Soil stabilization

Soil Improvement and stabilization

 Ground improvement is mainly usedfor:
 Settlement reduction / control
 Liquefaction mitigation
If soil near the ground surface is strong and has sufficient bearing
capacity, then shallow foundation is adopted. i
If the top soil is weak loose, soft or saturated, then the loads of the
superstructures has to be transferred to deep foundation-Pile
foundation.
In the case of earth dams, there is no other alternative than
compacting the remolded soil in layers to the required density and
moisture content. The soil for the dam will be excavated at the
adjoining areas and transported to the site.
Soil improvement can be achieved through the following modes:
1. Increases shear strength
2. Reduces permeability, and
3. Reduces compressibility
 Methods of soil Stabilization
Some of the most common methods of soil
stabilization are:
Mechanical compaction
Dynamic compaction
Vibro-flotation
Pre-loading
Sand and stone columns
Use of admixtures
Injection of suitable grouts
Use of geo-textiles (Geo textiles.pptx)
 Ground improvement methods
• Vibro-compaction
• Vibro-replacement
• Soil mixing
 Jet grouting
 Deep soil mixing (vertical)
 Deep soil mixing (horizontal / block)
• Rigid Inclusions
• Dynamic replacement
• Dynamic compaction
 Types of grouting
Pattern grouting
Curtain grouting
Blanket grouting
Off pattern special grouting

Pattern Grouting.pptx
Dynamic compaction.pptx
Deep compaction
 DEEP COMPACTION

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF TREATING OR IMPROVING THE

SOILS IS TO ELIMINATE THE DANGER OF EXCESSIVE
SETTLEMENTS. LOOSE COHESIONLESS SOILS DO NOT POSE
SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF STABILITY AND
SETTLEMENT. LIQUEFACTION IS THE MAIN CONCERN FOR
LOOSE COHESIONLESS SOILS UNDER WATER TABLE.
OTHER DYNAMIC LOADS ALSO AFFECT THESE SOILS.

METHODS FOR COHESIONLESS SOILS :

- VIBROCOMPACTION TECHNIQUES
- COMPACTION PILES
 1. VIBROFLOATATION
THIS IS NOT A NEW METHOD. (50 YEARS OLD). THE
EQUIPMENT HAS THREE ELEMENTS.

A) THE VIBRATOR OR VIBROFLOT

B) EXTENSION TUBES
C) CRANE (-T-WATER JET SUPPLY WATER, PUMP+GENERATOR,
CABLES).

VIBROFLOT IS A CYLINDRICAL PROBE WHICH PENETRATES

INTO THE GROUND WITH THE AID OF VIBRATION (VERTICAL
AND/OR HORIZONTAL) AND ITS OWN WEIGHT AND JETTING
(WATER MOSTLY, FOR DEEP PENETRATIONS AIR OR AIR
AND WATER).

This method is most effective in clean sands

o Vibro-flot diameters 0.35 - 0.50 m

• Lengths 2-6 m.
• AN ECCENTRIC MASS IS AT THE LOWER PART OF THE VIBRO
PROBE WHICH IS A HOLLOW STEEL TUBE WEIGHTS OF
VIBROFLOTS ARE USUALLY IN THE RANGE OF 20 - 40 kN (2-4 ton)

AND

THEY DEVELOP HORIZONTAL CENTRIFUGAL FORCES OF 80-160

kN.

VIBRATION AMPLITUDES ARE UP TO 20-25 mm AND USUAL

OPERATING FREQUENCIES ARE 30-50 Hz (1800 - 3000 rpm)
(35-100 kW POWER)

WATER JETS MAY BE APPLIED AT TOP AND/OR BOTTOM.

RELATIVE DENSITY, Dr,OF AT LEAST 70 % CAN BE OBTAINED
BETWEEN CENTERS. INCREASE IN RELATIVE DENSITY IS
BETWEEN 20% - 40%.

qall AFTER TREATMENT IS USUALLY AROUND 2 - 3 kg/cm2

(COST ROUGHLY 2- 4 $/m3 USA RATE).

THE DESIGN OF A VIBROFLOATATION TREATMENT

REQUIRES SPECIFICATION OF THE DESIRED RELATIVE
DENSITY AND THE PATTERN AND SPACING OF VIBROFLOT
HOLES. A RELATIVE DENSITY OF AT LEAST 75 % HAS BEEN
A FREQUENTLY USED REQUIREMENT TO INSURE AGAINST
EXCESSIVE SETTLEMENT OR LIQUEFACTION, HOWEVER THE
VALUE SPECIFIED IS A FUNCTION OF THE TYPE OF PROJECT
AND THE LOCAL CONDITIONS.
D'APPOLONIA, MILLER AND WARE (1955) SUMMARIZE SOME OF
THEIR FINDINGS;

TRIANGULAR PATTERN PREFERRED DUE TO GREATEST

COMPACTION EFFORT OVERLAP.

