Introduction to

Ground Improvement
Technology
SI-6221 Perbaikan Tanah

Andhika Sahadewa

Program Studi Teknik Sipil

Institut Teknologi Bandung
2024

This presentation is adapted from Mr. Richard Ong’s

What Is Ground Improvement?
▪ In-situ geotechnical construction processes aimed at improving the
engineering performance of foundation soils.
▪ The aim is to bring about a condition where the geomechanical
properties of the subsoil become good enough to make cost-effective
solutions of the foundation problems possible.
The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability

Bearing capacity
The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability

Bearing capacity
The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability

Bearing capacity Stability Instrumentation

The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability
▪ Settlement & rate of settlement

Absolute settlement
The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability
▪ Settlement & rate of settlement

Rate of settlement 5 years later…

Absolute settlement
The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability
▪ Settlement & rate of settlement

Rate of settlement 5 years later…

Absolute settlement Differential settlement

The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability
▪ Settlement & rate of settlement
▪ Liquefaction potential

Christchurch Earthquake

Liquefaction
The Need for Ground Improvement
▪ The need arises when the existing ground is unable to adequately
sustain the load that is to be applied as assessed by the design criteria:
▪ Bearing capacity & stability All required to be
▪ Settlement & rate of settlement within acceptable
▪ Liquefaction potential limits!
▪ Conventional practice:
▪ remove and replace unsuitable materials with compacted suitable
fill  limited to shallow depth / GWT
▪ structural support solutions  usually expensive
▪ construction of viaducts (full structural solution)
▪ embankment resting on piled supported concrete caps or rafts (partial
structural solution)
▪ Geotechnical solutions (ground improvement methods)
The Choice of Techniques
▪ The determining factor may likely to be whether the soil is coarse-
grained or fine-grained.
▪ For soft fine-grained soil (e.g., soft clay), ground treatment is by
consolidation and/or reinforcement.
▪ For loose coarse-grained soil (e.g., loose sand), ground treatment is
by compaction.
▪ Soils are made by nature and not by man, and the products of nature
are always complex… natural soil is never uniform.
▪ Hence, there is no one single technique that can be used to solve all
problems of natural soils!
▪ A number of established techniques can be considered. Each technique
has its own advantages, limitations and economies. It is possible that
some of the techniques are used in combination.
The Choice of Techniques
▪Panadol:
The determining
Magician factor may likely to be whether the soil is coarse-
grained or fine-grained.
▪ For soft fine-grained soil (e.g., soft clay), ground treatment is by
consolidation and/or reinforcement.
▪ For loose coarse-grained soil (e.g., loose sand), ground treatment is
by compaction.
▪ Soils are made by nature and not by man, and the products of nature
are always complex… natural soil is never uniform.
▪ Hence, there is no one single technique that can be used to solve all
problems of natural soils!
▪ A number of established techniques can be considered. Each technique
has its own advantages, limitations and economies. It is possible that
some of the techniques are used in combination.
 Common Ground Improvement Techni
Ground Improvement by Hydraulic Modification
Thick soft fine-grained soil
(silt and clay)

CONSOLIDATION
methods

Prefabricated Vertical
Drains (PVD)

PVD + Vacuum
 Common Ground Improvement Techni
Ground Improvement by Mechanical Modification
Thick soft fine-grained soil Thick loose coarse-grained soil
(silt and clay) (sand and gravel)

CONSOLIDATION COMPACTION
methods methods

Prefabricated Vertical Deep Dynamic

Drains (PVD) Compaction

PVD + Vacuum Vibro Compaction

 Common Ground Improvement Techni
Ground Improvement by Inclusions
Thick soft fine-grained soil Thick loose coarse-grained soil
(silt and clay) “Mixture” of soils (sand and gravel)

CONSOLIDATION REINFORCEMENT methods COMPACTION

methods Semi-Rigid Inclusion Natural Inclusion methods

Prefabricated Vertical Column Grout Dynamic Deep Dynamic

Drains (PVD) Modular Replacement Compaction

PVD + Vacuum Soil Mixing Vibro Replacement Vibro Compaction

 Common Ground Improvement Techni
Different Ground Improvement Methods Can Be Combined
Thick soft fine-grained soil Thick loose coarse-grained soil
(silt and clay) “Mixture” of soils (sand and gravel)

CONSOLIDATION REINFORCEMENT methods COMPACTION

methods Semi-Rigid Inclusion Natural Inclusion methods

Prefabricated Vertical Column Grout Dynamic Deep Dynamic

Drains (PVD) Modular Replacement Compaction

PVD + Vacuum Soil Mixing Vibro Replacement Vibro Compaction

 Future of Ground Improvement
▪ The need for ground improvement is expected to increase in the future:
▪ availability of good sites is diminishing.
▪ availability of suitable materials is getting scarce.
▪ increasing cost of construction materials (cement and steel).
▪ the need to drive down costs & reduce construction time.
▪ Since ground improvement permits construction on marginal / poor
grounds, it is used for almost every possible applications.

Transportation Air (Sea) Ports / Industrial / Storage Commercial /

(Roads / Railways) Container Yards Areas Warehouses
Words of Caution
▪ In spite of its potential cost and time advantages, ground improvement
has some important requirements when compared with structural
support solutions!
▪ requires specialized and intensive engineering input.
▪ requires a more detailed and elaborate site investigation program.
▪ requires a detailed performance monitoring program.
 Matur
धन्य
Nuwun
द s ευχαριστίες
वा r ac i a
ขอบ ค G 感謝
ุณ

Terima Kasih
спа си
감사 бо
nk
Da t h a n k Y o u
k T

B e d a n
谢谢
‫شكر‬
This presentation is adapted from Mr. Richard Ong’s