Stress Sharing Behavior and Its Mechanism during Consolidation Process in Composite Ground Improved by Sand Compaction Piles with Low Replacement Area Ratio

In order to accurately design a sand compaction pile (SCP) with low replacement area ratio, it is important to understand the mechanical interaction between the sand pile and clay ground and its mechanism during consolidation process in composite ground. In this article, therefore, a series of numerical analyses on composite ground improved by SCP with low replacement area ratio were carried out. The applicability of numerical analyses, in which an elasto-viscoplastic consolidation finite element method was applied, were confirmed by comparing the results obtained from a series of laboratory model tests with the composite ground improved by SCP. Through the results of the numerical analyses, mechanical behavior of the sand pile and clay in composite ground during consolidation is elucidated, together with a stress sharing mechanism between sand pile and clay.     

Stress Sharing Behavior and Its Mechanism during Consolidation Process in Composite Ground Improved by Sand Compaction Piles with Low Replacement Area Ratio

In order to accurately design a sand compaction pile (SCP) with low replacement area ratio, it is important to understand the mechanical interaction between the sand pile and clay ground and its mechanism during consolidation process in composite ground. In this article, therefore, a series of numerical analyses on composite ground improved by SCP with low replacement area ratio were carried out. The applicability of numerical analyses, in which an elasto-viscoplastic consolidation finite element method was applied, were confirmed by comparing the results obtained from a series of laboratory model tests with the composite ground improved by SCP. Through the results of the numerical analyses, mechanical behavior of the sand pile and clay in composite ground during consolidation is elucidated, together with a stress sharing mechanism between sand pile and clay.     

Immersed tunnel foundation on marine clay improved by sand compaction piles

The sand compaction pile (SCP) method can be applied to soft marine clay ground that is a reinforcement of composite ground consisting of compacted sand piles and surrounding clay. The application of SCP method in the immersed tunnel of Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge verify SCP method is a robust solution to limit the total settlement and differential longitudinal settlement and to promote smooth transition from immersed tunnel to artificial island. The SCP method has significant settlement reduction effect on marine clay. The SCPs can also function as a drainage path to accelerate the consolidation process in marine clay. It is also found that the consolidation rate of SCP-improved ground is delayed compared with that predicted program which is most probably because of the soil disturbance effect during the installation of SCPs.     

Assessment of Dynamic Characteristics for Compaction Piles with Geophysical Logging in Soft Ground

In this paper, a case study was performed on a sand compaction pile (SCP) and a gravel compaction pile (GCP) to estimate the dynamic characteristics and the improvement effect of soft ground. The dynamic elastic modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson's ratio were estimated and the dynamic characteristics were analyzed using the compression and shear wave velocity of the improved ground based on the results of suspension P- and S-wave (PS) logging. The results revealed that the dynamic properties were increased in the order of unimproved subsoil and improved subsoil using SCP and GCP. The increase in the effects of dynamic properties with each replacement ratio of SCP was not large, whereas a good increase in the effects was observed in the case of the improved subsoil with GCP. Consequently, it was presented that the resistance characteristics against the seismic loading of GCP are excellent. As a result of analyzing the density distribution of the improved subsoil through density field logging, the overall density distribution gradually exhibits increasing trends in the order of unimproved subsoil and improved subsoil with SCP and GCP. Thus, the improvement effect of GCP was relatively high in comparison with the same replacement ratio of SCP.     

Evaluation of Undrained Shear Strength and Consolidation Characteristics of Disturbed Marine Sedimentary Clay due to SCP Installation

The behaviors of the marine sedimentary ground improved by sand compaction pile (SCP) method are analyzed. To do this, the results of upheaval characteristics of the sea floor, undrained shear strength, and horizontal consolidation coefficient (consolidation) are investigated. Due to SCP installation on ground, as thickness of a soft clay layer increases, upheaval height increases and upheaval angle decreases. Undrained shear strength of disturbed ground due to SCP construction decreases in early stage after completion of construction, but it shows a trend of recovering as months elapse. As the result of piezocone penetration dissipation tests, consolidation delay phenomenon by the disturbance due to SCP installation clearly is identified and its degree is dependent on the replacement area ratio of SCP and the location of ground.     