D, IS NOT INCREASED ABOVE 70% AT POINTS MORE THAN 1

m FROM A SINGLE VIBROFLOT COMPACTION.

THE OVERLAPPING EFFECT FOR SPACINGS GREATER THAN

2.4 m IS SMALL.

SPACINGS LESS THAN 1.8 m SHOULD GIVE Dr HIGHER THAN

70 % WITHIN THE COMPACTED AREA.

THE EFFECT OF ADJACENT COMPACTIONS CAN BE

SUPERIMPOSED.

A PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING VIBROFLOT SPACING

REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A SPECIFIED Dr IS PRESENTED.
 WEBB & HALL (1968) ALSO DESCRIBE A SIMILAR METHOD
FOR SILTY AND CLAYEY SAND.

A SPACING OF 2.1 – 2.4 m IS OFTEN CHOSEN. CLEAN

COARSE SANDS AND COARSER SOILS MAY REQUIRE 2.4 m
OR MORE. FINER MATERIAL AND MATERIAL CONTAINING
CLAY INCLUSIONS MAY REQUIRE MUCH CLOSER SPACINGS.

RANGE (1.5 -3M) DEPENDS ON;

- TYPE OF SOIL AND BACKFILL
- PROBE TYPE AND ENERGY
- LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT REQUIRED
 2. VIBRATING PROBES

VIBRATORY PIPES OR PROBES MAY BE PUSHED INTO THE SOIL

TO DENSIFY THE SOIL LAYERS WITHOUT ADDING MATERIAL AT
DEPTH, ONLY SURFACE ADDITION IS DONE.

ANDERSON(1974) USES PILE VIBRO-DRIVER HAMMER ON TOP

OF A 0.76 m DIAMETER PIPE PILE (3-5 m LONGER THAN THE
DEPTH OF TREATMENT). TYPICAL APPLICATION
CHARACTERISTICS ARE; FREQUENCY 15 Hz, VERTICAL
AMPLITUDE 10-25 mm, APPROXIMATELY 15 Probes /hr, 1-3 m
SPACING, UPPER FEW METERS ARE NOT EFFECTIVELY
DENSIFIED.

SAITO (1977) USES AGAIN VIBRATORY PILE DRIVING HAMMER

AND VIBRO-RODS
 3. VIBRO - COMPOZER METHOD

COMPRESSED
AIR IS USED
INSIDE THE
CASING TO
HOLD SAND IN
PLACE WHILE
WITHDRAWING
THE CASING.
MURAYAMA
(1958)
4. SOIL VIBRATORY STABILIZING METHOD
(SVS)

IN SVS VERTICAL VIBRATION AND HORIZONTAL VIBRATION

ARE APPLIED. SIMILAR TO VIBROFLOT SAND BACKFILL

USED, WATER IS NOT USED.

 5. COMPACTION PILES

DENSIFICATION FROM TWO EFFECTS

1. DISPLACEMENT OF SOIL
2. VIBRATION DURING DRIVING

A CASING WITH DETACHABLE (LOST POINT) END

PLATE OR WITH A SPECIAL OPENING
MECHANISM AT THE TIP IS DRIVEN. BACKFILL IS
FILLED AS THE CASING IS WITHDRAWN.
USUALLY 0.9 - 1.5m SPACING IS USED. BETTER
IN FULLY SATURATED OR DRY SANDS.
FRANKI MACHINES AND TECHNIQUE ARE ALSO VERY
SUITABLE TO FORM SAND OR GRAVEL PILES.
IF THE PERMEABILITY OF THE SOIL IS NOT HIGH, SAND OR
GRAVEL PILES ALSO ACT AS DRAINAGE COLUMNS
SAND DRAINS TO ACCELERATE SETTLEMENTS ARE
DIFFERENT CONCEPT AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY

HORIZONTAL EXTENT OF THE COMPACTED ZONE ALONG

THE SHAFT IS ABOUT 5 RADII. FRANKI TECHNIQUE IS MORE
EFFECTIVE THAN A DRIVEN PIPE, MEYERHOF (1959).
 Sand compaction piles
The Sand Compaction Pile or (SCP) method
is used frequently in construction to form
compacted sand piles by vibration, dynamic
impact or static excitation in soft ground.
Originally developed in Japan to improve
stability or compressibility and to prevent
liquefaction failure in loose sand, the SCP
method is now often applied to soft clay
ground to ensure stability and reduce
ground settlement.