Abstract: (16562 Views)
Dynamic compaction (DC) method is an effective method in soil improvement, which is widely used
in the world. This method includes repeated drops with high energy on the surface of the soil by the
tampers weighing 5 to 40 tons. The dampers fall from 10 to 30 m heights.
This method is used to increase the density of soil deposits. The degree of density depends on the
weight of the hammer, the height from which the hammer is dropped, and the spacing of the locations
at which the hammer is dropped. The initial weight dropping has the most impact, and penetrates into
a greater depth. The following drops, if spaced closer to one another, compact the shallower layers and
the process is completed by compacting the soil at the surface.
Nowadays, D.C. method is one of the common improvement methods in Iran because the required
equipments and technology of D.C. are simple and available. Since the design of this method is
empirical and there are a large number of parameters (variables), so to achieve an efficient D.C.
pattern, trial D.C. with before and after compaction tests must be carried out in some areas. Considring
the cost of the trial D.C and control tests, numerical D.C. models will increase the efficiency and
accuracy of this method and the costs will drop as well.
In this study, numerical D.C. has been modeled for granular soil using finite difference method.
According to axis symmetric assumption, just half of the soil mass and tamper has been modeled in
2D. To model the drop effect on soil surface, initial velocity method is used on the tamper nodes.
Granular soil D.C. has been analyzed with Mohr Coulomb behavior model using Flac 2D 4.0 software.
The results of this study have been compared with those of Pan & Selby (2002) studies. Also final
settlement of the tamper has been compared with the results in Assaluyeh D.C. project. In both of the
above cases, the results of the numerical models and the real measured values are nearly the same.
Numerical method can estimate improvement degree in different depths as well as the required
number of drops to achieve the ideal improvement degree.
Also horizontal extent of the improvement area can be determined at the end of each compaction stage
by using relative density contours, Then spacing of impact points can be estimated with reviewing the
horizontal extent of the improvement area
Received: 2009/07/1 | Accepted: 2010/12/29 | Published: 2011/11/9