EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF PILE FOUNDATION GROUND BASE REINFORCED WITH HARD INCLUSIONS

Abstract

Often in construction practice there is a need to strengthen the pile foundation of buildings and structures. The traditional methods include the implementation of additional, as a rule, bored piles with the subsequent erection of a grillage incorporating them into operation. Often, this work has to be done in the conditions of dense urban development, in cramped rooms of the basement, etc., which leads to significant technological difficulties. One of the alternative ways to strengthen pile foundations is the method of high-pressure group injection, which consists in injecting a movable cement-sand mortar into the soil under pressure that exceeds its structural strength. As a result, after its hardening, solid injection bodies are formed at the base, reinforcing the soil base. The article describes the results of experiments to assess the impact of the layout of hard inclusions on the deformability of the soil foundation of the pile foundation model. The experiments were carried out in a small soil tray, which was filled with medium-grained loose sand. The piles were modeled with metal rods, the pile grillage with a metal square stamp. The pile foundation model included 9 piles arranged in a square grid. As injection bodies, gravel grains of various sizes and shapes were used. The studies included 10 series of experiments (each experiment was repeated at least 3 times): the volume of the inclusions used, their sizes, the positioning step in the plan and in depth varied. As a result of the analysis of the performed experiments, conclusions were formulated regarding the purpose of the optimal layout of hard inclusions when strengthening the soil foundation of pile foundations by high-pressure injection of mobile cement-sand mixtures.