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Dynamic replacement columns with aggregate transition zone stabilized by

geosynthetics for embankment foundation over weak deposits

Conference Paper · September 2015

DOI: 10.1680/ecsmge.60678.vol3.221

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 Proceedings of the XVI ECSMGE
Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development
ISBN 978-0-7277-6067-8

© The authors and ICE Publishing: All rights reserved, 2015

doi:10.1680/ecsmge.60678

Dynamic replacement columns with aggregate

transition zone stabilized by geosynthetics for
embankment foundation over weak deposits
Les colonnes de remplacement dynamique avec une zone de
transition stabilisé d’une géosynthétique pour une fondation d’un
remblai construit sur le sol faible
J. Kawalec*1,3 and T. Warchał2
1
Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
2
Menard Polska, Warsaw, Poland
3
Tensar International s.r.o., Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic
* Corresponding Author
ABSTRACT Paper in form of Case Study discuss non-standard geotechnical application in form of high motorway embankment located
over weak deposits founded on columns made by dynamic replacement technology (DR) combined with transmission layer in form of ge-
omatresses – unbound aggregate stabilized with triaxial geogrids. Numerical analysis were made at design stage including deformations of
soil formations under embankment and geomatress layer. Effect of installation of dynamic replacement columns (DR) on stress & strain
behavior within transition zone was part of analysis. Additional unique aspect of this application is coming from man-made aggregate –
mining shales were approved for use to interact with geogrid in transmission layer over columns.

RÉSUMÉ Dans l’article sous la forme d'étude d’un cas on présente la solution géotechnique non-standard pour un haut remblai routier si-
tué sur un sol faible. On a utilisé pour les études des colonnes formées par une méthode d’échange dynamique liées avec une zone de tran-
sition sous la forme du géomatelas, c’est à dire - un granulat non lié stabilisé par une géogrille triangulaire. Au cours de la réalisation du
projet on a effectué les analyses numériques pendant lesquelles on a déterminé les déformations du sol situé au-dessous du remblai et du
géomatelas. Pendant les analyses on a pris en compte l’influence de la mise en œuvre de colonnes sur l'état de la contrainte et l’état de la
déformation dans la couche de transition. Donc, une solution qui est unique c’était l’utilisation un granulat anthropogénique (les schistes de
charbon) qui a coopéré avec une géogrille dans la zone de transition au-dessus des colonnes

1 INTRODUCTION 2 BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT

Infrastructure development in Poland in recent years
results in numbers projects where new technologies
or combinations of them being used widely. As many
lands where road infrastructure development is ongo-
ing are geotechnically degraded there is a need for
improvement technologies to be used. In industrial
areas of Poland it’s typical that man-made soils in
form of uncontrolled deposits are building relatively
thick surface layers. Such deposits in depth of several
meters are likely to be found by geotechnical reports
done prior to design stage of projects in area reserved
for road construction.
Project selected for further analysis was part of new
high speed, collision free road (G class) open to pub-
lic and toll free. Road has to connect industrial zone
of town with main motorway network providing both
heavy traffic and passenger traffic. Typical cross sec-
tion contains 2x2 lines, design speed of road was V d
= 120 km/h and max wheel load 115kN/axle. Part of
the road which is subject of interest is nearly 3 km
long. Design works started in 2005 however when
construction started in 2012 Contractor had option to
propose alternatives to optimize cost of original solu-

