Composite vertical drains for liquefaction mitigation- A laboratory study
Composite vertical drains for liquefaction mitigation- A laboratory study
Liquefaction-induced excess pore water pressure generation and seismic amplification significantly influence the response of saturated loose sand deposits during earthquakes. This study investigates the effectiveness of Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) and Composite Vertical Drains (CVDs) in mitigating liquefaction through a series of shaking table tests. Saturated sand models were tested under input base accelerations of 0.1 g, 0.2 g, and 0.3 g for soil-alone, PVD-treated, and CVD-treated conditions. Excess pore water pressure was measured at different depths, and acceleration amplification factors (AAF) were evaluated along the soil column. Results indicate that excess pore pressure increased with depth and input acceleration, with untreated soil reaching liquefaction conditions at higher acceleration levels. PVDs reduced peak pore pressure and delayed liquefaction through enhanced drainage, although their effectiveness decreased under strong shaking. CVDs consistently exhibited lower pore pressure ratios and reduced acceleration amplification, demonstrating superior liquefaction mitigation due to combined drainage and damping effects.
Muni Pavan Kompala; Sudheer Kumar Yamsani
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 10: Liquefaction Experiments and Analysis Projects – Lesson Learned from LEAP-Asia-2025
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-122