Experimental study on the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains under cyclic loading

This study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of a prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) installed in remoulded soft clay, where a large-scale cyclic triaxial process simulation rig was employed to simulate cyclic loading representing a track environment. The experimental data show that PVD successfully prevents excessive accumulation of pore water pressure during cyclic loading, and their dissipation continues to occur after the load is removed. The findings of this study have direct significance to rail track environments, e.g. in coastal Australia, where PVD installation beneath rail tracks constructed on low-lying estuarine soils has been recently adopted.