Experimental studies on model pile foundations reinforced by hard

inclusions

Matvey L. Nuzhdin
Perm National Polytechnic University, Perm, Russia. E-mail: 89139059520@mail.ru
Leonid V. Nuzhdin
Novosibirsk State University of Arch. and Civil Eng., Novosibirsk, Russia. E-mail: Nuzhdin_ML@mail.ru
Andrey B. Ponomaryov
Perm National Polytechnic University, Perm, Russia. E-mail: andreypab@mail.ru

Keywords: pile foundations, soil reinforcement, high-pressure injection.

ABSTRACT: One of the ways of pile foundation reinforcement is the method of high-pressure group
injection, which has been widely used in construction practice in the cities of Siberia (several dozens of
objects). It consists in injecting a movable cement-sand grouting compound into the soil under pressure
exceeding its structural strength. As a result, solid injection bodies reinforcing the ground base are formed
after hardening. In such a case, when breaking the soil, it is not always possible to make entire masses
optimal for reinforcement because they are divided into separate rigid inclusions. Various schemes of
inclusion layout are analyzed in this paper. The experiments were carried out in a small soil hod, which
was filled with medium-grained loose sand. The piles were modeled by metal rods, gravel grains of
various sizes and shapes were used as injection bodies. As a result of the analysis of the experiment
results, the approaches to the designation of optimal layouts of rigid inclusions when reinforcing the pile
soil foundations by high-pressure injection of mobile cement-sand mixtures were defined.

formed in the soil after the consolidation of the

1. INTRODUCTION
In construction practice it often becomes necessary
to strengthen a pile foundation of buildings and
structures. Additional, as a rule, bored piles with
the subsequent errection of a grillage, which
includes them in work, refer to traditional methods.
Reinforcement is often done in dense urban areas,
in basements, in rooms full of equipment, etc.,
which can lead to significant technological
difficulties.
One of the alternative ways of pile foundation
reinforcement is the high-pressure group injection
method, which consists in injecting a movable
cement-sand grouting compound into the soil under
pressure exceeding its structural strength (Nuzhdin,
2012). Simultaneous injection through several
injectors contributes to the rupture of the soil
medium in the desired direction. Thus, injection
bodies of a certain shape reinforcing the base are
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
P. Duc Long and N. T. Dung (eds.) et al., Geotechnics for Sustainable
Infrastructure Development, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 62,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2184-3_24
grouting compound. The technology does not
require the use of special equipment, including
bulky one. Works do not have a dynamic effect and
can be performed in extremely cramped conditions.
However, for the effective application of the
method, it is necessary to determine fundamental
approaches to the assignment of the main
reinforcement parameters such as schemes of the
injection inclusion layout and the required volume
of injection (Nuzhdin, 2014 and 2015).
2. CARRYING OUT EXPERIMENTAL
STUDIES
A small laboratory soil hod with the dimensions of
37 × 90 cm in plan and 50 cm in depth was used
for carrying out experiments to assess the impact of
the rigid inclusion layout on the deformability of
the ground base of the pile foundation model. It
was filled with medium-grained loose sand. The
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piles were modeled by metal rods with a diameter
of d = 0.8 cm and a length of l = 23 cm, the pile
grillage by a metal square stamp with a side length
of b = 10 cm and a thickness of h = 1 cm. The
injection bodies were modeled by gravel grains
with an equivalent diameter of 1 to 3 cm (~ 0.1b to
0.3b) (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Gravel grains and a metal rod modeling
injection bodies and a driven pile
The pile foundation model included 9 piles
located all over a grid with the space of 4.6 cm, or
5.75d (Fig. 2). The rods conjoined with the stamp
through a layer of plasticine to limit horizontal
displacements.
The load was transmitted by a screw jack
through a spring dynamometer in the form of a
concentrated force. After each loading, a period of
conditional stabilization of deformations was
sustained. The vertical settlement of the stamp was
measured using two Maximov deflection indicators
with the scale division of 0.01 mm which were
installed at the face ends of the stamp.
The reinforced ground base was modeled by
laying rigid inclusions, i.e. gravel. The sand was
poured into the hob in layers. Gravel grains were
added into each layer with a little effort to create
some consolidation which conditionally modeled
some change in the structure of the surrounding
soil during the injection of cement-sand grouting
M. L. Nuzhdin et al.
compound. The use of individual gravel grains
stacked close to each other modeled a possible
violation of the injected body continuity in the soil
mass.
.
Figure 2. Different schemes of pile group reinforcement
by rigid inclusions
The laboratory studies included 10 experiments;
each one being repeated not less than 3 times.
The reinforcement of the pile foundation model
by rigid inclusions was carried out according to the
following schemes (Fig. 3, 4):
 The location of a solid rigid body (a flat stone of
irregular shape with the dimensions of ~ 1210
cm, a thickness of 1.5 to 2.0 cm) under the
lower ends of the rods at a depth of ~ 2d.
 The location of 2 levels of gravel grains with the
sizes of ~ 2 cm (0.2b) continuously gaps in plan
and along the height under the lower ends of the
rods at a depth of ~ 2d.
 The location of 2 levels of gravel grains with the
sizes of ~ 2 cm (0.2b) continuously in plan and
along the height under the subgrade of the
stamp.
 The location of the 1st level of gravel grains
with the sizes of ~ 3 cm (0.3b) continuously in
plan and along the height under the subgrade of
the stamp.
 The location of 2 levels of gravel grains with the
sizes of ~ 2 cm (0.2b) continuously in plan and
along the height at a depth of 0.5l from the
subgrade of the stamp.
 The location of 2 levels of gravel grains with the
sizes of ~ 2 cm (0.2b) continuously in plan and
along the height under the stamp and at a depth
of 0.5l from its subgrade.
 The location of 2 levels of gravel grains with the
sizes of ~ 2 cm (0.2b) continuously in plan and
along the height under the stamp, at a depth of
0.5l from its subgrade and under the lower ends
of the rods at a depth of ~ 2d.