Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111

www.elsevier.com/locate/compgeo

Improved soft clay characteristics due to stone column installation

Z. Guetif a, M. Bouassida a,*
, J.M. Debats b

a
Geotechnical Engineering Research Team, 05/UR/11-06, National Engineering School of Tunis, BP 37 Le Belvédère 1002 Tunis, Tunisia
b
The vibroflotation Group, 1445 Chemin des Lauves, 13100 Aix en Provence, France

Received 12 July 2005; received in revised form 20 September 2006; accepted 29 September 2006
Available online 18 January 2007

Abstract

A method is proposed for evaluating the improvement of the Young modulus of soft clay in which a vibrocompacted stone column is
installed. By considering a composite cell model a numerical analysis is carried out using Plaxis software to simulate the vibrocompaction
technique, which leads to a form of primary consolidation of the soft clay. For the numerical simulation Mohr Coulomb perfect plastic
behaviour is considered for the improved soil constituents. From numerical results the degree of improvement of the Young modulus soft
clay has been estimated. Also, the zone of influence of the improved soft clay has been predicted.
 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Consolidation; Composite cell; Young modulus; Improvement; Numerical simulation; Soft clay; Stone column; Vibrocompaction

1. Introduction treatment. As examples measured undrained shear strength

The degree of improvement of a soft soil by stone col-
umns is due to two factors. The first one is inclusion of a
stiffer column material (such as crushed stones, gravel,
and so alike. . .) in the soft soil. This is largely reported in
the literature [1–6]. The second factor is the densification
of the surrounding soft soil during the installation of the
vibrocompacted stone column itself and the subsequent
consolidation process occurring in the soft soil before the
final loading of improved soil. The experimental work per-
formed by Wattes et al. [7], and Vautrain [8] verifies that
the installation of vibrocompacted stone columns leads to
an improvement of the in situ soft soil characteristics
and, consequently, enhances the load displacement
response of the reinforced soil.
In addition, from field observations, it was reported the
mechanical characteristics (Young modulus, undrained
cohesion, etc. . . .) of the in situ soft soil surrounding stone
columns were much higher than those measured before
*
Corresponding author. Fax: +216 71 872729.
E-mail addresses: mounir@lmsgc.enpc.fr, mounir.bouassida@enit.
rnu.tn (M. Bouassida).
values were provided by Vautrain [8], and recorded mea-
surements at the vicinity of the column at various depths
of the surrounding soft clay were reported by Al-Khafaji
and Craig [9]. Alamgir and Zaher [10] and Sanglerat [11]
illustrated, in natural and reinforced soft ground, that the
standard penetration resistance of the soft ground has been
increased significantly after a stone column installation.
N-value ranges from 2 to 7 for natural ground but it
increases from 5 to 12 in the reinforced soft ground. A sig-
nificant increase, averaging three times pre-treatment val-
ues in number of blows, was measured in a cohesive soil
at one meter distance from the column centre, Wattes
et al. [7]. Also a higher increase happened within a granular
soil in similar conditions. Vane test results recorded before
and after an embankment construction on soft clay rein-
forced by columns showed up similar improvement of soft
soil characteristics [12]. From measurements recorded at
different distances from the column centre it has been
checked the decrease of column installation effect as the
radial distance increases.
For a better illustration field data are plotted in the dia-
gram ‘‘normalized soil characteristics versus the normal-
ized depth’’. Focusing in Fig. 1, where z and Hc denote,

