Temporal behaviour of stone columns under embankment loading- a numerical analysis

Ground improvement techniques are essential for addressing settlement and deformation issues in soft soil construction sites, preventing delays and structural failures. Stone column reinforced embankment systems have emerged as efficient options among these techniques. The present investigation used numerical analysis to assess the efficacy of stone column-reinforced embankments on soft soil, with a specific emphasis on a rectangular 3D strip located beneath the centre of the embankment. An investigation is conducted to analyse the impact of several parameters, including encasement length, encasement stiffness, column spacing, length, and pattern of stone column, on settlement, lateral deformation, excess pore water pressure (PWP), and vertical stress. The findings indicate that increasing the length of stone columns has a considerable effect on reducing the maximum settlement, with reductions of up to 76% observed for end bearing stone columns. Stone columns with a closer spacing and a triangular pattern are effective in minimizing settlement. When stone columns are end bearing and fully encased, settlement is reduced by around 87% compared to untreated soil. The greatest enhancement is achieved when the encasement stiffness is increased to 4000 kN/m, resulting in a measured value of 8.33. Overall, it offers useful insights into the efficiency of stone column-reinforced embankments in reducing settlement and lateral deformation problems in construction projects. These findings make a valuable contribution to the advancement of knowledge in ground improvement techniques and have important implications for improving construction efficiency and mitigating project hazards in soft soils