The Modeling of Ground Improvement with Stone Columns

Stone columns in soft soil improve bearing capacity because they are stiffer than the material which they replace, and compacted stone columns produce shearing resistances which provide vertical support for overlying structures or embankments. In this article, the analysis was carried out using the commercially available finite-element program PLAXIS, to compare the load settlement behavior with the model test. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the behavior of standard and encased floating stone columns in different conditions. Different parameters were studied to show their effect on the bearing improvement and settlement reduction of the stone column. In this modeling, the effect of friction angle and the effect of elasticity modulus of the stone column and the surrounding soil material on the load settlement curve and the settlement ratio (SR) have been paid. Keywords- Stone columns, Settlement ratio, Finite element method, ground improvement