Bearing Capacity of a Stone Column Constructed Using the Vibro-Replacement Method: Experimental and Numerical Investigations
Publication: Geo-Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
In this study, the behavior of a single stone column under axial loading was investigated through field tests and numerical modeling. The stone column was installed for a water conveyance project located at a coastal site near the Persian Gulf in Iran as part of a rectangular column group consisting of columns having a 0.8 m diameter and a center-to-center column spacing of 2.0 m. Columns were installed using the vibro-replacement technique to a depth of 12 m. Time was allotted to allow for the dissipation of construction-induced pore pressures, and three small plate load tests were performed to measure the stress-settlement response of one of the columns. A quasi-static procedure that regularizes unstable behavior was adopted to analyze the load-settlement behavior of the axially loaded stone column. The procedure was validated by modeling an experimental result from a previously published study using axisymmetric 2D finite element analyses. Using the validated quasi-static procedure, 2D and 3D finite element models were then developed to simulate the results of the plate load tests on the stone column constructed using the vibro-replacement method. The validated 3D FEM model was then adopted to perform a series of parametric analyses and further investigate the effect of surrounding soil shear strength, the ratio of stone column diameter to spacing, and the strength of column materials. The results showed that the strength of the surrounding soil had more effect on limiting axial stress than either the replacement ratio (s/d) or the strength of stone column materials. The results of the parametric analyses were then compared with available analytical solutions. The comparison indicated that one approach closely matched the finite element modeling results, while another overestimated the ultimate bearing capacity, revealing that a satisfactory analytical method is not available for a wide range of conditions.
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Published In
Geo-Congress 2024
Pages: 50 - 59
History
Published online: Feb 22, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Analysis (by type)
- Axial loads
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Field tests
- Finite element method
- Geology
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Load tests
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Methodology (by type)
- Numerical analysis
- Numerical methods
- Rocks
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Static loads
- Statics (mechanics)
- Strength of materials
- Tests (by type)
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