Understanding Ground

Improvement:
Presented by:
Michael Marasa, PE
Hayward Baker
December 3, 2013
• Quick review of aggregate pier history
• Aggregate pier installation technique
• Design philosophy
• Industry and Academic updates
• Options
 When APs Should be Considered
• Soil Profile has an estimated U/T Bearing
Capacity of 500 psf or greater
• Upper intervals of profile contain substantial
thicknesses of undocumented fill
• Calculated settlement of U/T profile exceeds
tolerable values
• Heterogeneous/erratic soil profile
 Aggregate Piers: How they work
• Aggregate piers form a
composite system with
the surrounding soil
• When confined laterally,
the aggregate pier is
much stronger and stiffer
than the surrounding soil
• Higher modulus columns
attract load and dissipate
it gradually with depth
 Design Theory
• Determine soil modulus from geotechnical
report
• Determine column modulus (experience-
based)
• Evaluate A/R ratio and aggregate pier depths
to satisfy performance requirements
 Basis of Design
• Stone column design references
– Ground Improvement Design and Construction of Stone Columns,
Volume 1 1983 FHWA-RD-83-026 PB84-190024
– Ground Improvement Design and Construction of Stone Columns,
Volume 2 1983 FHWA-RD-83-027 PB85-215416/AS
– Elastic Method
– Priebe and others
– Full-scale load tests with published paper
– Thousands of successful installations
• (No known performance failures of VPs installed by HBI)
  Kp 
q  
qp   Ks 
 Ap K p Ap 
   1
 A Ks A 
 Select area replacement ratio
 Select stiffness values for soil and aggregate
pier based on soil type
 Calculate the design stress in the column
 Calculate footing settlement
 Perform load test to verify aggregate pier
stiffness
Total Settlement = Settlement from the Improved Zone +
Settlement from the Unimproved Zone

Improved Zone
Unimproved
Zone
Firm Layer or Rock
Foundation
Settlement
Analysis
 Field Verification
• Modulus testing of columns to confirm
assumptions made during design (typical)
 Precautions
• Multiple elevations
• Utility excavations
• Pits
• karst
 Impact of Large Area Loads
• Mitchell and Huber 1985
– Settlement under large area loads supported by
stone columns approaches ten times that of a
single column
• Poulos 1972
– Large area load settlement is between five and ten
times settlement of a single column
 Settlement Expectations
• Mitchell and Huber 1985
– Settlement reduction at 29% ARR = 30% - 40%
• Priebe 1976
– Settlement reduction on the order of 40%
• Abooshi 1974
– Depending on ARR, reductions of 40% to 50%
• Poorooshasb and Meyerhof 1997
– Performance ratio (settlement reduction) 32% - 38%
 Boussinesq Distributions
• Large area loads influence deeper into the
subgrade
• Individual columns in a large area treatment
attract more load than in small loaded areas
Taken from Lee and
Borden 2013
 Application Example

• At least two generations of undocumented fill

• Historic blue line stream
• Deep compressible layer
 Upper Fill

Lower Fill

Natural Soil

Upper Fill: Lower Fill:

CL & ML CL & ML with debris/organics
95 to 100% standard Proctor MDD 80 to 95% compaction

Generalized Subsurface Profile

 Proposed Ground Improvement Plan
• Hayward Baker ground improvement program
– Existing fill and soft soil to remain
– Address time for fill induced settlements

• Request for Additional Subsurface Exploration

– 6 CPT’s pushed to sand
• Shear strength profile
• Dissipation testing (ch)
 NEW FILL

OLD FILL

NATURAL OVERBURDEN

SOFT CLAY

NATURAL OVERBURDEN
 When APs Should NOT be Considered
(alone)
• Extremely soft profiles
• Deep soft clay within stress influence zone
• Large area loads with low settlement
tolerances
• Thick deposits of fill containing large boulders,
rubble or other obstructions
• Limited availability of aggregate
• More economical to undercut
 Other Choices
• Soil mixing
• Rigid Inclusions
• Mass Stabilization
• Deep foundations
Soft Soil
Rigid Inclusions
Dry Soil Mixing Animation Wet Soil Mixing Animation
DRY
WET
Very Soft Soil
Mass Stabilization
Mass Stabilization