Deep soil mixing (DSM), improves the characteristics of weak soils by mechanically mixing them with cementitious binder slurry.
Process
A powerful drill advances a mixing tool as binder slurry is pumped through the connecting drill steel, mixing the soil to the target depth. Additional mixing of the soil is completed as the tool is withdrawn to the surface. Mass wet soil mixing, or mass stabilisation, is performed with a horizontal axis rotary mixing tool at the end of a track hoe arm. The binder slurry is injected through a feed pipe attached to the arm.
This process constructs individual, secant, or block of Soilcrete® columns all with a designed strength and stiffness.
Common uses
- Road and railway embankments
- Support of strip, pad and slab foundations
- Bridge supports and abutments, wind-turbine foundations
- Retention systems and excavation support
- Slope stabilization
Advantages
- Quiet and vibration free
- Environmentally-friendly as uses readily available materials
- Almost no spoil
- Operations can be done at low temperatures
- Economical
- Can replace more expensive deep foundation methods
- Flexible in application
- Reduces construction time
Quality assurance
Quality is controlled and assured through column installation protocols and the results of relevant laboratory and field-verification tests. Each column is provided with a chart-log, which typically comprises: element identification, mixing tool details, mixing depth, mixing time, slurry specification, injection flow rate and pressure, total volume of slurry used, mixing tool velocities and rpm during penetration and withdrawal and torque of the shaft.
The mixing energy and binder content is calculated from this information to match design requirements.
Specimens of stabilised soils for testing are usually obtained from fresh columns with a wet grab.
Advanced core drilling and other field-testing methods can also be used to obtain specimens and to inspect the continuity, uniformity and stiffness of deep soil mixing columns. The selection of suitable verification methods depends on their relevance, accuracy and applicability in relation to the purpose and pattern of soil treatment and design properties of stabilised soil.
Related techniques
Ground improvement
Related projects
Energy and utilities
Crude Flexibility Project
Ruwais refinery expands its processing capacity.
