin;
~ Shell filter: used to filter out water from the soil through the core and then rushes out of
the ground water, usually made of Polyester (non-textile).
Core
Shell filter
Figure 22: Super Board Drain Structure Cross-Section
4.3.2 Super Board Drain Design Calculation
a) Flexibility and Elasticity Calculating
Super Board Drain can stretch horizontally along the ground or the deformation of the
embankment due to high flexibility. With the assumption 2 meters horizontally Super Board
Drain stretched by the settlement of the embankment is 2.0m, deformation of the horizontal axis
is calculated as 2m/27.9m = 7.1% (27.9m is half of cross section width of the embankment
Testing Section), this ensures that the value required for the asphalt concrete is <25%,
b) Water Permeability Capacity
Horizontal Super Board Drain is designed with the water permeability like sand drain.
‘The water permeability is made based on the common formula as calculated for the
Horizontal Super Board Drain as following:
Q=k*it A (ms).
Which: +i: Hydraulic gradient;
~ ky: Permeability coefficient (m/s).
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 36 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc— Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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~A=w*h
+ w: Unit width of the Horizontal Super Board Drain (m);
+ h: Horizontal Super Board Drain Thickness (m);
Calculation for the testing section is shown as follows:
Desorption Super Board Drain Type | Unit | t-200 Note
Super Board Drain Width, [1] m 02 Product Features
Super Board Drain Thickness, [2] m 0.008 Product Features
Super Board Drain Areas , [3]=[1]*[2] im 0.0016
Permeability coefficients k of Asphalt concrete, [4] | m/s 0.15 Product Features
Hydraulic gradient i, (5] O
Safety coefficients =1.5, [6] 15
QKIA, [71-((4}s15x[3))16] m/s | 16x 10-5 Water Flow
Equivalent width of sand blanket drainage layer can be calculated as follows:
Super Board Drain Type Unit ‘T-200 Note
Description
OkiA, [1] mis 1.6 x 10-5 Water Flow
Permeability coefficient k of CSB, (2) | mis 0.00005 Technical Standard
Hydraulic gradient i, [3] OL
CSB Area, [4]=[1)/({2}x[3]) im 32
CSB Thickness , [5] m 08 Technical Standard
CSB Width, [6]=[4)/[5] m 4
The above calculation shows that water flow by Super Board Drain (20cm wide T-200)
with 4.0m distance equivalent to the thickness of 0.8m thick Coars sand blanket layer in the same
sections (0.8m thickness were calculated for Testing section). In other words, 0.2m wide Super
Board Drain can replace for 4 meters width of sand with a thickness 0.8m.
As estimated above, at the testing segment with 1.0m spacing penetration vertical drain,
Horizontal Super Board Drain selected distance is 2.0m.
©) Arrangement and installation of Super Board Drain
With the distance of PVD of 1.0m, arranged a row of horizontal SBD standing for two
rows of PVD, all standing PVD will be connected with SBD. The SBD rows should be arranged
along the center line connected to the SBD together and improve SBD drainage system.
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 37 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc~ Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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Layout of SBD with PVD is shown schematically as follows:
bapa
“2 2
= fon
{ wo
} |
|
PaD
iy The
bk. —_4
Note: -a: PVD distance; _b: SBD width; c: SBD distance;
3.3.3 Construction sequence
* Preparation of construction site
* Banking 0.4m thick layer of K95 sand covering the natural ground
* Constructing PVD in accordance with Detail Design Document with height of PVD
0.2m above the first sand mat;
* Installing observation equipment
* Installing SBD
© Connecting PVD to SBD
* Banking K95 sand to elevation of geotextile
* Spreading geotextile
* Banking K95 sand in accordance with Detail Design Document,
* Observing, reporting and evaluating the final test
3-4 Field Observation in Construction Stage
The result by the soft ground treatment may be not according to calculation, because the
soil layers change complicatedly in the natural ground. Especially, this issue should be
considered at the construction stage sufficiently, because the geological features along the project
route are fluvial sediment that soil layers are changed complicatedly.