Consolidation Properties and In-Situ Stress of the Marine Clay in Southern Korea

A very soft ground constructed by dredging and hydraulic fill has characteristics such as high water content, high initial void ratio, and very little effective stress. Estimating, with thorough considerations about consolidation properties and the initial stress associated with each layer's distinctive stress history, is essential in order to predict a reasonable consolidation settlement of soft ground. By investigating a construction project for national industrial complexes at a coastal area in southern Korea that experienced reclamation and ground improvement adapting PVD, various laboratory tests to find consolidation properties were performed with undisturbed samples collected from the entire depth of the marine clay fill layer and original clay layer. Through the investigation, this report suggests relationships of heterogeneity of permeability in both vertical and horizontal directions, void ratio-effective stress, and void ratio-permeability. Considering the fact that the original clay layer was under the process of consolidation by load due to hydraulic fill from the top, estimating the appropriate initial stress of each layer is critical to predict the future process of consolidation settlement determined by time. In order to obtain the initial stresses of two layers with different stress histories related to consolidation, cone penetration and dissipation tests were conducted.     

Reinforcement and Arching Effect of Geogrid-Reinforced and Pile-Supported Embankment on Marine Soft Ground

The effectiveness of constructing a geogrid-reinforced and pile supported embankment on soft ground to reduce differential settlement has been studied by pilot scale field tests and numerical analysis. Three-by-three pile groups with varying pile spacing were driven into a layer of soft ground, and a layer of geogrid was used as reinforcement over each pile group. Further, a 2-D numerical analysis has been conducted using the computer program FLAC 2D. The mechanisms of load transfer can be considered as a combination of embankment soil arching, geogrid tension, and stress transfer due to the difference in stiffness between pile and soft ground. Based on the pilot scale field tests and results of numerical analysis, we find that the geosynthetic reinforcement slightly interferes with soil arching, and helps reduce differential settlement of the soft ground. Also, the most effective load transfer and vertical stress reduction at the midspan between piles occurs when the pile cap spacing index D/b (D: pile cap spacing, b: diameter of pile) is 3.0.     

Reinforcement and Arching Effect of Geogrid-Reinforced and Pile-Supported Embankment on Marine Soft Ground

The effectiveness of constructing a geogrid-reinforced and pile supported embankment on soft ground to reduce differential settlement has been studied by pilot scale field tests and numerical analysis. Three-by-three pile groups with varying pile spacing were driven into a layer of soft ground, and a layer of geogrid was used as reinforcement over each pile group. Further, a 2-D numerical analysis has been conducted using the computer program FLAC 2D. The mechanisms of load transfer can be considered as a combination of embankment soil arching, geogrid tension, and stress transfer due to the difference in stiffness between pile and soft ground. Based on the pilot scale field tests and results of numerical analysis, we find that the geosynthetic reinforcement slightly interferes with soil arching, and helps reduce differential settlement of the soft ground. Also, the most effective load transfer and vertical stress reduction at the midspan between piles occurs when the pile cap spacing index D/b (D: pile cap spacing, b: diameter of pile) is 3.0.     

Influence of cap size and strength on settlements of TDM-piled embankments over soft ground

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of pile cap size, soft layer thickness and pile strength on load transfer and settlement behaviors of embankments supported by floating and fixed T-shaped deep cement mixing piles and conventional DCM piles under volume control. Preliminary investigation is performed by a series of small-scale physical model tests. The results reveal that the differential settlement can be substantially reduced with an enlarging pile cap as a result of larger embankment load transferred to the piles. The extended numerical analysis results demonstrate that the pile efficacy is related to the individual pile bearing capacity, which, in turn, depends on the pile cap size. The soft layer thickness has an insignificant effect on differential settlement but a significant effect on average settlement, while the pile strength plays an important role in differential settlement only when the cap size is not very large. Shape factor of at least 3.0 is recommended to ensure the reduction in differential settlement and minimize the effect of the change in pile strength.     

Numerical analysis of surcharge preloading consolidation of layered soils via distributed sand blankets

Abstract

Surcharge preloading consolidation of soft soils often implements a layer of fully arranged aggregate materials. The volume of drained water is abundant at the early stage of consolidation, but it reduces at middle and later stages, during which the fully arranged sand blanket will be a waste. In this investigation, a concept of distributed sand blankets is proposed to save aggregate materials. A series of finite element analyses have been performed on layered soils with distributed sand blankets. A mixed type of drainage boundary is assigned to a representative model, where a half sand blanket is perfectly pervious and a half width of soil among sand blankets is impervious. From parametric study, it has been found that a pave ratio between sand blankets and the total soil width can be selected in a range of 40%–60%, which will save aggregates by approximately 50% but cause an increase of consolidation time by less than 10%. For a fixed pave ratio, more evenly spaced sand strips with smaller width should be employed to optimize the design. The effectiveness of distributed sand blankets is not influenced by the anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity, elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and thickness in multiple soil layers.     

