- Title
- A new method for finite element modelling of prefabricated vertical drains
- Creator
- Lester, A. M.; Kouretzis, G. P.; Sloan, S. W.
- Relation
- 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018). Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering IX, Volume 2: Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering (NUMGE 2018), June 25-27, 2018, Porto, Portugal (Porto, Portugal 25-27 June, 2018) p. 1363-1369
- Relation
- https://www.crcpress.com/Numerical-Methods-in-Geotechnical-Engineering-IX-Proceedings-of-the-9th/Cardoso-Borges-Costa-Gomes-Marques-Vieira/p/book/9781138544468
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Resource Type
- conference paper
- Date
- 2018
- Description
- Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) are frequently used in civil engineering projects where there is a need to speed up the consolidation of low permeability soils subjected to structural loads. However, when it comes to finite element modelling, capturing the geometry of individual PVDs is often a tedious exercise, particularly when incorporating their surrounding 'smear zones' of reduced horizontal permeability (kh) that result from installation. In this paper, a new method is introduced which involves the attachment of a smear radius to 1D drainage elements. This allows for automatic reduction of kh at mesh integration points that fall within the smear zone, as well as the consideration of non-uniform hydraulic properties. The results of analyses carried out for a unit cell with a single PVD and smear zone show that the new method achieves the same accuracy as the case where the smear zone is modelled as a separate meshed region.
- Subject
- finite element modelling; prefabriated vertical drains; civil engineering; low permeability soils
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1406126
- Identifier
- uon:35595
- Identifier
- ISBN:9781138332034
- Language
- eng
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