Soft cohesive soil consolidation with stone columns Soft cohesive soil mass (1) is consolidated by erecting a plurality of fully penetrating stepped diameter stone columns (2C) in the soil mass with stone aggregate (31). Each of the stone columns comprises a narrow diameter bottom portion (18) extending down through the soil mass from an intermediate location (5) in the soil mass and bearing and resting against the hard and firm soil strata (4) at the bottom of the soil mass and a wide diameter top portion(19) extending through the soil mass from the intermediate location in the soil mass up to the top surface (6) of the soil mass integrally, contiguously and coaxially with the bottom portion defining a step (20) with the bottom portion. The depth of the top portion is greater than the depth of the bottom portion in the soil mass. The stepped diameter stone column consolidation of the soil mass has all the advantages and benefits of fully penetrating stone columns. Additionally it reduces labour, time and cost of erection of the stone columns in the soil mass and consolidation of the soil mass (Fig 3).
展开▼