桩-网路堤位移应力分析及其应用

由于桩-网复合地基的结构形式比较复杂,难以采用解析法求得其应力和位移。利用有限差分法对某桩-网法路堤进行了数值模拟,并取得了较好结果。计算结果显示,桩间土沉降线为悬链线,与现场位移监测结果吻合较好;桩身弯矩和桩土应力反映了桩-网复合地基的一些受力机理。分析认为,桩间土沉降较大的主要原因是由土体本身压缩及桩侧弯引起的。     

Small- and large-scale model tests on the buckling property of slender pile

Slender piles embedded in soft ground or liquefied soil may buckle under vertical load. In this paper, both small- and large-scale model tests are conducted to investigate the buckling mechanisms of a slender pile and the lateral earth pressure acting on the pile. To observe the buckling of a slender pile, the strain-controlled loading method is adopted to apply a vertical load. When the two ends of a slender pile are hinged, the buckling mechanisms of small- and large-scale model tests are same. It should be noted that this applies only to a system with a small ratio of pile bending stiffness to soil bending stiffness. An applied vertical load increases with an increasing pile head settlement until it reaches the critical buckling load. By further increasing the pile head settlement, the measured load approaches the critical buckling load. In the large-scale model test, the measured lateral earth pressure (i.e., active and passive) acting on the slender pile varies linearly with the lateral pile displacement when the measured range is 3–5?m beneath the ground. A critical buckling calculation method has been adopted to compare with the conventional “m” method. The two-sided earth pressure calculation method can achieve more approximate results with the model test.     

Bearing Behavior of Cast-in-Place Expansive Concrete Pile in Coral Sand Under Vertical Loading

The low side friction of piles in coral sand results in the low bearing capacity of foundations. In this paper, expansive concrete pile is utilized to improve the bearing capacity of pile foundations in coral sand. Both model tests and numerical simulation are performed to reveal the bearing mechanism of expansive concrete pile in coral sand.Results showed that the lateral earth pressure near pile increases obviously and the side friction of piles is improved,after adding expansion agent to the concrete. The horizontal linear expansion is 1.11% and the bearing capacity increased 41% for the pile, when 25% expansion agent is added. Results in finite element numerical simulation also show that ultimate bearing capacity increases with the increase of the linear expansion ratio. Besides, the area for obvious increase in side friction is below the surface of soil about three times the pile diameter, and the expansion leads to a high side friction sharing of the pile. Therefore, the cast-in-place expansive concrete pile is effective in improving the bearing capacity of piles in coral sand.     

浅谈挤密碎石桩的施工方法

挤密碎石桩施工法是一种振动成桩法,即先用桩管振动成孔,然后填入足够数量的碎石,最后振动密实成桩体。通过振动、挤密的成桩过程,将原地基土振动夯实,桩体与桩间土形成复合地基,达到既处理可液化地基又增强地基的效果。介绍了挤密碎石柱的施工方法和质量检测方法。     

Seabed Ground Improvement in Coastal Reclamation Area by Heavy Tamping After Rockfilling Displacement

Considering the characteristics of seabed ground in coastal reclamation area, ultra soft clay improvement method by heavy tamping after rockfilling displacement was proposed combined with a case study. The improvement mechanisms of the method can primarily be attributed to rockfilling displacement (RD), dynamic compaction (DC), dynamic replacement (DR) and dynamic replacement and mixing (DRM). For the case study given in this article, heavy tamping construction program was proposed based on field pilot tests. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed ground improvement method was verified through in situ plate load test, sand fill test and the analyses of observed settlement data. Thus, the method of heavy tamping after rockfilling displacement is applicable for the improvement of seabed ground in coastal reclamation area. It is proposed for similar projects that heavy tamping of fills may be performed by layers and correspondingly tamping energy increased to further enhance the improvement effect of DC, DR and DRM. In addition, delayed improvement effect or time effect of soil mass after heavy tamping is still an issue to be further studied.     