0266-352X/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.compgeo.2006.09.008
 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111
Nomenclature
Notations
E0 drained Young modulus
p00 effective mean stress
q deviatoric stress
r0r effective radial stress
r0z effective vertical stress
respectively, the depth, from the top of level ground, and
column’s length, it is shown the range where improvement
of soft soil characteristics takes place at different locations
around the column with radius rc. In terms of mean values
the improvement effect in the soft soil ranges from 1.5 to 5
times the pre-treatment values. The degree of soft soil
improvement depends obviously on the soil type.
Not taking this improvement into account may lead, in
the corresponding design methods, to an overestimation of
the required quantities of column material.
Although the improvement of soft soil characteristics is
currently determined from field data it is interesting to pre-
dict it from laboratory test results. Indeed, a large number
of laboratory tests has been performed, for example oedo-
metric and triaxial tests, to prove the increase of Young
modulus as a function of consolidation stress, Biarez
et al. [13].
It should be said that the soil improvement effect has not
been widely discussed in the geotechnical literature as done
by Almeida et al. [12] and Shen et al. [14]. One reason for
this may be that neither numerical nor analytical methods
exist to estimate the improvement of soft soil characteris-
tics by means of the vibrocompacted column installation.
However, Greenwood [15] proposed an empirical design
method for estimating the reduction of settlement of rein-
forced soil taking into account the installation process of
stone columns.
The main goal of this paper is to estimate, particularly,
the increase of Young modulus occurring after a column
Normalized undrained cohesion and SPT values
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 also contributes to the improvement of characteristics of
Cu / Cu0 (r = 48rc), Al-Khafaji et al [9]
Cu / Cu0 (r = 10rc), Al-Khafaji et al [9]
z
Cu1 / Cu0 Almeida et al [12]
Hc
N-values / N0 Alamgir et al [10]
Cu2 / Cu0 Almeida et al [12]
Cu /Cu0 Vautrain [8]
1
Fig. 1. Soil improvement effect from field data.
105
er radial strain
c total unit weight
c0 drained cohesion
u0 friction angle
k coefficient of permeability
K0 coefficient of earth lateral pressure at rest
installation in soft clay. For this purpose a numerical sim-
ulation of column installation process is proposed to ana-
lyze the increase of the stiffness of in situ soft soil in
which a vibrocompacted stone column is installed. With
the proposed simulation an attempt of evaluation of the
improved Young modulus of the soft clay is provided
and the extent of the influenced zone where such improve-
ment takes place is determined.
This paper is presented in the following sequences. First,
the simulation of the column installation in soft clay by
means of vibrocompaction technique is introduced. Next,
an explanation is given concerning the adopted process to
evaluate the increase of Young modulus of soft clay. Sub-
sequently, the evolution of the state of stress is presented.
Conclusions are drawn from the obtained results in this
study and further developments of this research are also
suggested.
2. Adopted methodology
As reported in several contributions, contrarily to the
important increase in strength of granular soils owing to
vibratory action of the probe, the significant increase of
soft soils characteristics is only due to the radial displace-
ment from the expansion of the column toward the sur-
rounding soil.
The lateral expansion of a vibrocompacted column
installation is immediately followed by the dissipation of
excess pore water pressures generated in soft clay. Conse-
quently an increase of the effective stresses is recorded
within the column and the surrounding soft clay, Wattes
et al. [7]. Consequently, it is expected that, after the pri-
mary consolidation process, the expansion of the column
the surrounding soft clay. Indeed, from pressuremeter tests,
carried out before and after columns installation, a signif-
icant increase of the pressuremeter modulus has been
noticed in soft clay, Vautrain [8].
Moreover, from laboratory tests the dependence
between the state of stress and stiffness modulus of soils
has been showed by Biarez et al. [13] and Long [16]. As
an example, from triaxial tests data, carried out at the
National Engineering School of Tunis on reconstituted
Tunis soft clay, the increase of soil stiffness as a function
of the consolidation stress has been observed. Fig. 2 shows
the increase of stiffness modulus (taken as the initial slope
106 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111

140
σ3=20 kPa
In Eq. (1) E (E0) and p0 ðp00 Þ designate, respectively, the
σ3=60 kPa
Young modulus and effective mean stress, p0 ¼ ðr0r þ
120
r0h þ r0z =3Þ, of the soil. The exponent m represents the rela-
deviatoric stress (σ1−σ3) (kPa)

