Research on the consolidation characteristics of soft clay under combined vacuum preloading-electroosmosis treatment

This study investigates the combined vacuum preloading and electro-osmosis technique to accelerate the consolidation of soft dredged clay in the Yangtze River Delta. Field monitoring and laboratory tests were conducted to analyze the rapid consolidation process and the evolution of engineering properties under short-term vacuum pressure and direct current. The results indicate that the drainage boundaries established by the electrodes allowed the vacuum flow to dominate the seepage path, thereby limiting the direct contribution of electro-osmosis to pore water pressure dissipation and surface settlement. However, under the coupled effects of vacuum seepage, electro-osmotic flow, electrochemical reactions, and thermal activation, the intrinsic correlations among the physical properties, deformation characteristics, and strength indices of the high-plasticity, low-permeability silt were reconfigured and significantly enhanced. Furthermore, the improvement in soil strength was primarily attributed to the increase in the internal friction angle, with cohesion playing a comparatively minor role.