Characteristics of Pile Models Injected by Low-Pressure-Injection Laboratory Setup for Chemical Improving Loose Sandy Soil

Abstract

The jet grouting method for soil improvement is a novel geotechnical alternative for enhancing problematic soils where traditional foundation designs cannot provide sustainable solutions. The paper methodology was based on improving loose fine sandy soil using silica fume as a chemical additive added (with 10 percent of the cement weight) to the water and Portland cement mixes with different W/C ratios to produce pile models injected by a low-pressure injection laboratory setup that was designed and locally manufactured for this purpose. The setup design was inspired by previous research works, where its performance was validated by systematically performing unconfined compression tests (UCTs) on samples of the laboratory-injected pile models. Based on the UCTs results, high determination coefficient (R2) mathematical models were developed that related the W/C ratios of the injected mixtures to the basic parameters (cohesion, friction angle, and elasticity modulus) of the grouted pile models, validating the laboratory setup injection efficiency.

Keywords

• sand improvement
• jet grouting
• silica fume
• unconfined compression test