07 StoneColumns Wil

Offshore Stone Columns
Wilhelm Degen, Betterground (HK) Ltd.
Engineered Ground Improvement
Saturday, November 29, 14

Betterground has license and JV agreements in
Wilhelm L. Degen, son W. L. Degen invented the Wilhelm F. Degen and Franz Together with their Vibroflotation equipment dominated the Betterground Ltd. place with geotechnical specialty contractors
of Johann Degen, Stone Column method. Elchkorn developed the first father, Wilhelm F. Degen, Vibro Compaction market in Germany for (Switzerland) was founded in Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Croatia,
co-owner of Johann range of high performance Alexander M. Degen and lignite mining slope stability projects of in early 2009 and was Germany, Greece, Spain, UAE and other GCC
History of Betterground
Keller since 1920 and electrical Vibroflots, utilizing Wilhelm S. Degen set over 70m in depth, with a total volume of immediately joined by the countries, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru,
Managing Director and revolutionary internal up Vibroflotation AG, an over 1 billion cubic meters. most experienced technical Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Vietnam and
Chief Engineer of Keller design, facilitating a unique equipment manufacturing experts in the world. New Zealand.
until his death in 1970. penetration capacity, which facility in Switzerland. They
He owned numerous will enable this generation of developed the Gravel One of the first projects of
patents, including the machines to reach numerous Pump, the Vibro Stitcher Betterground equipment was
depth vibrator for Vibro world-depths record in the and the Marine Gravel the Palm Deira in Dubai, the
Compaction (together future. Pump together with largest Vibro Compaction
with Sergej Steuermann), designers Franz Eichkorn project in history
and various pioneering Expansion of the Vibroflotation and Beda Kälin.
Stone Column related companies into Germany and
patents. Far East .
HISTORY OF BETTERGROUND
1901-1970 1958 1978 1986 1994-2001 2009 2009 - 2013

1900 1938 1974 1980 1990 - 1996 2001 - 2009 2012 - 2013
Johannes Degen and the
children of Wilhelm L. Degen
sold their shares in the Keller
Group of companies after
continuous years of expansion.
Wilhelm. F. Degen (son of
Wilhelm L. Degen) bought
the Vibroflotation Foundation
Company, Pittsburgh, PA, from
Sergey Steuermann.
Soletanche Bachy took a 70% share

in The Vibroflotation Group and
Johann Degen bought the World record on deep vibro eventually took over the company in
Johann Keller Company compaction by Vibroflotation 2006 entirely. The relationship ended
in Germany in 1900 and at Jebba Dam, Nigeria in a three year non competition
managed its rise from a local Mr. Sergey Steuermann, Licence agreements undertaking by Wilhelm and Alexander
well drilling company to a co-inventor of the between Soletanche Degen during which both brothers
were consulting The Vibroflotation Betterground supports China Harbour
regional market leader,largely Vibroflot, left Germany S.A., in France and
Group on numerous international key Engineering Co. with low headroom offshore
expanding into the and set up the Vibroflotation AG and a
projects. stone column equipment, site supervision
surrounding countries. After Vibroflotation Foundation Joint venture between
and engineering support on the Hong Kong
his early death in 1903, his Company, Pittsburgh, Vibroflotation AG and
Boundary Crossing Facility project, With over
wife, old Mr. Keller and Johann PA, pioneering in Vibro Bachy-Soletanche were
one million linear meters of marine Stone
Degen’s brother Wilhelm Compaction in the USA. established in Hong Kong.
Columns, it is the largest project of its kind in
managed the company
history.
through hard times until its
transition to sons Johannes 2
and Wilhelm in 1920.

Design/Build: Building Blocks of Success
S a l es , Re n ta l , J oi n t Ve nt u re s 3


Betterground Ltd.
Specialized Equipment
Service & Repair
Methods Expertise


Soilmechanics GmbH Betterground Ltd.
Design Support Specialized Equipment
Tender Submittal Support Service & Repair
Quality Control Support Methods Expertise


Local Contractor


PROJECT
Local Contractor


PROJECT
Local Contractor

Financing
Standard equipment
Quality Control Support Methods Expertise Local market knowledge
Specialty equipment & service
Vibro Methods Expert
Soil mechanical design & site support


Betterground Clients, Partner Firms, and Licensees worldwide
• Arabic Peninsula: NSCC

• Austria, Germany: Porr AG
• Canada: Vancouver Piledriving
• Chile, Peru: Pilotes Terratest
• Croatia: GK Grupa
• Greece: Aktor
• Hong Kong: China Harbor Engineering Co.
• Russia: Geoizol
• Thailand: CetEau
• USA: Malcolm Drilling, Peter Kiewit & Sons, Earth Tech, Moretrench
• Worldwide JVs from case to case: BAUER Spezialtiefbau
• Singapore and Australia from case to case: McConnell-Dowell

1995: Chek Lap Kok Airport Platform
Bachy Soletanche uses Vibroflotation’s equipment to compact Chek Lap Kok Airport platform in Hong Kong.
5

2001: Penny’s Bay, Hong Kong
Bachy Soletanche uses Vibroflotation’s equipment and expert support to compact the reclamation sands to over 30 m depth through 17 m of compact fill above groundwater.
6


Installation of Stone Columns offshore.


