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Ground improvement is the most imaginative field of geotechnical engineering. It is a field in which the engineer forces the ground to adopt the project's requirements, by altering the natural state of the soil, instead of having to alter the design in response to the ground's natural limitations. The results usually include saving in construction cost and reduction of implementation time. There are number of techniques available for improving the mechanical and engineering properties of the soil. However, each technique has some limitations and suit abilities to get maximum improvement in the soil conditions with minimum effort. Some of the important techniques are discussed in this paper. To improve the strength of the soils, especially in case of granular type of soils, COMPACTION METHODES are found as best methods among all type of techniques. Based on the mechanism applied for compacting the soil, it is sub divided into different methods like dynamic compaction, blasting, vibro techniques ...etc.These are briefly discussed in this paper. When there are some limitations encountered for applying the above technique, grouting techniques, stabilization of soil using different admixtures can be adopted effectively which can bring variations in the soil conditions. The various types of above techniques are briefly discussed in this paper. Finally, recent advancements in ground improving techniques using GEOTEXTILES, ELECTRIC TREATMENT METHODES are also briefly discussed in this paper. These techniques are widely used in these days.
2. INTRODUCTION:
Large civil engineering projects are being executed in all over the country in order to enhance the infrastructure of the country. Infrastructure facilities have to be often built at sites where the soil conditions are not ideal. The insitu soil characteristics of a construction site are different from those desired, and almost always far from ideal for a designed need. With increased urban development, site with favorable foundation conditions became depleted. At times the civil engineer has been forced to construct structures at site selected for reasons other than soil conditions. Thus it is increasingly important for the engineer to know the degree to which soil properties may be improved or other alterations that can be thought of for construction of an intended structure at stipulated site. If unsuitable soil conditions are encountered at the site of a proposed structure, one of the following four procedures may be adopted to insure satisfactory performance of the structure. By pass the unsuitable soil by means of deep foundations extending to a suitable bearing material. Redesign the structure and it's foundation for support by the poor soil. This procedure may not be feasible or economical. Remove the poor material and either treat it to improve and replace it (or) substitute for it with a suitable material. Treat the soil in place to improve its properties. Rigid foundations such as piling present a solution but these are often expensive. In such circumstances, ground improvement using different techniques offers a proved and economic solution. At present a variety of soil improvement techniques are available for making soil to bear any type of structure on it and also for mitigation of seismic hazards. The costs of these methods vary widely and the conditions under which they can be used are influenced by nature and proximity of structures and construction facilities.
Removal and replacement is generally practical only above the ground water table. Earthwork operations become more difficult when the soil is very wet, even when the free water pumped out, and thus are generally avoided unless absolutely necessary.
have unacceptable environmental impacts (i.e., dust, noise, traffic) on the adjacent areas. The surcharge must remain in place for months or years, thus delay in construction.
3.3.1.1VIBRO COMPACTION:
Vibro compaction is a method for compacting deep granular soils by repeatedly inserting a vibratory probe. It is also known as VIBRO DENSIFICATION. By inserting depth vibrators, the vibrations are produced by rotating a heavy eccentric weight with the help of an electrical motor with in the vibrator. The vibratory energy is used to rearrange the granular particles in a denser state. Penetration of the vibro probe is typically aided by water jetting at the tip of the probe.
Some of advantages and disadvantages of this method are given below. It is often an economical alternative to deep foundations, especially when considering the added liquefaction protection in seismic areas.
Figure3: Vibro flotation process The advantages of vibro flotation are; Vibro flotation is most effective in clear granular soils with the fine contents less than 20% and clay contents below 3%. Vibro flotation has been used successfully to density soils to deep [this of up to 115 ft.]
Relative Effectiveness
Excellent Marginal to good Poor Not applicable Good (if granular) Depends upon nature of fill Not applicable
Where, C= coefficient ranging from 0.5 to 0.75 M= mass in Mg H= height of drop in m While using the dynamic method, care shall be taken that harmful vibrations are not transferred to the adjacent buildings. The radius of influence (R) in meters beyond which no harmful vibrations are transmitted can be determined from the relation. R=130(MH) Where, M= mass in Mg H= height of drop in m Dynamic Compaction is normally used under the following circumstances:
To increase in-situ density and in this way improve the bearing capacity and consolidation characteristics of soils (or waste materials) to allow conventional foundation and surface bed construction to be carried out. The technique typically improves the in-situ soils such that allowable bearing pressures of up to 250 Kpa can be used with foundation settlements of the order of 10 to 20 mm.
To increase in-situ density and in this way improve in-situ permeability and/or reduce liquefaction potential
What soils are suitable? Most soil types can be improved, including silts and some clays. The most commonly treated soils are old fills and granular virgin soils. Soils below the water table are routinely treated. However, careful control has to be used to allow dissipation of excess pore pressures created during the weight dropping.
