Residual excess pore water pressure in PVD-assisted surcharge preloading projects often persists due to several factors, particularly at locations of maximum drainage path length (i.e. midpoints between vertical drains). Assuming full dissipation to hydrostatic conditions can therefore lead to underestimation of consolidation. This study investigates the behavior of surcharge preloading consolidation using data-driven computational methods to predict residual (or final) excess pore water pressure based on field monitoring data. The established residual pressure is then used to improve the estimation of the average degree of consolidation, reflecting more realistic ground response under field conditions. The study adopts an exponential-based approach for predicting the final (residual) excess pore water pressure and the rate of its dissipation during fill preloading, offering a simplified yet effective means of characterizing consolidation behavior in soft soils. The results are compared with other commonly adopted observational methods in the field, including both strain-based and pore water pressure-based approaches.