On settlement of stone column foundation by Priebe's method

Authors: S. Ellouze 1 ; M. Bouassida 2 ; L. Hazzar 3 ; H. Mroueh 4 Source: Proceedings of the ICE - Ground Improvement, Volume 163, Issue 2, pages 101 107 , ISSN: 1755-0750, E-ISSN: 1755-0769 Several contributions have been suggested to estimate the assumed linear elastic settlement of foundations on columnar reinforced soils. A number of authors have considered the so-called Priebe's method, which has been extensively used worldwide, and they have made suggestions especially for soft clays reinforced by stone columns. This paper first offers a critical analysis of the semi-empirical Priebe method by pointing out some inconsistencies related to assumptions made and the theoretical derivation of the settlement formula. A discussion of the limitation of Priebe's method for settlement estimation of foundations on soft soil reinforced by stone columns, with respect to other methods is included. Second, a comparison has been undertaken between predictions by Priebe's method and other design methods for three stone column projects in which some in situ data were recorded. On the basis of the studied case histories, it is concluded that recourse to other available and simple methods of design is more suitable than the use of Priebe's method.

The Design of Vibro Replacement

Heinz J. Priebe
Vibro Replacement is an accepted method for subsoil improvement, at which large-sized columns of coarse backfill material are installed in the soil by means of special depth vibrators. The performance of this composite system consisting of stone columns and soil, is not determinable by simple investigation methods like soundings, and therefore, such methods are not suitable for design purposes. However, theoretically, the efficiency of Vibro Replacement can be reliably evaluated. The method elaborated on a theoretical basis and described in this contribution, is easy to survey and adaptable to different conditions due to the separate consideration of significant parameters. Practically, it comprises design criteria for all frequently occurring applications 1 Introduction Vibro replacement is part of the deep vibratory compaction techniques whereby loose or soft soil is improved for building purposes by means of special depth vibrators. These techniques as well as the equipment required is comprehensively described elsewhere [1]. Contrary to vibro compaction which densifies noncohesive soil by the aid of vibrations and improves it thereby directly, vibro replacement improves non compactible cohesive soil by the installation of load bearing columns of well compacted, coarse grained backfill material. The question to what extent the density of compactible soil will be improved by vibro compaction, depends not only on the parameters of the soil being difficult to determine, but also on the procedure adopted and the equipment provided. However, the difficulty of a reliable prognosis is balanced by the fact that the improvement achieved can be determined easily by soundings. With vibro replacement the conditions are more or less revers. Considerable efforts only like large-scale load tests can prove the benefit of stone columns. However, a reliable conclusion can be drawn about the degree of improvement which results from the existence of the stone columns only without any densification of the soil between. This is possible because the essential parameters attributable to the geometry of the layout and the backfill material can be determined fairly good. In such a prognosis the properties of the soil, the equipment and the procedure play an indirect role only and that is mainly in the estimation of the column diameter. Basically, the design method described herewith was developed some twenty years ago and published already [3]. However, in the meantime it came to several adaptions, extensions

and supplements which justify a new and comprehensive description of the method. Nevertheless, the derivation of the formulae is renounced with reference to literature.

2
Heinz J. Priebe

It may be emphasized: The design method refers to the improving effect of stone columns in a soil which is otherwise unaltered in comparison to the initial state. In a first step a factor is established by which stone columns improve the performance of the subsoil in comparison to the state without columns. According to this improvement factor the deformation modulus of the composite system is increased respectively settlements are reduced. All further design steps refer to this basic value. In many practical cases the reinforcing effect of stone columns installed by vibro replacement is superposed with the densifying effect of vibro compaction, i.e. the installation of stone columns densifies the soil between. In this cases, first of all the densification of the soil has to be evaluated and only then - on the basis of soil data adapted correspondingly - the design of vibro replacement follows. 2 Determination of the Basic Improvement Factor The fairly complex system of vibro replacement allows a more or less accurate evaluation only for the well defined case of an unlimited load area on an unlimited column grid. In this case a unit cell with the areaA is considered consisting of a single column with the cross sectionAC and the attributable surrounding soil. Furthermore the following idealized conditions are assumed: The column is based on a rigid layer The column material is uncompressible The bulk density of column and soil is neglected Hence, the column can not fail in end bearing and any settlement of the load area results in a bulging of the column which remains constant all over its length.