3.3. 3. BLASTING:
Blasting densification involves the detonation of multiple explosive charges vertically spaced at 10 to 20 ft apart in drilled or jetted bore holes. The bore holes are usually spaced between 15 to 50 ft apart and back filled prior to detonation. The efficiency of densification process can be increased by detonating the charges at different elevations at small time delays. Immediately after detonation, the ground surface rises & gas & water are expelled from fractures. The ground surface then settles as the excess gas & water pressure dissipates. Two or three rounds of blasting are often used to achieve the desired degree of densification. The depth upto which the blast is effective is limited to about 25m. The uppermost zone of the soil upto a depth of about 1m gets displaced in a random manner and is, therefore, not properly densified. This zone should be compacted using the conventional methods by rollers.
Explosive charges usually consist of about 60% dynamite and 30% special gelatin dynamite and ammonite. The charges are placed at two-thirds the thickness of the stratum to be densified. The spacing of the explosive points is kept between 3 to 8m. Three to five blasts are generally required at each location. The radius of influence (R) of compaction can be determined using the relation R=(M/C)1/3 Where, R=Radius of influence in m M= mass of charge in kg C= Constant (= 0.04 for 60% dynamite) Blasting is most effective in loose sands that contain less than 20% silt and less than 5% clay. Although blasting is quite economical, it is limited by several considerations, as it produces strong vibrations that may damage near by structures or produce significant ground movements.
Fine grained soils with sufficient permeability to allow excess water to dissipate best suits for compaction grouting.
It has also been used successfully in a wide variety of soils and fills.
Grouting techniques involve of cementitious materials into voids of the soil or into fractures in the soil so that the particle structure of the majority of the soil remains intact. Mixing techniques introduce cementitious materials by physically mixing them with the soil, completely disturbing the particle structure of the soil. Grouting and mixing techniques tend to be expensive but can often be accomplished with minimal settlement or vibration.
3.6.1MECHANICAL STABILIZATION:
Mechanical stabilization is the process of improving the properties of soil by changing its gradation. Two (or) more types of natural soils mixed to obtain composite which is suspension to any of its components. To achieve the desired grading, sometimes the soil with coarse aggregate are added or the soils with fine particles are removed. Mechanical stabilization is also known as granular stabilization.
reactive in gradients.
3.7. GEOTEXTILES:
Soil conditions can be improved in an excellent manner by using geo textiles. Geotextiles are porous fabrics manufactured products and others such as polyester ,polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinylchloride, nylon, fiber glass and various mixtures of these. These are having permeabilities comparable in range from
coarse gravel to fine sand. Geotextiles have been used in a variety of civil engineering works. Thus in the selection of a proper geotextile, due importance has to be given to the major function that the geotextile is intended to perform. These are majorly used as follows. 1. They acts as separators between two layers of soils having a large difference in particle size to prevent migration of small size particles into the voids of large size particles 2. They act as filter. When the silt laden turbid water passes through the geotextile, the silt particles are prevented from movement by the geotextile. 3. Geotextiles themselves function as a drain because they have a high water transporting capacity than that of the surrounding material. 4. They serve as REINFOREMENT in soil since they are a good in tensile strength.
Figure8: Geotextiles
4. CONCLUSION:
1. Unfavorable soil conditions can frequently be improved using soil improvement techniques. A variety of soil improvement techniques have been developed. However a suitable technique has to be adopt according to necessity of the structure and economy. 2. Mainly soil improvement techniques can be divided in to four broad categories; Densification technique, Reinforcement technique, grouting or mixing technique and stabilization technique. 3. Densification is probably the most commonly used soil improvement technique. Most densification techniques relay on tendency of granular soils to densify when subjected to vibrations. However there is a possibility of damaging adjacent structures and pipelines due to application of this technique. 4. Reinforcement techniques introduce discrete inclusions that stiffen and strengthen a soil deposit. The high stiffness and strength of the inclusions also tend to reduce the stresses imposed on the weaker material between the inclusions. 5. Grouting techniques involve the injection of cementitious materials into the voids of the soil or into fractures of the soil, so that the particle structure of the majority of soil remains inject. In permeation grouting, very low viscosity grouts are injected intothe voids of the soil with out disturbing the soil structure. In intrusion grouting, thicker and more viscous grouts are injected under pressure to cause controlled fracturing of the soil. 6. Now a days, geotextiles are extensively used for improving the soil conditions. These have multiple applications as they act as filters, reinforcement, separations...etc.
5. REFERENCES:
1. 2. 3. 4.
Geotechnical Engineering Principles & Practices by Donald P.Coduto Foundation Design & Cinstruction by M.J.Tomlinson. Geotechnical Engineering by Purshotham raj Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering by Steven L.Kramar.