What is a stone column ?
The process
The stone column technique uses a vibrating needle to incorporate granular materials into the ground. These pebbles are compacted to form a flexible inclusion that drains well and has high mechanical properties. Through its vibrations, this treatment also densifies the natural soil if it is granular. Unlike piles that have to support the entire structure, this type of ground reinforcement aims to reduce total and differential settlement by relieving the soil of some of the loads. What’s more, the stone columns are not connected to the structure, simplifying the work.
Installation
There are many ways of setting up ballasted columns. They are often installed using a 50-70 tonne machine equipped with a vibrating needle (known as a vibrator or vibroflot), which penetrates the ground through a combination of vibrations and its own weight. The diameters installed are generally between 600 and 1,200 mm, depending on the soil to be treated.
Advantages
- Absolute and differential settlement limitation
- Suitable for many types of compressible ground
- No soil extraction, no excavation
- Strong drainage and accelerated consolidation
- Anti-liquefaction treatment
- Competitive price
Our ground improvement processses
