The area of the former Texcoco Lake in Mexico is characterized by soft lacustrine clay strata with high water content and high compressibility. The construction of a new airport was planned in this area, which requires soil stabilization. One soil improvement option is the use of vacuum preloading systems that apply a vacuum to the soil through vertical drains. This study evaluates the improvement on hydromechanical properties resulting from the implementation of two vacuum techniques. In 2016, two test embankments with surcharge preloading and vertical drains were constructed to apply a vacuum using the drain-to-drain technique in one embankment and the airtight membrane technique in the other. The average vacuum pressures applied for six months in the test embankments were −58 kPa and −63 kPa with the drain-to-drain and airtight membrane techniques, respectively. The improvement on the properties varied between the two techniques. The airtight membrane technique reduced the water content and the void ratio up to 50 % and 46 %, respectively. While the drain-to-drain technique reduced the water content and the void ratio up to 15 % and 13 %, respectively. The degree of consolidation estimated using different observational methods at the center of both test embankments ranged from 86 % to 88 %.

墨西哥原特斯科科湖地区的特点是软质湖相粘土地层，含水量高，压缩性高。该地区计划建设新机场，需要土壤稳定。一种土壤改良选择是使用真空预压系统，通过垂直排水沟向土壤施加真空。本研究评估了两种真空技术的实施所带来的流体机械性能的改善。2016年，建造了两座带有堆载预压和垂直排水沟的测试路堤，其中一个路堤采用排水至排水技术，另一处路堤采用气密膜技术，以施加真空。采用排水至排水和气密膜技术时，测试路堤六个月内施加的平均真空压力分别为-58 kPa 和-63 kPa。两种技术的性能改进各不相同。气密膜技术将含水量和空隙率分别降低至50%和46%。而排水技术则将含水量和空隙率分别降低了15%和13%。使用不同观测方法估算的两个试验路堤中心的固结度范围为 86% 至 88%。