Evaluation of the methods used for estimating the bearing capacity of stone columns

Abstract

Stone columns have been utilized for several decades due to their ability to improve the mechanical behavior of weak and marginal soil deposits. Reducing the cost of a project necessitates accurate estimation of the stone column capacity. This paper considers the existing analytical methods for estimating the bearing capacity of stone columns and evaluates their prediction accuracy. For this purpose, the results of 36 full-scale field tests on footings supported by stone columns are considered, and the measured bearing capacities (Q_M) are compared with the estimated bearing capacity (Q_E) values computed from 15 analytical solutions predicting the stone column capacity. For this comparison, five statistical approaches are employed in order to evaluate these 15 methods and identify the level of their prediction accuracy. Finally, the methods are ranked by the degree of accuracy with which they can estimate the load capacity. The findings of this research help designers and decision makers to choose a more reliable design method when dealing with stone columns.