A Guide to Ground Treatment

This introduction to ground treatment describes the physical principles, methods, effectiveness and limitations of the various treatment techniques.

It provides guidance on the selection of appropriate techniques, using case histories and referring, where possible, to comparative studies.

Separate chapters look at techniques that achieve improvement by vibration, adding load, structural reinforcement, structural fill, admixtures, grouting, thermal stabilisation and vegetation.

Among the techniques studied are vibro-compaction, vibro stone columns, compaction, pre-compression, vertical drains, soil nailing, micro-piles, lime columns, mix-in-place, grouting (permeation, hydrofracture, jet, compaction, squeeze and compensation), ground freezing and geotextile mats.

General guidance is given on the matters that need to be considered when ground improvement is being contemplated as an option.

Particular attention is given to the responsibility for design and the roles of those involved in the design process and in control of the treatment.

The text is supported by comprehensive referencing and more than 120 line drawings and photographs.A guide to ground treatment is an important addition to CIRIA's extensive literature on ground improvement, which includes the related publication C572 "Treated ground - engineering properties and performance" (CIRIA, 2002).