Abstract: Accurately predicting the settlement of soft soil foundation is an important premise to ensure the safety of soft soil foundation engineering. Firstly, through theoretical analysis, the exponential curve method for predicting foundation settlement under single-stage load (single-stage model) is extended to the exponential curve method for predicting foundation settlement under multi-stage load (multi-stage model). Secondly, the settlement observation data of soft soil foundation treated by staged surcharge preloading combined with drainage board in an airport are collected. Finally, the prediction effects of least absolute deviation method (LADM) and ordinary least square method (OLSM) fitting single-stage model and multi-stage model on the later settlement of soft soil foundation are compared and analyzed. The results show that compared with OLSM, LADM fitting single-stage model or multi-stage model can not only better reflect the change law of settlement monitoring data in the fitting section, but also more accurately predict the later settlement of soft soil foundation under single-stage load or multi-stage load, and the prediction error is more stable. When fitting based on OLSM, compared with the single-stage model, the stability of error of multi-stage model in predicting the later settlement of foundation is higher. In addition, compared with the method of predicting
Keywords: soft soil; settlement; staged surcharge preloading; least absolute deviation method (LADM)