Compaction piles
INTRODUCTION:
Sand compaction piles are one of the potential methods for improving ground stability, reducing
settlements and similar applications.
This method involves driving a hollow steel
pipes into the ground.
The bottom is closed with a collapsible plate
down to the required depth and then pipe is
filled with sand.
The pipe is withdrawn while the air pressure
in directed against the sand against the sand
inside it.
These piles are used to compact loose soils,
thus increasing the bearing capacity.
The SCP do not carry any load, hence they
are of weaker material (sand)
CASE STUDY: ALHALFAYA BRIDGE EAST APPROACH ROAD EMBANKMENT
Building and Road Research Institute, University of Khartoum, Sudan
Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Khartoum, Sudan
ABSTRACT:
• Investigate the suitability of weak foundation soils for supporting 12m high bridge.
• SOIL TYPE: Soft silty clays and very loose alluvial soil up to 15m depth.
• This type of soil possesses low bearing capacity and undergo large settlement under the load of
the bridge to be constructed.
• Therefore a proposal of sand compaction piles is done in order to increase the geotechnical
characteristics.
• Resolved by installation of sand piles of 1.1 m diameter spaced at 2.5 m interval distances in
square pattern.
• This SCP found to improve the bearing capacity of the originally weak foundation by 190%
• Also reduces the stress of soil liquefaction during an earthquake event.
INTRODUCTION:
• The problem related to the design and construction of tall bridge on a weak and compressible soil have lead to the
development of new techniques like SCP.
• Associates with the construction on weak soil.
• It is a major bridge project linking the two banks of the river Nile or its tributary.
• It aims at evaluating the safety of an embankment constructed on a weak alluvial soil having low bearing capacity.
• LOCATION: Alhalfaya area in Africa.
APPLICATIONS: GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN:
• SCP acts as a drain and also reduces the time for
• the main geotechnical aspect that should be
consolidation of soil to occur.
considered while the construction of embankment of
• It also decreases the soil potential to liquefy during an
the bridge is:
earthquake.
• Sand is often radially available near any construction
1. Shear strength and bearing capacity of the soil
site and its also considered less expensive than other
2. Soil deformation
processed materials like crushed stones.
3. Embankment stability
• Either bottom feed stone column equipment or sand
4. Soil liquefaction
compaction pile equipment's are used for construction.
• for this reason SCP method was used to improve the
foundation soils under embankment.
Experimental Program Details Analysis and Discussion of Study Results
Experimental Program Details Analysis and Discussion of Study Results
A geotechnical investigation consisting of
Drilling boreholes, The soil profile (soil types and
performing cone penetration tests(CPT), stratification) the safety of foundation soils
conducting laboratory tests. and embankment against bearing capacity
on representative soil samples was carried out and settlement and slope stability and
liquefaction probability are discussed for
the naturally occurring soils before being
subjected to any type of improvement.
Soil Profile
DEPTH SOIL TYPES AND GROUPS
(M)
1 SILTY CLAY, CL
2 SILTY CLAY , CL
3 CLAYEY SILT, ML
4 CLAYEY SILT, ML
5 SILTY CLAY, CL
6 CLAYEY SILTY SAND AND SM
7 SILTY SAND AND SP
8 SILTY SAND AND SP
9 SILTY SAND AND SP
10 FINE SAND WITH A FEW GRAVEL, SP
11 FINE SAND WITH A FEW GRAVEL, SP
12 FINE SAND WITH A FEW GRAVEL, SP
13 FINE SAND WITH A FEW GRAVEL, SP
14 WEATHERED LIMESTONE, CL
Bearing Capacity of Foundation Soils
To estimate the bearing
capacity of the soils on which
embankment was
constructed, the test results
obtained from the SPT, CPT
and laboratory tests were
used in the analysis.
Three different methods of
predicting the soil bearing
capacity were considered-
Zein method
Meyerhof Method
Fugro Engineering Method It may be noted that down to the depth of about 9m below
ground level, the allowable bearing capacity values are
much lower than the actual stresses which are expected
to be imposed on the foundation soils due to the
construction of the embankment.
The variations of the actual stresses with depth were
also plotted in solid line.
Evaluation of the Sand Compaction Piles Technique for Improving Stability and Performance
of Alhalfaya Bridge Eastern Approach Embankment
Sand Compaction Piles Design Effect of SCP Installation on Soil Bearing Capacity
• Sand piles of 1.1m diameter and 2.5m spacing, the • For the soil bearing capacity evaluation:
volume of sand required to be installed per unit
depth, will be equal to 0.938m3/m depth for the • the bearing capacities of uniform clay ground
square pattern. and uniform sand piles are first calculated.
1.1 m dia 2.5 m 1.1 m dia • then the bearing capacity of SCP improved
ground is calculated.
Bearing capacity - less
9m
Natural soil Bearing capacity - more
Effect of SCP on Foundation Soils Settlement
final consolidation settlement of = consolidation settlement of X reduction factor
improved ground the original ground before
improvement
• The SCP treated foundation soil and was found to be 0.65
Effect of SCP on Slope Stability of Embankment Section
• The factor of safety (FS) against sliding was found to be 3.64.
• This value of safety factor is much greater than that computed for the untreated soil foundation.
• indicating a 155% degree of improvement in the slope stability of the embankment.
Effect of SCP on Soil Liquefaction Potential
• The improved soil falls in zone IV, indicating that it has a very low potential for liquefaction during an earthquake
event
• Before treatment by SCP method identified as falling within zone I which has very high possibility of liquefaction.
Conclusions
• This study investigates the suitability of the “sand compaction piles, SCP” method for improving the geotechnical
characteristics of weak alluvial deposits under a high earth embankment without experiencing failure or
undergoing successive soil deformations.
.
1. The bearing capacity of foundation soils after the improvement was found to be 250 kN/m2 .
2. The degree of improvement developed for local soils ranged between 30% and 370% for the different
soil layers with an overall average of 190%.
3. The consolidation settlement improved ground decreased by 35% after SCP treatment.
4. The factor of safety for embankment side slopes stability of the improved ground increased by 155% of
the value computed for natural subsurface conditions.
5. The soil potential for liquefaction has been reduced considerably due to SCP installation such that the
composite soils changed from highly liquefiable to that of a very low potential for liquefaction during
an earthquakes.