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Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development
tion. Presented application is result of such search for
alternatives which was approved by Client.
3 GEOTECHNICAL CONDITION UNDER
EMBANKMENT
Soil formation along the embankment at depth of 4-
13,5 m consist Miocene sediments in form of hard
plastic clays locally interbedded by sands. The above
is a series of Pleistocene and Holocene inseparable
non-cohesive sediments in form of coarse and medi-
um sands. The thickness of the layer is 0,40-10,20m.
At the top there is a non-continuous layer of organic
deposit in form of peat of thickness up to 1,1m.
Table 1. Derived geotechnical parameters of the layers from ge-
otechnical report.
The surface zone of natural soils is series of plastic
clays. At the top layer of man-made soils has 0,5-
2,0m thickness, however this uncontrolled man-made
layer is non-continuous. Ground water level is typi-
cally 1-4 m below surface.
Figure 1. Geological cross-section characteristic for area.
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4 DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD FOR SOIL
IMPROVEMENT BY STONE COLUMNS
INSTALLATION
Stone column allows, as in the case of gravel col-
umns, the elimination of large settlements and
providing additional bearing capacity to embank-
ment.
Due to larger diameter of stone columns vs gravel
columns (cca 2,0-2,5 m) formed in rapid process
there is no risk for column dehiscence in weak organ-
ic ground. Impacts of high energy allows partial re-
placement of weak soil on aggregate , while remain-
ing organic soils is compacted between columns
(density increase). Technology for dynamic replace-
ment stone columns makes large diameter columns in
a cohesive soil. In most cases columns are made up
to top of underlying layer with sufficient bearing ca-
pacity. Stone columns are formed by hammering ag-
gregate by heavy burden dropped down from a height
of 10 to 30 m directly into top of weak layer. Col-
umns are formed until final impact gives small set-
tlement versus prior one, what is an indicator of suf-
ficient bearing capacity. Schematic foundation of
stone columns is given on Fig.2.
Figure 2. Schematic foundation of stone columns.
Design for project implemented stone columns in
square grid with spacing of 4,5m x 4,5m with diame-
ter depending on the height of embankment accord-
ing to following schedule:
 Embankments up to 6m – diameter of approx. 2m
 Embankments between 6m and 10m – diameter
of approx. 2,25m
 Embankments up over 10m – diameter of approx.
2,5m.
 Kawalec and Warchał

Figure 5. Transmission layer for embankments between 6m and

10m.

Figure 3. Top of the 2,5 m diameter column.

To transfer load from embankment on columns

transmission layer has been design. The construction
of the transmission layer was made from man-made
aggregate – coal mining clayly shales stabilized by
triaxial geogrid layers with spacing depended on
height of embankment designed according to the fol-
lowing schedule:
Figure 6. Transmission layer for embankments over10m.

5 NUMERICAL ANALYSIS MADE AT DESIGN

STAGE

For the calculation of settlement and stress level in

single column used Finite Element Method. Calcula-
tions were carried out using PLAXIS software for
plastic Coulomb-Mohr soil model (Gaszyński at all
2006, Warchał 2013). This model describes soil be-
havior based on following parameters:
E- deformation modulus [MPa]
 - Poisson ratio [-]
Figure 4. Transmission layer for embankments up to 6m.  - internal friction angle []
c – cohesion [kPa]
 - dylatancy [].
Calculations were carried out for embankment
height of 14,4m.
FEM mesh build for analysis is shown on Fig. 7

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Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development

5.2 Results of other analysis – Factor of Safety

Figure 7. FEM mesh used for calculation.

Figure 8 shows the deformation of FEM mesh of

the embankment founded over improved soil by col-
umns with transmission layer in the operational phase
of the project.

Figure 11. Calculation of safety factor shows min. FoS=1,62.

Figure 8. FEM mesh used for calculation

5.1 Results of FEM analysis - settlements

The results of vertical subsidence during the con-
struction of road embankment and its operation are
presented on Fig. 9&10.

Figure 12. Additional check fot the stability factor calculated in

Slide 6.0 software based on the limit equilibrium states method
gives min. FoS=1,563 (Bishop).

6 CLAYEY MINING SHALES USED FOR

Figure 9. Total expected settlement during construction of em-
bankment s=12,45cm.
Figure 10. Total expected settlement of embankment during oper-
ation phase s=1,50cm.
TRANSMISSION ZONE
Coal mining waste, called also carbonaceous shales,
are separated from coal in preparation plants and then
sorted in waste heaps. This activity, that has been
lasting for several decades in line, has resulted in fact
that some of nearly 2 billion tons of shales have been
dumped in heaps in Silesia region of Poland. Usage
of coal mining waste in civil engineering as structural
material for earth structures is very important method
of liquidation of pollution.
Coal mining wastes are commonly used in Poland
in road building as parts of embankments, even of

