Modified Broms’ method for formation of working platform on very soft soil

Construction over soft soil is a challenge as the ground can be too soft to work on it. To overcome this, a working platform has to be formed before any soil improvement work can be carried out. One of such methods was proposed by Broms (1987) which uses geotextile and sand berms. In this paper, a modified Broms' method is proposed to use geotextile tubes to confine the sand berms. A new analytical solution is also proposed to calculate the tensile strain and the profile of geotextile under the sand berms/tubes. Design charts for different design conditions are also developed. Parametric studies were conducted to identify the key parameters affecting the design. Finite element analyses (FEA) and a field trial were also carried out to verify the modified Broms' method and the proposed solution. The monitoring data agree reasonably well with the results obtained from proposed solution and FEA. A design procedure for modified Broms' method and Broms’ method is proposed using the analytical solution.