Ground improvement makes solid sense in Mideast construction
Jason Redgers of Menard Vibro on the importance of enhancing terra firma
Jason Redgers, business development manager at Menard Vibro Middle East, speaks to ME Consultant about the importance of ground improvement in construction.
Q. Take us through the importance of ground improvement in construction.
Ground improvement is a vital tool for the modern construction industry and Menard Vibro has been at the forefront of the arena since 1960. Ground improvement can be used in a variety of situations to replace, or as an alternative to, existing techniques.
In this era of sustainability, waste reduction and value engineering, ground improvement is a tool that should be examined and used wherever appropriate. A careful examination is required of the soil you’re dealing with, keeping in mind the end requirement and timescales.
Paying attention to these details helps significantly to draft a better contract with the client, his consultants and the project manager. Generally, the findings by the soil investigation company equip the team with enough information to make a realistic pre-design for pricing. The full design is completed by us after a detailed soil investigation and calibration area in conjunction with the consultants.
Q. Tell us about the solutions Menard Vibro provides.
Menard Vibro is committed to excellence in providing innovative solutions to complex geotechnical problems based on providing a firm price, a reliable construction schedule and the appropriate guarantees to back up our professional confidence in the outcomes. We aim to achieve predictable performance of soil treatment. Our ground improvement solutions are applicable to commercial and residential buildings, industrial developments, transportation, port and airports, oil and gas facilities and storage tanks.
There are numerous techniques commonly used in ground improvement in the region, such as vibrocompaction, stone columns (also known as vibroreplacement or vibrodisplacement), dynamic compaction, dynamic replacement, rapid impact compaction, pre-loading and PVD or Wick drainage systems.
At Menard Vibro, we combine value engineering and innovative techniques to deliver practical and sustainable alternatives to deep concrete foundations. Our solutions are designed to save time and cost, for both the foundation phase and the following construction of a superstructure.
Q. What are the different methods by which soil can be improved?
All soils can be improved and it will depend on your time and requirements. Methods of soil improvement can be divided into three categories. The first is mechanical modification or compaction of coarse grained materials. The second is reinforcement by inclusions and the third is hydraulic modification by consolidation of fine grained soils. This is the starting point of soil improvement, and once we evaluate the soil type, the water levels and the client requirements, we can move forward.
Q. Are the benefits of ground improvement misunderstood or not completely understood? Why?
One of the reasons ground improvement is not fully understood is often because of preconceived ideas and a previous lack of experience of the techniques. Often we realise that a lot of clients are unaware of the types of practices and concepts that are available and so this lack of knowledge makes them unable to make informed choices.
Therefore there is a need for lots of guidance to help them understand the alternative potential solutions that Menard can provide. We do offer free seminars to assist with understanding and sharing of such knowledge. With the advancement of technology and software, people are beginning to understand that the loads transmitted to the ground can be supported by soil improvement techniques rather than the traditional dig and replace or piling systems. We all know learning never stops in life, and through continual professional development (CPD) and its application to our daily work, those benefits can be realised and savings can be made.
Q. Tell us about how value is added to the project through sustainability.
Our most basic system of compaction means the materials are left in place. There is no digging of the fill and no import of fresh materials, which helps save the environment. Using limited amounts of stone on stone columns schemes can save on piling costs. Soil improvement can improve the quality of ground that you are building on and eliminate the need for piles, thereby saving concrete, steel, diesel and time with its associated environmental costs and impacts.
At Menard Vibro, we have worked on projects from 100sqm to over 11 million sqm. For example, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia was due to be piled, but was behind schedule. We came on board and treated the site to allow 3m x 3m footings for 150kPa for 25mm settlement over the entire site to be used, at any location, allowing flexibility and speed over piling. This saved a huge amount of time and costs and environmental impacts over piling.
Another big ecological advantage of using soil improvement over piling is its effect on the land itself. Soil improvement leaves the material in place, where it can be locked in, or capped, or treated safely, whereas piling causes contaminated materials to be brought to the surface, which can be dangerous and hazardous. At Menard Vibro, we have our Soil Remediation teams to deal with contaminated land solutions as well as structural support. We can support you from concept to handover for all your foundation and sustainability needs, with local and worldwide support and experience.
