ABSTRACT
Due to the environmental concerns, sustainable soil improvement methods are considered an essential part of the modern infrastructure development. Today's environmental sustainability policy often expects noise-free, chemical-free and low-carbon processes, while being economical. In this context, the application of prefabricated vertical drains (PVD) with preloading is considered a sustainable soil improvement Method. However, the presence of some unique hydraulic systems such as the artesian pressure and its effect on geo-structures is rarely discussed in the literature. Furthermore, the effect of the artesian pressure on the PVD's performance is one of the most important questions that needs to be addressed. For that, a numerical modeling approach is used to study the performance of a well instrumented section of the high-speed line Embankment, over a shallow artesian aquifer in Drader compressible area, Morocco. In addition, a comparison between the performance of PVD-Preloading system with and without the artesian pressure is presented.
