SENSITIVITY OF GRANULAR PILE DIMENSION PARAMETERS TO

DEFORMATION RESPONSE OF SOFT GROUND UNDER BUILDING

LOAD
CDB
Research
College of
Design and Built Adamu Beyene , Ruhama Beyene, Hailemariam Merka Day
Environment Citation: A. Beyene, R. Beyene and H . Merka (2023). Sensitivity of granular pile dimension parameters to deformation response
of soft ground under building load . Applications in Engineering Science 17, 100169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apples.2023.100169

Introduction Methodology Results (Contd.)

• Granular pile (stone column) is one of the Materials used
Length • The deformation pattern
proven soil improvement mechanisms • Crushed aggregate and variation with depth
applied especially for reinforcement of Diameter • Clay soil and lateral offset is similar
compressible soils supporting light weight • Sand for all dimension
structures. The improvement performance Spacing
Methods applied parameters.
of granular piles is influenced by various
• Numerical (FEM)
• Variation in magnitude of
factors including the dimension parameters column length has minimal
• Site monitoring data
(length, spacing and diameter of the piles). effect on settlement
(Settlement gauges) Fig. 2. (a, b) Model geometry
• The effect of stone column dimension parameters (diameter, spacing Model processes and considerations
performance of stone
and length) on deformation performance of columns has been widely column reinforced soil mas.
documented in many literatures (Znamenskii et al. (2021), Wood et al. • Plaxis 3D model
(2000), Magnusson et al. (2015), Nehab et al. (2017), Znamenskii and • Geometry of the model (25m*50m*50m) Fig. 7. Spacing Vs Lat. deformation
Sayed (2019), Al-Obaydi1 and Al-Kazzaz (2020), Meshkinghalam et al. • Dimensions of the columns (spacing, diameter
and length) were varied with similar %.
(2017) , etc).
• Hardening Soil (HS) constitutive model
 However, the existing works on suitability of stone columns in
enhancing deformation performances of weak foundation soil are still
Simulation
limited to the following aspects: Clay without
Clay + Stone
of initial
stone column
 Superficial investigation of the effect of dimension parameters insitu columns +
+ Building
properties Building
on deformation responses. Fig. 3. (a, b,c) Deformed meshes

 No comparative analyses have been conducted on the clear

influence of variation in magnitude of the dimension
parameters on deformation of the soft foundation soils.
 None of the previously conducted studies has clearly identified
the most influential parameter to which deformation of the
reinforced ground is most sensitive.
Aims and Objectives
Investigating the effect of variation in
magnitude of the dimension
parameters (spacing, diameter &
length)
 Conducting comparative analysis
between effect of the three
Objectives
dimension parameters on
deformation of the clay mass
 Identifying the most influential
dimension parameter from
deformation reduction perspective
Phase1 Phase2
Results
Fig.4. Diameter Vs deformation.
 The three parameters (diameter,
spacing and length) have no same
effect on deformation magnitude.
 The magnitude of deformation is in
a direct relationship with spacing
but not with diameter and length of
the stone columns
Research Day
Phase3
Fig.9. Length Vs deformation.
 The magnitude of lateral
bulging undergoes visible
variation along the
embedment depth.
 Maximum lateral bulging was
observed at about one third of
the length from the surface.
Fig. 11. % improvement in
Fig. 10. % improvement in vertical
deformation
horizontal deformation
Conclusions
• Vertical deformation of the • Vertical deformation (settlement)
stone column reinforced of the stone column reinforced
clay mass is least sensitive clay mass is least sensitive to
to length of the columns. length of the columns.
• In case of lateral displacement, minimal degree of improvement
was obtained at the depth where magnitude of deformation is
maximum which is roughly at one third of the column length.
• For all considered • Column diameter is the second
dimensions of column, the influential dimension parameter in
highest degree of sensitivity affecting both vertical and lateral
was observed for the depths deformation of stone column
ranging from 6 m to 10 m. reinforced clay ground.
• Deformation response of the reinforced soil mass entirely along
depth of the embedment is most significant for variation in
spacing.