Analytical Modelling of Indian-made Biodegradable Jute Drains for soft soil Stabilization: Progress and Challenges

Installation of Vertical drains in soft soil is probably the most popular preloading method of ground improvement today. These drains reduce the consolidation time of the soil by providing alternative pathways to relieve the pore water pressure in the soil quickly thus reducing construction time. Jute drains have been introduced as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic drains in recent times. However, owing to higher absorption capacity of jute and their tendency to degrade in soil their consolidation behavior can be vastly different from that of synthetic drains. In this review, the paper provides in detail the properties of jute drains along with significant developments that have been achieved over the years in understanding their consolidation behavior. The clogging and degradation behavior in these drains is investigated in relation to the limitations in analytical modeling.This article aims to discuss not only the challenges associated with modeling this phenomenon but also suggests approaches by which this problem can be solved.