Experimental and Numerical Studies on the Performances of Stone Column and Sand Compaction Pile–Reinforced Hong Kong Marine Clay

Abstract

Stone columns (SCs) and sand compaction piles (SCPs) are widely utilized as effective methods to increase the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of soft ground. In this study, a physical model test was conducted to compare the performances of the SC- and SCP-improved Hong Kong Marine Clay (HKMC) grounds. Finite-element (FE) modeling was performed to analyze the settlement and stress increment. A practical equation related to the area replacement ratio and the friction angle of columns is proposed for determining the creep improvement ratio of soft ground treated by columns, which agrees well with the creep improvement ratios from the FE simulations.