Improvement of Soft Clay Soil Using Stone Columns

In general, soft soil deposits settle excessively. Many strategies have examined soil reinforcing for ground improvement. Stone column (granular pile) is often used to remediate weak soils. A detailed numerical study examined aspects affecting stone column design. The hardening soil and modified cam clay models replicate soils. Published numerical study validated the modelling. The effective characteristics evaluated are the ratio of stone column length to soft soil height L/H, D/L, distribution pattern, centroid spacing between stone columns, cushion soil thickness, and soft clay compression index. Published analytical analysis was compared to numerical data. The study suggests cost-effective stone column design criteria for the location.