Laboratory Experimental Performance of Novel Cement-Fly Ash-Gravel Piles Group for Soft Clay Ground Improvement

Abstract

The Problematic soil can collapse, expand, have an excessive settlement, and fail under relatively low stress. Therefore, designers, whenever proposed structures on problematic soil, have primary two choices either replaced all problematic soil or used proper ground improvement techniques. Cement- Flyash-gravels (CFG) piles are one of the most effective ground improvement methods under the static and dynamic loading subjected by structures. This research article explains the laboratory axial load test of small groups (Single, 2x1, 2x2, 3x2 square arrangement and 3 CFG pile in triangular configuration) CFG piles in soft soil study the enhancing the ground bearing capacity. The objective of the study is to influencing parameters, as the diameter (D), spacing(S), length (L) of CFG pile, and shearing strength of soil at laboratory experiment work. The load-settlement results are validated by FEM numerical approach and determine the lateral displacement, soil pressures, and effect in group piles under the compression load. In order to compare the results of group pile with variable spacing and L/D ratio of floating pile and end bearing CFG Piles groups. Experiment and FEM numerical results show that the load-carrying by group CFG piles was small, and thus, the settlement was significantly average 21-29% reduced in different pile groups. Meanwhile, the CFG piles penetration and soft soil compression below the pile heads up to L/3 caused most of the settlement.