Geosynthetic Encased Columns for Soft Soil Improvement

Book excerpt: The geosynthetic encased column (GEC) is a relatively recent method developed for soft soil improvement. The method was firstly introduced as a concept in the 1980s and first practical applications started in the 1990s. GECs have been widely used in some parts of the world for the last three decades. However, there is no book in the literature summarizing the knowledge accumulated during this period in relation to this soft ground improvement technique. The purpose of this book is to provide readers with the GEC fundamentals and practical applications. Chapter 1 presents the general principles of this ground improvement technique including the methods used for GEC installation and how the material properties may be selected. Chapter 2 presents the design methods, thus settlement calculations by means of analytical methods and stability calculations by limit equilibrium methods are explained in detail. Chapter 3 presents calculation examples illustrating the usual steps to be done for both service limit state and ultimate limit state designs. Then field performances exemplifying practical applications of the GEC technique are presented in Chapter 4 for some case histories. Following numerical analyses, often used in design to complement analytical methods, are presented in Chapter 5. Annexes I and II at the end contain the charts developed to perform settlement calculations. The book combines the experiences of four authors with different academic and industry backgrounds to describe GEC design and performance. It is aimed at civil engineers in general, particularly geotechnical engineers, either working in design or in practice, at graduate students, and at senior undergraduate students.