Deformation properties of lime/cement columns. Evaluation from in-situ full scale tests of stabilised clay

Journal article, 2005

A realistic evaluation of the deformation properties of lime cement column stabilised soil is of great importance for the accuracy of the calculation of the total and time dependent settlement. It is difficult to determine the in situ compression modulus and the hydraulic conductivity of a lime cement column, and very few methods exist. In this study two different load test methods were used to evaluate the column modulus in situ. They are described in detailed as well as the analytical evaluation of the modulus. The hydraulic conductivity of the lime cement column was measured by using a method called packer test, which is similar to a method used for measurement of hydraulic conductivity in a rock mass. The evaluation of the hydraulic conductivity of the column was obtained using results from the field tests and numerical analysis. A comparison is also made with empirical rules for modulus and hydraulic conductivity recommended for engineering design.