σ3=120 kPa
100
80
60
40
20
0 equals the half of failure stress. For normally consolidated
0 1
vertical strain ε (%)
Fig. 2. Deviatoric stress versus vertical strain in soft clay during
consolidated drained triaxial test, [17].
of the stress–strain curve) along with the applied effective
confining pressure during the consolidation phase of con-
solidated drained triaxial test, Tounekti et al. [17].
Fig. 3 clearly illustrates the dependence between the
state of stress and oedometric modulus of soft clay.
Eoed ðEref 0 0ref
oed Þ and rz ðrz Þ designate, respectively, the oedo-
metric modulus and the consolidation stress. The super-
script ‘‘ref’’ indicates a given reference (or initial) state.
In Fig. 3, the increase of oedometric modulus as a function
of the consolidation stress can be approximately fitted, in
the range of small deformation, with a good linear
regression.
Based on these experimental observations, the improve-
ment of stiffness modulus for soils would be generally
deduced from experiments in which the dependence
between stiffness modulus and state of stress is formulated
by the following power law as suggested in [13]:
 0 m
E p
¼ ð1Þ
E0 p00
6 Sample (1)
Sample (2)
Sample (3)
5 column project investigated by Namaa Engineering and
4
oed
/Eref
tionship between the normalized modulus and that of the
corresponding effective mean stress. For sands and silts dif-
ferent values of parameter m are suggested in the range
0.5 < m < 1. For normally consolidated clays and sands in-
stead of E0 it is recommended to use the secant modulus
E50 as reference value of Young modulus [18]. From
stress–strain curve recorded from a classical triaxial test
the secant modulus E50 corresponds to the deviatoric stress
2 3 4
clays, as specified in Plaxis users’ manual, it is recom-
mended to take m = 1. In this case, from Eq. (1) a linear
relationship is obtained between normalized stiffness mod-
ulus and effective mean stress. Therefore, the evolution of
Young modulus during consolidation of soft clay is that
predicted from the effective mean stress distribution.
Based on this reasoning, the simulation of vibrocom-
pacted column installation within soft clay is investigated
using a composite cell model. Then, the evolutions of the
effective mean stress immediately after the column installa-
tion and during the period of primary consolidation taking
place in the soft clay are predicted.
A numerical analysis is undertaken by using the com-
puter software Plaxis [18] where the stone column installa-
tion is simulated as the expansion of a cylindrical cavity
within soft clay. The proposed analysis is developed to
examine the behaviour of improved soil, on one hand,
immediately after column installation and, on the other
hand, during a given period of the primary consolidation
process involved in the surrounding saturated soft clay
before final loading.
3. Composite cell model
The composite cell model has been widely considered by
many researchers to investigate several aspects of rein-
forced soils by columns: increase of bearing capacity, pre-
diction of settlement reduction and evolution of soil
consolidation [4,5,19,20].
In the present study, the data are taken from the stone
Consultation S.A.E, [21]. The soil profile is made up of a
soft clay layer with 12.25 m thickness covered by a sandy
layer of 12.75 m thickness. The data presented in [21]

revealed higher mechanical characteristics for the under

oed

layer located beyond the soft clay. Therefore, this lower

E

3
base of the soil profile is assumed as rigid stratum (see
Fig. 4).
2
The soft clay is expected to be reinforced with vibro-com-
pacted stone columns with 1.1 m diameter. The natural
1 characteristics of the in situ soft clay and the column mate-
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
, ,ref rial used in this project are given in Table 1. For the consti-
σz / σz
tutive column material the convenient choice that is well
Fig. 3. Variation of normalized modulus versus normalized consolidation graded non-treated gravel justifies its low drained cohesion
stress from oedometer test. and reliable friction angle value. As recommended in
 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111 107

z Since stone columns are installed in a short period of

5m time the expansion process is considered to occur in
1m undrained conditions. Along the thickness of soft clay layer
compacted sand
a numerical procedure called ‘‘Dummy material’’ is per-
12.75m formed to simulate this installation where the column is
considered to behave as a cylindrical cavity subjected to
lateral expansion. The numerical procedure called
1.1m
soft clay ‘‘Dummy material’’ consists, firstly, in modelling the cylin-
A A' 12.25m
drical hole occupied by the vibroprobe with radius of
0.25 m (which is a typical value with the wet-top-feed tech-
nique) by a fictitious purely elastic material having a weak-
Impervious 1.42m
Boundary
est Young modulus i.e. Edm = 20 kPa (see Fig. 5a). Then,
along the border of cylindrical hole the soft clay is sub-
Fig. 4. Composite cell model. jected to radial displacement that simulates the vibrocom-
paction installation until the horizontal expansion reaches
the column radius of 0.55 m (see Fig. 5b). Finally, the real
Brinkgreve and Vermeer, [18] the angle of dilatancy is usu- characteristics of column material are introduced to start,
ally taken null for soft clays. with Plaxis, the numerical computation of soft clay consol-
The case history of Damiette project is simulated by the idation (see Fig. 5c).
composite cell model depicted in Fig. 4 that reproduces the Plaxis software is used to carry out numerical computa-
soil profile (cf. Fig. 4). The boundary conditions are those tions in the framework of an axisymmetric study which
of an oedometric test. Due to the vibrocompacted installa- well matches with the composite cell model. The improved
tion the interface between the column and soft clay might soil is modelled with 15 nodes triangular finite elements.
be assumed as perfect (total adhesion). Such fact implies From numerical results we focus on the effect of the expan-
that shear stresses may occur at the contact between the sion of the column and the primary consolidation induced
column material and soft clay. The contact between the within the soft clay. Predicted results are presented at the
column and soft clay is assumed pervious while the borders mid-thickness of soft clay layer (cf. dashed line AA 0 in
of the composite cell model are kept impervious excepting Fig. 4) at distances 0.6 m, 1.5 m and 2.4 m from the axis
the top level of compacted sand layer. of the column.

