Page 6 - GDL - EARTHWORKS GROUND IMPROVEMENT PILING

SOIL STABILISATION
Soil stabilisation is the process of creating a controlled- ll drying method which makes sure that soil is at the correct moisture content to achieve maximum compaction.
Structural earthworks have been carried out successfully in the UK for many years. However, to maximise land values or realise land investments, many sites are re-pro ling to meet the required design levels for all new development. Therefore, it makes sense to make use of the site-won ll materials, and place them in a controlled manner which avoids the need to transfer foundation loadings back down through the up ll materials and on to the rm natural strata.
In the UK, most soils found in the upper weathered layers tend to be naturally above their optimum moisture content, and therefore, it can be very dif cult to meet the very stringent requirements of a high performance density-driven speci cation
as required for structural earthworks under, say, building foundations. This, coupled with the frequent risk of inclement weather, means there is the likelihood that the soils will already be in-excess of their natural optimum moisture content, or will become in-excess of their optimum once disturbed during the course of earthworks operations.
Considering the UK climate and its soil conditions and, given there is no accurate method of controlling the site-won soils moisture content, clients face a real challenge in meeting the requirements of a high performance density driven speci cation. Especially when