427 pages - Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers; (May; 1996) ... Language: English - ISBN-10: 0784401519 - ISBN-13: 978-0784401514.The presence of thick deposits of soft clay combined with the effects of ground subsidence cause problems for engineering constructions for lowland areas such as the Central Plain (Chao Phraya) of Thailand. The ground subsidence is caused by the excessive extraction of ground water. To mitigate such natural geological hazards, different soil/ground improvement methods have been studied, namely: mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) embankments, granular or sand compaction piles, vertical drains, and the lime/cement deep mixing method. In view of their proven performance, durability, constructibility, short time schedule, and low costs, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) or earth reinforcement techniques seem to be very suitable and favorable above-ground soil improvement methods of embankment fills on subsiding ground. This method can be most appropriately combined with the various belowground improvement techniques such as vertical drains, sand compaction piles, and the lime/cement deep mixing method. Thus, the combined above-ground soil improvement with below-ground subsoil improvement schemes can be a viable alternative to the existing method of supporting earth embankments and landfills with precast concrete piles, which may prove detrimental and more expensive in a subsiding environment.