Settlement behaviour of Parit Nipah peat under static embankment

Abstract

Peat is considered as a very challenging soil when constructing any structure. It's known with high compressibility, high moisture content, low shear strength and long term settlement when subjected to load. These characteristics always posed constant problem for sustainable construction on peat. This study aims to investigate the settlement behaviour of peat fortified with concrete slab under embankment loading through full scale testing at Parit Nipah, Johor, Malaysia. The peat is categorized as hemic with moisture content greater than 500%. A concrete raft sized 3.6 m × 3.6 m with thickness of 150 mm was built on the site. The 3.6 m × 3.6 m slab was subjected to non-uniform loading. Results indicated that the installation of slab on peat able to reduce the settlement of peat under embankment loading. The study shows potential to mitigate or reduce long term post construction settlement on peaty ground.