A Numerical Study of the Installation-Induced Stresses and Excess Pore-Water Pressures Around Rigid Inclusions using a Linear-Elastic Perfectly-Plastic Soil

Rigid inclusions are used to improve the load-bearing capabilities of poor soils. The construction procedure for grouted rigid inclusions in the field involves displacement of the soft soil producing changes in pore-water pressures, and as a result, changes in effective stresses in the immediate vicinity of these elements. A numerical study was performed to examine the post-construction changes in the installation-induced stresses and pore-water pressures around the rigid inclusions. The finite element software PLAXIS was used in the numerical analysis. The soft soil is modeled as a linear elastic perfectly plastic Tresca material. Cylindrical cavity expansion is implemented in the finite element models to represent the rigid inclusion construction process. The results indicate that the installation-induced stresses in the vicinity of the rigid inclusions expressed in the form of earth pressure coefficient K, increase with the dissipation of excess pore-water pressures