Due to environmental concerns, sustainable ground improvement is considered a critical part of modern infrastructure development. Current policy on environmental sustainability often expects noise-free, chemical-free and low carbon emission processes, while being economical. In this context, the application of prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) with vacuum preloading is regarded as one of the most sustainable ground improvement techniques. Compared to other ground improvement methods such as piling and chemical stabilization, this method will not only save a considerable cost in embankment construction, but will also improve the construction rate of coastal highways and rail tracks and their load carrying capacity. The utilisation of vacuum preloading will also minimize an environment impact by lowering the greenhouse gas emission and the need for mining natural surcharge fill. The FEM code ABAQUS with the equivalent approach is employed to study the performance of a full-scale test embankment constructed in Thailand. A comparison of the performance of the vacuum system with the standard surcharge fill is elucidated including its benefits and environmental impact.
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