Evaluation of the Effect of Penetration Ratios on Composite Grounds Improved with Sand Compaction Piles

In this paper, centrifuge model tests were conducted in order to understand the deformation characteristics and behavior of sand compaction piles (SCPs) reinforced grounds in relation to area replacement ratios and penetration ratios. To simulate ground stress conditions, preliminary compaction was conducted to form grounds that maintained a certain level of strength. SCPs were installed in the grounds using compaction methods, and the relationship between loads and settlement as well as stress under rigid loading conditions were compared and analyzed. In addition, finite element analyses were conducted in order to verify the results of the centrifuge model tests and assess the effects of penetration ratios and depths on variations in stress. According to the results of the analyses, stress concentration ratios gradually decreased as depths increased, and the decreasing rate increased as penetration ratios decreased. However, in regions close to the surface layer in depth in which SCPs were installed, stress concentration ratios showed almost the same range regardless of penetration ratios. Stress concentration ratios showed proportional relations with penetration ratios. However, they showed similar values in regions close in depth to the surface of the ground. In particular, they showed very close ranges at penetration ratios of 100% and 80%.     

Model experimental research on uplift single pile in calcareous sand of South China Sea

Vertical uplift static loading tests of single model pile were conducted in the in-lab calcareous sand and quartz sand by emulating practical condition of full-size piles in site. The settlement, lateral deflection, axial force, and friction distribution of the pile are analyzed for each physical test. The pile behaviors in calcareous sand and quartz sand are compared. From the test results, it can be found that the pile top displacement of uplift pile in calcareous sand can be divided into two stages: the pile–sand synchronous stage and pile–sand asynchronous (relative displacement) stage. Data from uplift tests show that the heave of calcareous sand around pile top is very small, which is resulted from the mutually restraint of surface particle. The mutual restriction of surface particle leads to “bottleneck effect” and strengthens ultimate side friction of upper pile segment. In addition, the shear dilatancy and particle breakage of calcareous sand lead to the upper harden and the lower soften of side friction, respectively. Cases of calcareous sand and quartz sand show different responses to pile forming methods, which due to the sands’ different characteristics of particle breakage when compressed as well as plastic deformation under loading–unloading conditions.     

Lateral and consolidation behaviors of seabed-type breakwater for very soft ground

A seabed-type of breakwater applicable to very soft ground without the need for soil improvement is newly developed. This type of soft-ground breakwater is expected to ensure sufficient lateral resistance and prevent excessive consolidation settlement due to self-weight of the breakwater. In this paper, lateral and consolidation behaviors of soft-ground breakwater were investigated by performing model tests and finite element simulations. The results revealed that the bottom wall and buoyant box, which are the main features of soft-ground breakwater, contribute to the increase in lateral resistance and to the control of the consolidation settlements, respectively, and that Terzaghi's consolidation theory could be conservatively adopted in deriving the consolidation settlements of soft-ground breakwater proposed herein.     

Evaluation of Excess Pore Water Pressure Characteristics in Sand Mat Used for Recycling Dredged Soil

The design of sand mats should be reviewed on the basis of excess pore pressure behavior, which can be obtained by combining the characteristics of soft ground with the permeability of the mats. In this study, a banking model test was performed using dredged sand as the mat material to investigate the hydraulic gradient distribution of sand mats. The results were compared with numerical analysis results utilizing Terzaghi's one-dimensional consolidation equation. The results showed that the pore pressure was influenced by an increase in the amount of settlement at the central part of the sand mat as the height of the embankment increased. The measured decrease of the pressure head due to the residing water pressure in the sand mat was delayed compared to the numerical analysis results. Accordingly, sand mats should be laid to reduce the increased hydraulic gradient at the central part of the embankment.     

软弱砂岩骨料碾压混凝土的配制及其特性研究

在东南亚和我国西南地区由于缺乏合适的原材料,必须采用软弱骨料配制混凝土。以东南亚某工程现场的软弱砂岩为原材料,开展碾压混凝土配制和性能试验工作,探讨了该骨料配制碾压混凝土的可行性。采用软化系数为0.71的软弱砂岩,配制强度等级分别为C18020的二级配碾压混凝土和C1807.5的三级配碾压混凝土。结果表明,采用该砂岩骨料可以配制出满足强度要求的碾压混凝土,其用水量比常规骨料高15~20 kg/m3,拌和物密度和抗压弹模较低。其中,二级配碾压混凝土采用50%粉煤灰掺量、0.55水胶比;三级配碾压混凝土采用60%粉煤灰掺量、0.65水胶比。骨料抗碾压破碎模拟试验表明该骨料在碾压过程中破坏程度很低,说明采用该软弱骨料配制碾压混凝土具有可行性。