loadfill

Loadfill is a civil engineering technique used to improve ground conditions by placing fill material and applying controlled loads to promote consolidation and increase bearing capacity. The method combines earthwork with staged loading to precondition soft soils before subsequent construction.

In practice, fill is placed in layers to the required elevation, and dead loads or temporary structures are then applied to precompress the soil. The loads are maintained for a designed period to accelerate consolidation and reduce future settlement. Monitoring with settlement gauges, piezometers, and surface surveys guides the duration of loading and confirms that target ground conditions are achieved.

Applications of loadfill include coastal reclamation, port and harbor expansion, road or railway embankments, and foundations for buildings and large infrastructure projects. It is commonly used where soft clays or silts dominate the near-surface strata, or where rapid readiness of the site is required.

Benefits of the technique include more predictable and potentially faster attainment of bearing capacity, reduced post-construction settlement, and the ability to shape ground elevations as part of the project. Limitations include the risk of differential settlement if soil properties are highly variable, long project durations due to staged loading, and environmental considerations associated with large volumes of fill material and changes in drainage.

See also: preloading, soil consolidation, land reclamation, ground improvement.