Application of Dynamic Replacement to Lateritic Clay

Abstract

The dynamic replacement (DR) method is a widespread alternative in several countries around the world as a technique to improve soils with low bearing capacity, compressible, collapsible, etc. It is an established method used on soft clays, silts, sandy silt, and/or sedimentary sandy soils with low bearing capacity. However, there are no published scientific reports on the use of this method on saprolite and/or laterite soils typical of tropical regions.Therefore, this paper aims to validate the use of the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion using the finite element method (FEM) as a tool for predicting the elastoplastic behavior of lateritic clayey soils improved by the dynamic replacement method. For this purpose, 6 plate loading tests were performed on DR columns with and without cement-improved soil reinforcement layers (fine sand + Portland cement) with different heights and different DR column depths were numerically simulated in FEM based on the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. It was concluded that the use of the Mohr-Coulomb plastification criterion in FEM generated numerical simulations compatible with the responses of plate load tests performed in the field. In general, it was observed that the