28-09-2017, 09:56 AM
Stone Column is a soil improvement technique that is used to improve load capacity and reduce soil settlement. Also called granular columns or granular cells. This technique is also known as vibro replacement. In this technique a column of dense aggregates (columns of stone) is constructed by means of a vibrator suspended in suspended crane.
Function
The installation of the stone column improves the soil by reducing soil settlement. Due to its modulus of elasticity higher than that of the soil, it absorbs more load than the soil and reduces the global settlement.
Since the applied load is distributed between the soil and the stone column in proportion to their stiffness ratios, the load capacity of the soil also increases.
Stone aggregates are used to fill the stone column. The water can easily pass to the stone column. Therefore, stone column helps in excess water pressure from mitigating pores and speeds up the consolidation process.