Numerical Investigation of Consolidation Settlement for Runway Construction on Soft Soil: A Case Study in Sumbawa, Indonesia

Runway construction on soft soil presents significant engineering challenges due to excessive settlement, which can affect structural stability and long-term performance of transportation infrastructure. This study investigates the settlement of a runway in Sumbawa, Indonesia using the Finite Element Method (FEM) in Plaxis 2D. The Hardening Soil Model was applied to realistically capture nonlinear soil behavior. Input parameters were derived from a series of N-SPT data and laboratory test results. The findings indicate that during the operational phase, the maximum and minimum settlement were 307.1 mm and 2.491x10-3 mm, respectively. Meanwhile, consolidation-induced settlement reached a maximum of 357.97 mm and a minimum of 10.6 mm. The distribution of total settlement along the runway varied depending on soil characteristics. Sections with predominantly clayey soil exhibited greater settlement, whereas areas with sandy soil experienced significantly lower settlement.