Field Evaluation of Dynamic Compaction on Granular Deposits
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 25, Issue 3
Abstract
The dynamic compaction (DC) method is a versatile ground treatment technique with growing popularity. It is applicable to a wide variety of soil types and conditions, particularly sandy materials and granular fills. This study presents a case history of the dynamic compaction with a high energy level of on granular deposits at a site in China. The reclaimed site featured loose backfill with heterogeneity and saturated silt. In order to properly deal with such soil conditions and to optimize the DC design, field tests were conducted to determine the influencing factors in DC. Deformation tests were performed to ascertain the rational spacing of impacts and the optimal number of drops and to provide proofs to the adjustment of the original DC procedure. Monitoring of the pore water pressure helped obtain the time delay between passes. The approach to assess the depth of improvement was discussed based on interpretations of the spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) test. Analysis of the SASW and plate-load tests demonstrated significant improvement in the soils at the site, with no obvious weak layers. Following dynamic compaction, the allowable ground-bearing capacity and the depth of improvement at the site were no less than 270 kPa and 7.4 m, respectively.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to thank J. L. Zhan, J. L. Yang, and X. C. Cheng for their assistance in the field tests. Much of the work described in this paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. NNSFC50708079 and NNSFC40902079, the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education under Grant No. UNSPECIFIED20070247041, Shanghai Twilight Program under Grant No. UNSPECIFIED2007CG23, and the Kwang-Hua Fund for College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University. The writers would like to greatly acknowledge all these financial supports and express the most sincere gratitude.
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 25 • Issue 3 • June 2011
Pages: 241 - 249
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 10, 2009
Accepted: Jul 27, 2010
Published online: Jul 31, 2010
Published in print: Jun 1, 2011
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