Numerical Simulation of Stiffened Granular Pile

Abstract

Granular piles are suitable for increasing soft clay's strength and consolidation properties. Stone columns offer a practical, affordable solution for enhancing the earth and are crucial for stabilizing the soil. In order to carry higher shear stresses and prevent settlement, stone columns behaved as stiff elements, which enhanced the deformability and strength characteristics of the soft type of soil. The usage of granular piles has been shown to improve slope stability, increase bearing capacity, decrease differential and total settlements, decrease sand liquefaction, and lengthen settlement times. The present study studied the effect of stiffening on the granular pile using PLAXIS 2D. Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion was considered for the stone column, expansive soil, and granular material used for stiffening. The present study results are validated with the experimental results and are in good agreement. Numerical results show that stiffening in granular piles increases the load settlement response and stress transformation to a depth of granular pile and reduces the bulging