• Introduction to land-based installation methods


• Explanation why the top feed stone column method does not work very well when carried out offshore.


• Description of novel Low Headroom Offshore Stone Column rig


• Example projects




Design purpose for offshore stone columns



• Slope stability, but also liquefaction prevention and static settlement reduction






Quality Control



Quality Control
• New Operator Guidance System assuring quality during installation phase



Quality Control
• Load testing of stone columns



Quality Control
• Soil sounding post treatment



Quality Control
• Soil sounding post treatment

Wet Top Feed Method: Why it doesn't work well under water





Dry Bottom Feed Stone Column Installation

Bottom Feed Skip Bucket Rig
A bucket (6) transports stones into hopper

(7) from where they fall through gate (9)
into receiver tank (5). From there the
stones fall into silo tube (4) and flow
ultimately through tremie pipe (3) into the
stone column (1).
The depth vibrator (2) pushes the stones

into the soil by vibration and up and down
11 movements of the rig via crane (11) and
lifting head (8).
10

stone column (1).

lifting head (8).
10

stone column (1).

lifting head (8).
10

stone column (1).

lifting head (8).
10

stone column (1).

lifting head (8).
10
Boleo Mining, Mexico - with Vancouver Piledriving Co.
11

Slope Stability with Stone Columns
Slope Stability
with Stone Columns
12

Slope Stability Repair
13

• Installed into slope with

reach > 70 m, hence no
need for installation
berms.
13


berms.
• 5 m wide zone on crest
enough for GP1 Transport
Unit.
13


berms.
Unit.
• Perfect gravel installation
log thanks to defined
volume gravel batches.
13


berms.
Unit.
• Columns drain AND
increase shear strength.
13


berms.
Unit.
• Capability to target larger
column diameter in soft
soils.
13


berms.
Unit.
• Capability to target larger
column diameter in soft
soils.
13

Gravelpump GP1
60
Marine stone columns - Patras (Greece)
15

15

15

Offshore Stone Columns: Port of Patras, Greece
16

BART Tunnel - View from the barge
17

2012: Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facility
18

Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facility - Status in April 2014
19

HKBCF Cross Section: Stone Columns over an approx. 70 wide zone under the slopes of the embankment
20

Layout of Treatment Area and zone of extremely low headroom
Total&Stone&Column&
Total Stone Column
=1,096,075 lin. m.
=&1,096,075&lin.m&
&
Extreme Low Headroom Areas
21

Land based rigs on crawler crane
Problem under Low

Headroom Conditions:
Non usable length
22
Betterground offshore rig for extreme and for moderate AHR requirement
Non usable
length = ZERO
Additional
submersible
length: 6 m
Non usable
length
23

Airport Height Restriction
24

24

24

24

Movie: Running 30 times faster
25

Wick Drains & Surcharge as preparation for later Stone Column treatment
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

1. Apply 2 m of fill
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

2. Install Wick Drains to only 10 m depth
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

3. Wait for 80% consolidation in wick drain treated zone
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

4. Install tapered stone columns
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

5. Fill to +2.5 mPD
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

5. Fill to +2.5 mPD
6. Wait for 50% consolidation in Stone Column zone
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

5. Fill to +2.5 mPD
6. Wait for 50% consolidation in Stone Column zone
7. Fill to +5.5 mPD and surcharge in Hinterland
5 10 15 20 25
0 Cu [kPa]
10
20
Depth [m]
26

Quality Control
27

Quality Control
• Visual inspection
27

Quality Control
• Digital records of installed column geometry
27

Quality Control
• Cone penetration test, vane shear test, before and after treatment
27

Quality Control
• Monitoring of induced settlement after treatment
27

Quality Control
• Full scale load test or very well instrumented smaller scale test
27

Quality Control
• Full scale load test or very well instrumented smaller scale test
27

Visual Inspection
Puerto Rico, Convention

Centre
28

Quality Control Recorder
29

30

What is better? “Ampere over Depth” OR “Ampere over Time” ?
31

0m
10 m
20 m
31

0m
10 m
20 m
31

0m
10 m
20 m
31

0m
10 m
20 m
31

Quality Control Record: Here with semi-automatic operator guidance system
Different installation targets

in the sand and silt:
Silt
Constant diameter column.
Sand
Column with good Ampere
response from soil, showing
good compaction, column
diameter not relevant but
target to achieve at least
75cm.
SILT
SAND
32

