Field Experimental and Numerical Studies on Performance of Concrete–Cored Gravel Column-Supported Embankments

Acknowledgments

Notation

A

total composite area allocated to each column;

A_e

unit area of three adjacent column caps;

A_p

area of column cap;

A_s

tributary area of soil between columns;

C_c

arching coefficient;

C_r

coefficient of consolidation in the radial direction;

c′

effective cohesion;

d

column diameter;

d_c

column cap diameter;

d_e

diameters of influence zone of a drain well;

d_g

diameter of gravel column;

d_s

width of square column cap;

E

Young’s modulus;

E_c

modulus of concrete core pile;

E_g

modulus of the gravel column;

E_p

column efficacy;

e₁

void ratio at unit pressure;

H

embankment height;

H_c

critical height of embankment;

J

tensile strength of the geogrid;

K_p

Rankine earth pressure coefficient;

k_c

permeability of the gravel column;

k_w

coefficients of permeability;

M

slope of the critical state line;

P_p

total force on column caps;

p

surcharge on the top of the fill;

$p_c^{\mathrm{\prime }}$

load part transferred directly to the column cap;

s

pile cap spacing for triangular arrangement;

s_s

column cap spacing for square arrangement;

T_r

time factor in a radial flow;

U

degree of consolidation;

$W_{3DT}^{\mathrm{\prime }}$

weight of the wedge of the 3D model [Eq. (7)];

α

elastoplastic state parameter;

β

coefficient of equivalent uniform soil pressure;

χ

constant;

γ

unit weight;

κ

slope of the swelling line;

λ

slope of the virgin consolidation line;

λ₁

constant [Eq. (15)];

λ₂

constant [Eq. (16)];

σ_p

ground pressure measured on column caps;

σ_s

average stress on the soil;

${\sigma }_s^{\mathrm{\prime }}$

average applied vertical effective stress on the reinforcement strip between the column caps;

ν

Poisson’s ratio;

ϕ′

effective friction angle; and

ψ

dilation angle.

References