Performance of geosynthetic-encased stone column-improved soft clay under vertical cyclic loading

This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation into the performance of geosynthetic-encased stone column-improved (GESC-improved) soft clay under vertical cyclic loading. A reduced-scale model is adopted to perform a series of tests considering the principal parameters, such as the cyclic loading characteristics, including the loading frequency and amplitude, and the encasement length. The results indicate that, among other things, the overall benefit of the geosynthetic encasement of stone columns installed in soft clay is greater under cyclic loading than under static loading, and that the cyclic effect tends to lead to a stress concentration ratio that is smaller than that under static loading. The effectiveness of this encasement in improving the performance of GESCs becomes greater when subjected to cyclic loading with a lower loading frequency and/or a smaller amplitude. The settlement and pore pressure variations with the encasement length, together with the exhumed GESCs taken after the tests, suggest that full encasement is necessary to maximize the performance of GESCs under cyclic loading.