Sand Columns: An Effective Improvement Technique for Soft Soils

Sand Columns (SC) commonly known as Sand Compaction Piles (SCP) now has been vastly used for reinforcing the range of soft soils. The installation of sand columns improves the ultimate bearing ability of soft soil, accelerates stabilisation, prevents liquefaction in loose sandy soils, and provides lateral resistance to horizontal movement. The aim of this study is to create small scale laboratory models to investigate the effects of floating columns in clayey soil with silty deposits. The laboratory experiments were carried out on a circular column with a diameter of 37 mm, and the results of the treated and untreated ground were compared. The effects of sand columns on soils with varying shear strengths (low-medium-high), slenderness ratios (L/D), and loading patterns are studied. By varying the spacing between the columns, the group effect was also investigated. The stiffness of composite ground was calculated by loading the entire area of the test model, and the axial ability of the sand column was determined by loading the column area alone. According to the findings of the current report, a sand column will significantly improve the engineering properties of soft clayey soil.

The group effect was also investigated, and it was discovered that raising the distance between the columns reduces group efficiency. As the distance between the columns is increased, the axial potential of the sand columns decreases.