Controlled Modulus Columns for Challenging Soil Conditions

Piling has been the conventional solution for supporting loads in low-strength or highly compressible soils. However, in recent decades, ground improvement has emerged as a sustainable, affordable and technical alternative. These methods improve the physical and mechanical properties of soils or improve the overall ground performance through the introduction of inclusions with superior characteristics. Controlled Modulus Columns (CMC) are a prominent technique within this domain and have become widely adopted due to their capacity to provide reasonable control over both bearing capacity and settlement behavior. This paper initially reviews CMC concept and methodology, then discusses two extreme case studies of the application of CMCs for the treatment of very soft and highly compressible thick clays.

Keywords:

controlled modulus columns , CMC , ground improvement , rigid inclusions