Comparison of Different Ground Improvement Techniques for the Road Construction Over Kuttanadu Clay Strata

Abstract

Kuttanadu clay is infamous for its very low shear strength and permeability. As a result, the construction of embankment over this stratum invites a lot of trouble including bearing capacity, settlement, and stability issues. To arrest these issues, proper ground improvement technique needs to be selected, which in turn is also governed by the construction cost, time, and practical feasibility. One such case study is the upgradation of Alappuzha-Changanassery road, where the height of the road level is proposed to be increased to tackle the issue of complete submergence during monsoon. In the present study, an attempt has been made to compare different ground improvement techniques in terms of stability, total settlement, and construction time. These techniques include prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) and lightweight filling using geofoam. The 1D consolidation and finite element analysis of these techniques were carried out using Midas Soilworks software, and the results were compared with the embankment construction without any ground improvement technique. The study inferred that the lightweight filling using geofoam blocks is the most efficient technique in terms of construction time, settlement, and stability. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.