Table 1
Material properties of the improved soil [21]
c (kN/m3) m0 E 0 (kPa) c 0 (kPa) u 0 () w () k (m/day)
Soft clay 17 0.25 4000 5 21 0 0.94 · 105
Column material 20 0.33 32000 10 38 8 100
Initial sand 18 0.33 25000 1 35 5 10
Compacted sand 20 0.33 50000 1 38 8 10

z z

Dummy material

12.25 m Edm
Edm Soft clay Soft clay 12.25m

0.25m 0.25m
5m
0.55m
a b c
Fig. 5. Simulation by the composite cell model of stone column expansion: (a) model of improved soil; (b) modelling column expansion; (c) discretized
improved soil.
108 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111

The lateral expansion generates large strains, estimated
about of 45%, in soft clay neighbourhood the column. This
fact is taken into account by adopting the ‘‘updated mesh’’
option provided by Plaxis software (cf. Fig. 5c). In order to
analyze the reinforcing effect during the column installation
and the consolidation occurring in soft clay, a multistage
modelling is performed. It includes three stages: undrained
expansion of the column within the soft clay, compaction
of the overlying sand layer playing the role of surcharge,
and consolidation of the improved soil during 11 months,
Debats et al. [22]. Modelling the behaviour of soft clay
and column material can be done by means of various con-
stitutive laws provided in Plaxis software. Since this first
study aimed to be qualitative rather than quantitative the
adequate choice for numerical predictions should be ori-
ented to a simple model like Mohr Coulomb’s behaviour
which parameters are easily determined from current labo-
ratory tests. Then, as a first approximation of soil behav-
iour the perfect elastoplastic Mohr Coulomb’s model is
considered both for soft clay and column material. Despite
this simple choice of soil behaviour it will be illustrated, in
Section 4, by using the same modelling the soft clay might
have different mechanical characteristics, especially its
Young modulus, at two different stages of the soil improve-
after the expansion of column material. The second stage
corresponds to the end of primary consolidation which
takes place in the soft clay. As a result of the expansion
of the column the deviatoric stress, denoted q, is increased
at the vicinity of the column until the failure state is
reached in the surrounding soft clay where large plastic
radial strains are predicted (see Fig. 6, phase 1). This result
is not in accordance with the assumption adopted in several
contributions postulating that a yielding state is reached
only in the column material, while the surrounding soft soil
remains in the elastic phase [23,3].
Fig. 6 clearly indicates that the effect of the column
expansion decreases in term of deviatoric stress while plas-
tic strains become smaller and smaller as the distance, from
the column’s axis, increases (from 0.6 m to 2.4 m).
Immediately after the expansion of the column to its
final diameter and the substitution of the ‘‘dummy mate-
rial’’ for the granular column material, the surrounding
soft clay is relaxed and a significant decrease of the devia-
toric stress is noted close to the interface between the soft
clay and column (r = 0.6 m, cf. Fig. 6). Consequently, a
80

Phase 2: vibro-probe removed

ment project. After the results of parametric study detailed 75
r= 0 .6 m
in Guetif et al. [20] the external radius of composite cell 70
r= 1 .5 m
Phase1: Column expansion

r= 2 .4 m
Deviatoric stress (kPa)

model is taken equal to 5 m (cf. Fig. 4). Indeed, beyond this

65
value it has been indicated that the column installation has
no effect on the response of the improved soil. The state of 60 Phase 3: Consolidation phase

stress at rest has been adopted as initial condition for 55

numerical computations both in the column and in soft
50
clay i.e. K0 = 1  sinu 0 . K0 = coefficient of lateral earth
pressure at rest. 45

40
4. Results and interpretations 100 120 140 160 180 200 220
Effective mean stress (kPa)

After the column installation two stages, in time, are dis- Fig. 7. Stress paths in p 0 –q plane at mid thickness of soft clay layer at radii
cussed. The first one corresponds to the immediate time 0.6 m, 1.5 m and 2.4 m.

