Assessment of the Performance of Stone Columns through the Seismic Wave Test: A Review

Abstract

The geophysical testing is increasingly being employed in many geotechnical applications. It is preferred in monitoring the mechanical characteristics of the ground because of its economy, not time consuming and non-destructive nature. Seismic wave test is one of the geophysical methods which showed a potential in observing the general behaviour of the reinforced soil with stone columns. Findings in most cases showed that the seismic wave measurements was integrated with or compared to the conventional tests such as standard penetration test or cone penetration test. There was a noticeable success in identifying the enhancement achieved to the ground upon the strengthening with the column, specifically when the associated surveys can produce a clear image of the underground which interprets the variation in the soil  properties not  prior to the soil treatment only, but even after the treatment occurring. However, from practical point of view, there were still some restrictions with applying such a method, specifically relating to the extent of data gathered, technical concerns and the difficulty of measuring the waves or interpreting results with the presence of ground water. This paper summarizes the recent publication work concerning this technique with a key focus on advantages and limitations within this type of ground improvement.