Liquefaction mitigation of sand deposits by granular piles - An overview

Soil liquefaction and associated ground failures have been a major source of damage during the past earthquakes. The risk of liquefaction and associated ground deformation can be reduced by various ground-improvement methods including the stone column (gravel drain) technique. Ground improvement by rammed granular piles (RGP) is considered one of the most reliable of these methods. This paper summarizes different mechanisms involved in the effective function of granular piles as a ground treatment method for liquefaction mitigation. Various mechanisms like: Drainage, Reinforcement, Storage, Dilation and Densification effects are briefly discussed. Generation and dissipation of the pore pressures in the granular pile reinforced ground under different earthquake conditions are quantified considering these different mechanisms. Granular piles are proved to be very effective for liquefaction mitigation.