80

75
Phase1 : Column expansion
70
Deviatoric stress (kPa)

Phase 2 Vibro-probe removed-

65
r=0.6m
r=1.5m
60
Phase 3: Consolidation

r=2.4m
55

50

45

40
0 5 10 15 20 25
Radial strain (%)

Fig. 6. Deviatoric stress versus radial strain at mid thickness of soft clay layer at radii 0.6 m, 1.5 m and 2.4 m.
 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111 109

lateral compression (confining pressure) is exerted by the 2

surrounding soft clay on the column. However, the effec-
tive mean stress is kept unchanged (cf. Fig. 7, phase 2) in

Normolized effective stresses

the soft clay where the consolidation process (cf. Fig. 7,
phase 3) is just starting.
The stress paths predicted from the numerical simula-
tion (cf. Fig. 7) demonstrate the evolution of stress invari- 1
ants during the expansion of the column and the
consolidation phase taking place in the soft clay.
σ'r /σ 'r0
σ'z /σ 'z0
5. Effect of the expansion of the column p'/p'0

Since the reinforcing column is installed by a lateral 0

0 1 2 3 4 5
expansion the excess pore water pressures are generated r (m)
in the saturated in situ soft soil. Immediately after the
Fig. 9. Variation of normalized effective stresses in soft clay before
expansion of the column, the variation of excess pore pres- consolidation, with distance from the column.
sures with radial distance (see Fig. 8) illustrates very large
predicted values near the soil–column interface. The pre-
dicted pore water pressures decrease when the distance 260

from the edge of the column increases. While the distribu- 240 Within the column
tion of effective mean stress remains unchanged in soft clay r=0.6 m
Effective mean stress (kPa) 220 r=1.5 m
(cf. Fig. 7, phase 1) the radial effective stress largely r=2.4 m
increases to the detriment of the vertical effective stress, 200
which decreases uniformly by some 20%. Such numerical 180
prediction, owed to the adopted Mohr Coulomb behav-
160
iour, remains debatable especially the decrease of vertical
stress in soft clay. Fig. 9 shows the variations of normalized 140
radial, vertical and mean effective stresses at the mid-thick-
120
ness of the soft clay layer.
Immediately after the installation of the column, it is 100
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
shown that effective mean stresses are not modified in the Time (days)
surrounding soft clay (cf. Fig. 9). The increase of radial
stress is compensated by a decreased vertical stress, while Fig. 10. Variation of effective mean stress with time at mid-width of soft
clay layer at radii 0.6 m, 1.5 m and 2.4 m.
values of tangential stress remain more or less constant.
However, it should be noted (see Fig. 10) that the compres-
sive effective mean stress induced in the drained column period of 11 months. From the latter an increase of the
(which increases significantly between phase 2 and phase Young modulus of column material is also expected.
3) is predicted about three to four times the effective mean After the expansion of the column a new distribution of
stress generated in the soft clay during the consolidation stresses takes place in the surrounding soft clay (see Fig. 11)
that can be quantified by the ratio between effective radial

12
1.5

10

8
u / u0

6
σ r' /σ z

1
'

4
Before consolidation
2 After consolidation

0 0.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
r (m) r (m)

Fig. 8. Variation of normalized excess pore pressure in soft soil before Fig. 11. Variation of normalized effective stresses (r 0 r/r 0 z), at mid-
consolidation with distance from the column. thickness of soft clay layer, with distance from the column.
110 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111

and vertical stresses ðr0r =r0z Þ. From the predicted increase of

effective radial stress the lateral strains in soft clay are sig- σ 'r /σ 'r0

Normalized effective stresses

nificantly reduced. Consequently the coefficient of lateral 2 σ 'z /σ 'z0
earth pressure at rest, denoted by K0, increases from its ini- p'/p'0
tial value (K0 = 1  sin u 0 = 0.64) in soft clay to values
exceeding one at the vicinity of the column. It should be
mentioned that a hydrostatic state (K0 = 1) being an effect
1
of stone columns installation in the initial soil was assumed
by Priebe [3] for settlement calculation.

