GROUND IMPROVEMENT & DIFFERENTIAL SETTLEMENT
By Cameron Day, PE – Senior Project Manager (Geotechnical)
The Charlotte area is home to a geologic province known as the “Piedmont”, a region well known for a mixture of silty soils underlain by varying forms of weathered and competent rock formations. The unpredictable nature of this geologic province poses many challenges to owners, general contractors, and specialty geotechnical contractors as it pertains to differential settlement. This important design consideration is dependent upon the weight and size of the structure and the underlying subsurface conditions and characteristics. The consequences of failing to properly account for differential settlement can be severe such as wall/floor damage, cracks in the foundation, utility line connection failures, equipment instability, etc.
The two design-build options that can solve many of these challenges is Vibro Stone Columns and Rigid Inclusions. These systems are designed to improve the engineering properties of the overall subsurface profile by improving bearing capacity and reducing settlements.
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