Vacuum-assisted consolidation of coastal and offshore dredge fills

Vacuum-assisted consolidation can be an effective alternative for conventional surcharging to improve fine-grained soils. Cost and implementation difficulties have been the major drawbacks for its effective use in engineering practice. Recent technological advances in the application of geosynthetic materials have now made on-land vacuum consolidation an attractive and cost-effective alternative to conventional mechanical surcharging for improvement of compressible soils. Experience from recent field applications of vacuum consolidation in China, France, Japan, Sweden and local experience at the Port of Los Angeles, indicates that the technology holds technical merit and is cost-effective compared to other conventional techniques. Potential uses of vacuum technology include improvement of deposits of soft soils in the existing hydraulic fills, accelerated consolidation of fine-grained hydraulic fills during construction, disposal, storage and management of dredge fill including contaminated sediments.