6. Effect of the consolidation in the surrounding soft clay

0
As mentioned in Section 2, upon the installation of a 0 1 2 3 4 5
vibrocompacted stone column, there is a subsequent con- r (m)
solidation process involved in the surrounding soft clay Fig. 13. Variation of normalized effective stresses in soft clay, after
that results from the dissipation of excess pore water pres- consolidation, with distance from the column.
sures (see Fig. 12).
In the case of Damiette project investigated here, the
consolidation period of 11 months (335 days) after column

Normalized effective mean stress

installation corresponds to the actual tank construction
schedule. This period appears to be larger than the real
time needed to achieve the primary consolidation which
contributes to the increase of soft clay strength characteris-
tics. Consequently, due to this quasi-total dissipation of
excess pore water pressure an important increase of the
effective radial stress, averaging 60% (see Fig. 13) within
a radius of 5 m from the axis of the column, is recorded,
Debats et al., [22].
The normalized radial, vertical and mean effective stres-
ses evolutions as a function of radial distance, at the mid-
thickness of the completely consolidated soft clay layer,
are plotted in Fig. 13.
Thus, numerical results show, after the primary consol-
idation of soft clay, the existence of a zone of influence sur-
rounding the column up to a distance (from the centre of
the column) estimated by six times the radius of the column
(i.e. 3 m). Within this zone of influence, the effective mean
stress increases by some 30% in average (cf. Fig. 13).
Beyond this zone the effective mean stress is practically
unchanged. A similar observation has been reported by
200
Excess pore pressure (kPa)
3
2
1
0 1 2 3 4 5
r (m)
Fig. 14. Variation of normalized effective mean stress, in the reinforced
soil after soft clay consolidation, with distance from the column axis.
Wattes et al. [7] postulating a significant stress increasing
measured at a distance equivalent to five times the col-
umn’s radius. From Fig. 13 it can be also concluded that
the increase of effective mean stress is mainly due to the
increase of radial stress.
The diminishing effect with increasing distance from the
column centre was also observed after measurements
recorded from pressure cells located at different distance
from the column axis, Wattes et al. [7].
At the end of primary consolidation, it is predicted an
increase of the effective mean stress in the reinforced soil

150
r=0.6m
with higher values within the column as compared to those
r=1.5m taking place in the soft clay (Fig. 14). This fact is due to
r=2.4m
100 much higher Young modulus of column material regarding
that of the soft clay.

50
7. Concluding remarks

0
The installation of stone column in soft clay has been
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 simulated by adopting a composite cell model. The inher-
Time (days) ent numerical computations are conducted by the use of
Fig. 12. Variation of excess pore pressure with time in soft clay during Plaxis software. The simulation demonstrates a significant
consolidation. improvement of the characteristics of soft clay subjected
 Z. Guetif et al. / Computers and Geotechnics 34 (2007) 104–111
to vibrocompacted column installation. The main conclu-
sions of this contribution, based on Mohr Coulomb’s
behaviour adopted for the constituents of improved soil,
are as follows:
1. For the short term behaviour, i.e. immediately after col-
umn installation, high excess pore pressures are devel-
oped in the surrounding soft clay with unchanged
effective mean stress. However, in the drained material
column the effective mean stress increases to about four
times with respect to that predicted in soft clay.
2. After a period of 11 months, during which the primary
consolidation in the soft clay has taken place after the
stone column installation, the predictions are:
– A quasi-total dissipation of excess pore water pres-
sures with significant increase of the effective mean
stress caused by the increase of effective radial stress.
– The effective vertical stress, remaining almost
unchanged, it follows an increase of the coefficient
of lateral earth pressure at rest.
– From such initial soil improvement taking place at
distance equivalent to six times the column radius a
revised soft soil Young modulus can be adopted for
predicting the settlement of reinforced soil, Guetif
et al. [24].
– The estimation of the radius of the influence zone
shall lead to an optimised column spacing where the
group effect is better mobilized.
– These results predicted by Mohr Coulomb behaviour
need to be assessed through elaboration of laboratory
model tests.
3. The improvement of the Young modulus of soft clay, due
to the consolidation caused by the installation of the
vibrocompacted column, should be considered in the
design procedure. As a result the settlement reduction
is expected to be more pronounced than that predicted
by previous contributions which usually consider the
characteristics of initial soil unchanged after column
installation.
This contribution focused only on the effect of column
installation and subsequent consolidation preceding the
final loading of the improved soil. In further developments,
the response under permanent loads can be examined using
either the Mohr Coulomb behaviour or the hardening soil
model for constituents of the reinforced soil.
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