Chapter 4 Soil Improvement

CHAPTER 4:
INTRODUCTION…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Most of the developers face with a problem of having a suitable soil / site for
construction project especially at urban and industrial area.
This situation sometimes urge the developers to build up structures (building,

road, and other infrastructures) on top of the soil with poor condition.
Previously, the developer and the engineer will try to avoid taking
any risk of landslide occur (in future) by choosing either one of the
following options:
i) Relocate the proposed site
ii) Using piles as a deep foundation
Nowadays, the above options is not really practical as the SPACE for
a thrive development become LIMITED from year to years.
DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

HEMYZA BUDIN DBG254 : BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IV
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
UNSUITABLE SOIL IN MALAYSIA
COASTAL DEPOSITS EX-MINING LAND INLAND VALLEY

marine clay,coastal Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh DEPOSITS
sand,estuarine muds Soft soil which have Sandy, silty clay, or
thickness:5-20m BUT been decomposed peat/decomposed
sometimes can achieved through mining activities deposits
40m Not suitable to support High moist. Content
High moist. Content 60%- structure / foundation but more strength
80% than marine clay
Low strength 0.08 N/m²
West Coast of Malaysia
MAN-MADE LAND
This type of soil have an
unbalanced settlement
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
DEVELOPMENT / CONSTRUCTION ON UNSUITABLE SOIL
MANY PROBLEMS ARISE
Low bearing capacity, high rate of settlement

Loose Sand: the soil unable to withstand with dynamic loading
(nearest vibration from traffic, other human activities e.t.c)
Clay : long term consolidation (10 years above)
THE BEST OPTION / ALTERNATIVE: SOIL IMPROVEMENT

CHAPTER 9:
METHODS…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Objective of improvement?? Level of Improvement??

Cost Space/depth/ volume??
Proposed use of land ??
Factors to be consider in
choosing method of S.I
Type of soil and its Technical
characteristic Know-how
Materials/ Supplier
Environment Project availabled
aspect duration

CHAPTER 9:
METHODS…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
MECHANICAL STRUCTURAL
MAIN
METHODS
CHEMICAL / PHYSICAL

CHAPTER 9:
METHODS…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
1) PRELOADING AND VERTICAL DRAIN (Mech. Method )
Preloading in combination with vertical drains has been one of
the most widely used techniques for accelerating the process of
consolidation of soft clay strata having a very low value of hydraulic
conductivity/permeability.

CHAPTER 9:
METHODS…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
1) PRELOADING AND VERTICAL DRAIN (Mech. Method )
The purpose of the technique is to allow a maximum amount of

settlement during or before construction itself, and to avoid post-
construction settlement (Rutledge and Johnson, 1958).
Preloading has been successfully used in many civil engineering

structures, such as road embankments, warehouses, storage tanks,
multi-storey structures and industrial buildings (Stamatopoulos
and Kotzias, 1985).

CHAPTER 9:
METHODS…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Preloading increases the pore water pressure in the saturated clay and thereby
hastens consolidation. The intensity of preloading by fill is nearly equal to the
stress expected to be caused on the soil

CHAPTER 9:
METHODS…
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
2) GROUTING (Structural Methods)
Grouting defined as the injection of appropriate materials under
pressure into certain parts of the earth’s crust through specially
constructed holes.
PURPOSE: to FILL and SEAL voids, fissures, seams, cracks or

other cavities in soils / rock strata (become harden)
RESULTS:
Improving the mechanical characteristic of the ground
(consolidation)
Decreased the permeability of the ground (Water Proofing)

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
GROUTING cont’ (Structural Methods)
Possible USES of grouting:
i) Waterproofing a certain volume of ground below or around a
structure.
ii) Consolidation of foundation soils combined or not with a
certain amount of waterproofing
The presence of grouts will ALTER both PERMEABILITY and

STRENGTH of soil

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
CATEGORIES OF
GROUTING
SUSPENSION SOLUTIONS EMULSIONS

Water in association Organic resins, Bitumen
with Portland Cement, chemical grouts
clays, bentonite e.t.c
CONVENTIONAL GROUTING
3 COMMON
COMPACTION GROUTING
METHODS OF
GROUTING JET GROUTING

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
CONVENTIONAL METHODS
Through conventional grouting,

the grout displaces the water
filling inter granular pores or
fissures without causing any
increase in volume
If the grout forces open the

fissures, causing expansion
(whose effects may be felt at
ground level, causing uplift or
heave), the term is hydraulic
fracturing.
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
COMPACTION GROUTING

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
COMPACTION GROUTING
Used for controlled densification of in-situ soils at depth.

