Soil improvement experiences in Belgium: part I. Overview and dynamic compaction

A lot of advanced soil improvement techniques can be considered as common practice in Belgium. Two types of procedures have reached a very high technological and engineering design level: soil improvement by vibratory compaction and soil improvement by stone columns. Of the former group of techniques, the experiences with resonant compaction are most promising, and a case history in Antwerp is discussed. Comparisons between resonant vibratory compaction efficiency on the one hand and more traditional vibratory compaction, casing driving compaction and stone column compaction on the other hand are made. This first contribution in a series of three gives an overview of the most commonly used soil improvement techniques including the heavy tamping method, in Belgium. In a second part, practice performance and design aspects concerning two more specific soil improvement techniques (vibrocompaction and stone columns) will be discussed. In a third contribution the overview of soil improvement experiences in Belgium will be completed by some case histories.