Therefore, Observational Procedure by Field Observation shall be adopted on the soft
ground treatment.
Field Observation should be executed according to "22TCN 262-2000",
(@) Field Observation instruments used in this project are as follows;
> Settlement Plate
> Lateral Displacement Observing Stake
> Inclinometer
> Electrical Piezometer
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 38 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Luc — Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
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> Observation Well
> Deep settlement Gauge
(b) Field Observation instruments shall be installed in each embankment section that was
designed with various conditions, not excluding the sections treated with RC Pile Slab,
no treatment and Replacement sections.
(©) “Settlement Plate” shall be installed at interval of less than 100m in longitudinal direction
(including computation cross-section). And three plates shall be installed at one cross-
section (at the center and both shoulders of embankment).
(@) “Lateral Displacement Observing Stake” shall be installed at least one place (the
computation cross-section is desirable) in each section that was designed with various
conditions. “Lateral Displacement Observing Stake” should be installed at both side of
embankment, in principle. It is necessary to instal three stakes at one side perpendicular
to direction of centerline, The first stake should be installed at 2m distance from
embankment toe, the second stake should be installed at 4m distance from the first stake,
and third stake should be installed at 10m distance from the second stake,
(©) “Inclinometer, Deep settlement Gauge and Electrical Piezometer” shall be installed at one
Place (the computation cross-section with Electrical Piezometer is desirable) and on both
slopes of the road with Inclinometer in each section that shall be improved with
“Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD)” within embankment >4,0m or “Deep Mixing
Method” for constructing the higher embankment over the thick soft soil layer (if any).
( “Observation Well” shall be installed in the center line of the road (the computation
cross-section is desirable) in each section and treated by PVD method within
embankment >4m..
(8) The frequeney of "Field Observation" during fill work should be once a day. During
waiting time after the fill work finished, the frequency of "Field Observation" should be
once a week.
(h) Observational Procedure by Field Observation should be carried out in consideration of
the following points:
> Data of “Settlement Plate (settlement speed at the center of embankment)” during fil
work must not exceed LOmm/day, and data of “Lateral Displacement Observing
Stake (horizontal movement speed at the both sides of embankment)” during fill
work must not exceed Smmv/day.
> Data of “Settlement Plate” should be analyzed by "hyperbolic curve fitting method"
and Asaoka method for to predict the final settlement and the residual settlement. By
the result of them, the construction schedule and the quantity of surcharge must be
checked the validity including data of “Electrical Piezometer and Observation Well”,
Data of “Lateral Displacement Observing Stake” must be analyzed including data of other
“Field Observation instruments” due to secure the stability of embankment, By the result of
them, the filling speed and the construction schedule must be checked the validity.
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 39 Loan 2460-VIE: GMS Ben Lue Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
Project Design Consulting Services
CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY
This report summarizes the design methodology and the proposed ground umprovementt
for Package A-2-1 (km7+900 to km11+200) only. Various methods of ground umprovementt
‘were selected depending on the subsoil conditions, design profile grades and tight of way
restriction. The selected methods are PVD, and soil replacement .
From the above analysis, the design consultant summarizes the applied methods for
package A-2-1 as follows:
* The remaining sections use conventional PVD method;
* Replacement : in the section with soft soil thickness less than 4m;
The detailed calculations are summarized in Appendices. All verifications of settlement
and stability are satisfied.
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report Page 40 ‘aan 2460-ViE: GMS Ben Lue— Long Thanh Expressway Technical Assistance Project
Project Design Consulting Services
Appendix 1
Summary for soil layer la
Package A-1: Soft Ground Treatment Report
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Appendix 3
Results of Calculation
Package A-2: Soft Ground Treatment Report
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INPUT DATA
CALCULATION OPTIONS
‘Settlement calculation model: Compression curve
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