Basic concept: Injecting an expanding ‘bulb’ of highly viscous grout
with high internal friction into a compatible soil.
Physically displace the air pore in surrounding soil particles and
compact the soil from the point of injection.
Compare to conventional method, compaction grouting does not
depend upon grout entering openings/voids in the soil cause
intrusions of a mass of thick grout.
Thus, more effective for fine-grained soils (ungroutable)
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
COMPACTION GROUTING

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
COMPACTION GROUTING
Material: fine sand + 12% cement
& water (stiff mortar like mixture)
Using clear low slump grout that
can be pumped slowly under high
pressure into the soils.
Major uses: 1) Underpin
structures that suffered differential
settlement.
2) To lift the structure, foundation and subgrade.
3) To compact man-made fills (rubbish dumps).
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
JET GROUTING
This method is applicable for modifying relatively soft soil to
achieve general ground improvement / to construct structural or
load bearing members without prior excavation.
Made by intimate, hydraulic-induced mixing of cement slurry with

native soil. The shape is in cylindrical column but sometimes slightly
diff, based on the brand of equipment. USES:
1) Underpinning existing structures threatened by subsidence.

2) providing seepage control
3) making use as a cofferdams
4) limiting subsidence over tunnel excavation stage.

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
JET GROUTING
Position a jet pipe Jetting pipe Pressurizing of grout
rotate slowly slurry during rotation
Soilcrete column

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
3) DYNAMIC COMPACTION
Dynamic compaction is a process of enforcing on the ground
before construction begins.
Method: repeatedly dropping a heavy weight (concrete blocks or
steel plate bolted together) of between 6 to 40 tonnes in free fall
from a height of between 5m to 35m on to the soil surface.
Applicable to site where medium-size column load structures are
to be constructed (such as low-rise buildings), as well as to wide-
spread loads (storage tanks)

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
6-40 tones
5m to 35m
Soil being compacted

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
4) VIBRO COMPACTION
Is a deep compaction (40m depth), used to compact granular soils
/ grains sizes from medium and fine gravel to fine uniform sand.
Shear waves (probe) will induced the soil, causes:
i)state of liquefaction ii) pore water escape iii) rearrangement of
grains into a denser state.
Main Equipment: VIBROFLOT – vibrates horizontally.
Been applied to reduce settlements of oil tanks, industrial
buildings, dams, bridges and machine foundations and to reduce
the liquefaction potential of silt and fine sand.
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Other types of Vibro compaction:
i) Vibro Displacement
Is an installation technique using vibratory
probes to compact stone columns in
cohesive soils.
Special rigs are used to advance the probe

hydraulically.
Displacing the soil without removing it (dry

method).
Stone columns / aggregate piers can be

installed with or without pre-drilling,
depending on the type of soil and the
available equipment.
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
ii) Vibro Replacement

Is an installation technique uses a high frequency, down-hole
vibratory probe to compact lifts of granular material within the column.
the soft, non-compactible soils are replaced by the installation of load

bearing columns with well-compacted, coarse-grained backfill material.
Use the wet process, in which the disturbed soils are washed away
and are replaced by compacted stone columns.

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Poker will be penetrate into the soil using

water jets to cut an over-sized hole to the
required depth of treatment.
The vibro-float is kept in the hole while

selected backfill of granular material is placed
in the hole.

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Vibro Displace & Replace Method
Vibro Replacement and vibro-displacement stone columns can be used
to achieve bearing pressures typically in the range of 4,000psf to
6,000psf
most often installed to support building structures, MSE walls, and

storage tanks.
Typically, stone columns range in diameter from 24 to 36 inches and

are installed to depths of 10 to 30 feet below the surface.
 If necessary, greater depths can be achieved in most cases
When possible, vibro-displacement is typically the most cost-effective

since it requires little to no spoil removal (and disposal) from the site.

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Other types of Vibrocompaction:
III. Vibro-wing
IV. Terra Probe
V. Franki Y-Probe sand.

