Ground Improvement refers to a technique that improves the engineering properties of the soil mass treated. Usually, the properties that are modified are shear strength, stiffness and permeability. Ground improvement has developed into a sophisticated tool to support foundations for a wide variety of structures.
Ground improvement technologies are geotechnical construction methods used to alter and improve poor ground conditions in order that embankment and structure construction can meet project performance requirements, where soil replacement is not feasible for environmental or technical reasons, or it is too costly.
Ground improvement has one or more than one of the following main functions:
- Increase bearing capacity, shear or frictional strength
- Increase density
- Control deformations
- Accelerate consolidation
- Decrease imposed loads
- Provide lateral stability
- Fill voids
Ground improvement may be achieved by various means such as consolidations, load reductions, densification (vibro-compaction and dynamic compaction), reinforcement (rock bolts, drilling anchors, cable anchors, etc.), stabilization by deep mixing methods, stabilization by grouting methods and load transfer methods based on the different soil conditions using different methods to achieving the improvement.