Rational design of foundations on soil reinforced by columns

Abstract This paper presents a review of the book titled “Design of column-reinforced foundations” that I recently published. The design of foundations on reinforced soil by columns is tackled within a general framework, where several aspects are taken into consideration: modeling of reinforced soil, bearing capacity, settlement, acceleration of consolidation, and improvement of soil characteristics with selected case histories. Unlike existing books on unique improvement techniques (deep soil mixing, stone columns, sand compaction piles) that focus on installation and equipment issues, this one-of-a-kind guide details design purpose. This book rationally handles the design of column-reinforced foundations (CRF) from modeling up to the study of behavior predicted by the numerical analysis and assessed by the field test results. Quasi-exact solutions of the ultimate bearing capacity of soil reinforced by a trench are suggested. The analytical solutions for predicting the settlement of CRF assuming the linear elastic behavior of constituents of soil reinforced by a group of columns are proposed. A novel methodology for the design of CRF is presented and illustrated by different study cases. The improvement of properties of the initial soil due to the installation of stone columns has been evidenced using numerical and experimental investigations. The behavior of foundations resting on soil reinforced by columns has been predicted by numerical 2D and 3D codes. Related results have been assessed after in situ data.