Load Testing
Load Testing
33

Surcharge load test: Can be done easily also for underwater treatment areas.
34

Zone load test using jack and dial gauges: Next to impossible to do under water
35
5 m x 5 m trial load with the aim to extrapolate the behavior of a large diameter (over 70 m) oil tank
36

Soil Sounding: Comparison SPT with CPT
37

Load Test 5 m x 5 m Plate and 150 kPa, Soil layering from CPT and borehole information
38
5 m x 5 m Trial Pad: Instrumentation necessary to gain information for back-calculation with Plaxis 3D
39

Plaxis 3D: Columns at working load level, outward deformation of perimeter columns already visible
40
Plaxis 3D: Stone Column Foundation at Ultimate Load
This sideways buckling does not happen

in a large area treatment like under an
embankment.
This here is a small footing with only 7
columns
41
Principal Stress Trajectories show stress attraction into columns
• Crosses show Sigma 1 (mainly ver4cal) and Sigma 3 (mainly horizontal) stresses.
• Under foo4ng Sigma 1 is 150 kPa, as it should be.
• In the upper Clay (purple) the stresses in the Columns reach 400 kPa.
• 400 kPa means stress concentra4on factor 400/150 = 2.66.
• In the silty and sandy soils stresses distribute almost equally between columns and soil.
• In the lower Clay (9.5 m down, blue layer) the columns again concentrate stresses on themselves.
42

Soil Sounding
Soil Sounding
43
CPT Testing after stone column installation in marine clays
44
44
44
44
• In Marine Clays Post CPTs instantly after treatment would not show any improvement of tip resistance as
this can be shown for the more sandy layers in the below example from Pier 400 in Los Angeles.
44
• In Marine Clays the instant improvement provided is accelerated drainage and instant increase in shear
strength of the compound material “Soil & Column”, not an increase in tip resistance of the soil itself.
44
• In Marine Clays the instant improvement provided is accelerated drainage and instant increase in shear
strength of the compound material “Soil & Column”, not an increase in tip resistance of the soil itself.
• Field vane tests, done months after treatment, can give valuable confirmation of soil strengthening.
44
Summary of this presentation
45

• Wet Top Feed Stone Columns are not recommended for offshore projects due to quality concerns.
45

• Extreme Airport Height Restriction requires custom built equipment. A few meters more height clearance
would go a long way in saving cost.
45

• In soft Marine Deposits tapered stone columns (in top thicker diameter than bottom) in combination with
wick drains and surcharge are a way to save time and cost.
45

• Under water visual inspection of columns is not possible. This makes logging of installation parameters
more important.
45

more important.
• To identify defective columns, printout of process parameters must be over time not over depth.
45

more important.
• The patented Betterground Operator Guidance System makes it obsolete to use operators with many
years of experience. Operators with zero stone column experience built equally good columns.
45

more important.
• Load testing of stone columns over a limited area needs to be well instrumented to allow for proper back
calculations with 3D simulation software.
45

more important.
• Load needs to be applied gradually and not instantly onto Stone Columns to allow for drainage of soil
around columns. It is the matrix of Soil & Columns that bears the load, not the columns alone.
45

more important.
• Load needs to be applied gradually and not instantly onto Stone Columns to allow for drainage of soil
around columns. It is the matrix of Soil & Columns that bears the load, not the columns alone.
45

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Offshore Stone Columns

Wilhelm Degen, Betterground (HK) Ltd.

Engineered Ground Improvement

Saturday, November 29, 14

1901-1970 1958 1978 1986 1994-2001 2009 2009 - 2013

Soletanche Bachy took a 70% share

Saturday, November 29, 14

Saturday, November 29, 14

Service & Repair

Saturday, November 29, 14

Soilmechanics GmbH Betterground Ltd.

Design Support Specialized Equipment

Tender Submittal Support Service & Repair

Quality Control Support Methods Expertise

Saturday, November 29, 14

Soilmechanics GmbH Betterground Ltd.

Design Support Specialized Equipment

Tender Submittal Support Service & Repair

Quality Control Support Methods Expertise

Saturday, November 29, 14

Soilmechanics GmbH Betterground Ltd.

Design Support Specialized Equipment

Tender Submittal Support Service & Repair

Quality Control Support Methods Expertise

Saturday, November 29, 14

Soilmechanics GmbH Betterground Ltd.

Design Support Specialized Equipment

Saturday, November 29, 14

• Arabic Peninsula: NSCC

Saturday, November 29, 14

Saturday, November 29, 14

Saturday, November 29, 14

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Design purpose for offshore stone columns

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Design purpose for offshore stone columns

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Design purpose for offshore stone columns

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Design purpose for offshore stone columns

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Design purpose for offshore stone columns

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.

Design purpose for offshore stone columns

Saturday, November 29, 14

Installation of Stone Columns offshore.