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 Kawalec and Warchał

motorway embankments (Gryczmański at all 1997,

Kawalec 2011).
Characteristic parameters of material used for trans-
mission zones is given in Table 2.
Table 2. Physical characteristics of coal mining shales.
Parameter Results
dmax [mm] <150
U 6.3-38.7
fC [%] 7.2-12.3
wopt [%] 5.6-8.4
ρds [g/cm3] 1.83
HKB [m] 1.4-1.7
Frost resistance – mass loss 69
[%]

Figure 14. Some aggregate particles could penetrate through aper-

ture of geogrids in plane and become fully interlock after compac-
tion process is done.

In detail the concept is based on assumption that

Figure 13. Installation of the transmission layer made from man-
made aggregate stabilized with geogrids.
7 GEOGRIDS USED FOR STABILIZATION OF
THE AGGREGATE - TRANSMISSION
LAYER CONCEPT
The concept of the transmission layer stabilized by
geogrids is based on practical experiences on how
aggregate stabilized by triaxial geogrids performs.
Mechanically Stabilized Layer (MSL) of aggregate is
widely known term for geogrid applications. It was
observed also on several construction sites that ag-
gregate layers stabilized by geogrid performs equally
to semi-rigid structures under applied load. This phe-
nomenon makes foundation for transmission layer
concept.
both stone columns and stabilized transmission layer
could act as much stiffer elements than soils however
they are at the same time they are flexible enough to
allow local displacement resulting in low stress and
strains within layer. The transmission layer could be
compared to flexible (or crushed) plate under em-
bankment allowing deformations, significantly reduc-
ing settlement and transfers large part of load on col-
umns.
This concept would not work with stiff elements
like piles under embankment.
Stabilization is provided to aggregate layer thanks
to grains interlocking within geogrid aperture
(Rakowski at all 2009; Kawalec 2010). Due to open
nature of geogrid numbers of grains are stabilized in
plane at geogrid level followed by the same phenom-
enon at next geogrid level. Transmission layer is al-
ways a multilayer structure. Important practical sug-
gestion is to not position geogrid at level directly on
top of columns, first aggregate layer over columns
should be without geogrid at bottom. In analyzed
project first geogrid was placed 50 cm above stone
columns.

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 Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development
8 OBSERVATIONS TO DATE ON
EMBANKMENT PERFORMANCE
Settlement observations showed stabilization few
months after embankment was constructed
Figure 15. Settlement propagation during construction stages
The total settlement measured to date was around
value calculated at design stage what indicates that
both model and calibration used for analysis were se-
lected properly. The estimation accuracy was satis-
1516
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factory both to Client and Designer and could be
considered as sufficient engineering approach.
9 CONCLUSUION
Combination of technologies of dynamic replacement
columns with transmission layer stabilized by ge-
ogrid has demonstrated its practical potential.
REFERENCES
Gaszyński, J., Gwóźdź,-Lasoń, M. 2006. A numerical study of de-
formation and stress behavior of the subsoil reinforced by gravel
columns, Proceedings, XIII Danube-European Conference on Ge-
otechnical Engineering (Eds. Logar, J., Gaberc, A, Majes, B.) 221-
225. Slovenian Geotechnical Society, Ljubljana.
Gryczmański, M., Kawalec, B. & Kawalec, J. 1997. Coal mining
waste as a structural material in polish civil and water engineering
The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management, Phila-
delphia, 23-30.
Kawalec, J. 2001 In situ tests as the method of strength parameters
determination for mining waste, Proceedings, International Con-
ference “In situ 2001”, Bali (Eds. Rahardjo, P. P., Lunne, T.).
Kawalec, J. 2010 “Stabilisation of the subsoil with geogrids (in
Polish), Inżynieria Morska i Geotechnika 4, 522-530.
Rakowski, Z., Kawalec, J. 2009 Mechanically stabilized layers in
road construction, Proceedings, XXVII International Baltic Road
Conference Via Baltica, Section A2 Road Construction.
Warchał, T. 2013. Technology project to strengthen the subsoil
under road embankments. Technology: Stone Columns. Menard
Polska sp. z o. o.