Experimental and Numerical Study of Floating Stone Columns Using Unit Cell Model Test

Civil Engineering Studies, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 13500, Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

^* Corresponding author: ngkokshien@uitm.edu.my

Abstract

Stone columns serve as a remedial measure to alleviate settlements and expedite the consolidation process, particularly in soft soils where excessive settlement and slow consolidation are the common problems. This paper presents the experimental and numerical investigation into the effects of area replacement ratio and stone column length on the consolidation settlement of floating stone columns using finite element software i.e. PLAXIS 3D. The model setup adopted unit cell concept resembling an infinite column grid pattern with uniform load. The study examined two distinct area replacement ratios (15% and 33%) and five varying lengths of stone columns (80 mm, 160 mm, 240 mm, 320 mm, and 400 mm). The findings indicated that as column length and area replacement ratio increase, settlement decreases, together with the improvement in consolidation rate. Generally, the numerical results agreed with the experimental results albeit slightly faster rate of consolidation obtained.