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
5) GEOTEXTILES
Is a permeable textile used with geotechnical materials as an integrated part of
a man-made project, structure or system.
Made from synthetic polymers such as polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene
and polyamide. Thermoplastics and are highly inert to biological and chemical
degradation.
It is group based on the application types in four (4) major functions such as:
I) DRAINAGE II) FILTRATION
III) SEPARATION IV) REINFORCEMENT

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
General type of Geotextile:
WOVEN
Suitable for soil stabilization and separation of aggregates.
Known for its high overall tensile strength and structural

support. Typically stronger than its non woven counterparts,
these fabrics can offer the support necessary for pavement,
roads and even rip rap.
Typical Uses:
Road Construction
Railroad Building
Road Repair
Sports Field Construction
Sports Field Repair
Erosion Control
Erosion Prevention
Soil Restoration
Road Underlayment
CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
NON WOVEN
Used in filtration, drainage, paving and various other
landscaping applications. Whether wrapped around a drain or
used to support a paver, these geotextiles can provide a
combination of both strength and filtration.
Typical Uses:
Rip Rap Stabilization
Shoreline Erosion Control
French Drains
Subsoil Separation
Stabilization
Filtration Applications
Subsurface Drainage
Farm or Stall Stabilization

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
5) GEOTEXTILES

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
GENERAL GUIDE TO INSTALL GEOTEXTILE FABRICS.
Step 1: Prepare the install area. This will typically involve a process of removing trees and
brush from the top layer of soil and vegetation from the subgrade materials. Weak pockets of
soil should be replaced with granular fill.
Step 2: Smooth and level the subgrade. All depression or humps within the subgrade should
be removed.
Step 3: Place the geotextile in the prepared installation area. Fabric should be laid out
according to engineered plans or site recommendations. Fabric should be stretched as tight
and as flat as possible.

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT

Step 4: Overlap adjacent rolls as specified for your site. If no instructions exist, fabric should
be overlapped at a minimum or 12-18 inches.
Sewing or Overlapping-When installing a geotextile, adjacent fabric can either be sewn or

overlapped. The following is from the AASHTO and is set as general guidelines for
determining when to sew and when to overlap
Soil CBR> 3 -Minimum overlap of 0.3 to 0.45 m
Soil CBR 1-3 -Minimum overlap of 0.6-1
Soil CBR< 0.5 - Must be sewn
Securing Geotextiles and Fill Placement

CHAPTER 9:
SOIL IMPROVEMENT

Step 5: Secure the fabric with staples, pins, soil or other suitable materials. Fabric should be
secured along the edges and then at overlapping portions.
Step 6: Loosely place fill directly on the geotextile in 8" to 12" lifts. For very weak subgrades,
18" or thicker may be required.
Notes on Sewing for Geotextile Installation:
Thread (Depending on application, proper thread choice can be determined by supplier.)

Light Weight Fabric: 4 yards of thread for each yard sewn
Medium Weight Fabric: 6 yards of thread for each yard sewn
Heavy Weight Fabric: 9 yards of thread for each yard sewn
Thread Usage Formula (for each row of sewing): 4 + (2x (thickness of seam) x (1/length of
1 stitch)) = inches of thread use per inch sewn


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CHAPTER 4:

This situation sometimes urge the developers to build up structures (building,

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

COASTAL DEPOSITS EX-MINING LAND INLAND VALLEY

DEVELOPMENT / CONSTRUCTION ON UNSUITABLE SOIL

MANY PROBLEMS ARISE

Low bearing capacity, high rate of settlement

THE BEST OPTION / ALTERNATIVE: SOIL IMPROVEMENT

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Objective of improvement?? Level of Improvement??

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

The purpose of the technique is to allow a maximum amount of

Preloading has been successfully used in many civil engineering

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

PURPOSE: to FILL and SEAL voids, fissures, seams, cracks or

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

The presence of grouts will ALTER both PERMEABILITY and

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

SUSPENSION SOLUTIONS EMULSIONS

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Through conventional grouting,

If the grout forces open the

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Used for controlled densification of in-situ soils at depth.

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Made by intimate, hydraulic-induced mixing of cement slurry with

1) Underpinning existing structures threatened by subsidence.

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Soil being compacted

Special rigs are used to advance the probe

Displacing the soil without removing it (dry

Stone columns / aggregate piers can be

ii) Vibro Replacement

the soft, non-compactible soils are replaced by the installation of load

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Poker will be penetrate into the soil using

The vibro-float is kept in the hole while

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

most often installed to support building structures, MSE walls, and

Typically, stone columns range in diameter from 24 to 36 inches and

 If necessary, greater depths can be achieved in most cases

When possible, vibro-displacement is typically the most cost-effective

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

Known for its high overall tensile strength and structural

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

GENERAL GUIDE TO INSTALL GEOTEXTILE FABRICS.

DBG 254 / AP116 / FSPU UiTM PERAK / RMN

GENERAL GUIDE TO INSTALL GEOTEXTILE FABRICS.

Sewing or Overlapping-When installing a geotextile, adjacent fabric can either be sewn or

Securing Geotextiles and Fill Placement