Part II: Construction and Verification of Rigid Inclusions

Abstract

Thousands of structures throughout the United States are supported on rigid inclusions (RIs); however, there currently exists no industry-wide standard for the selection, design, and verification of RIs. The Rigid Inclusion Task Force of the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Ground Improvement Committee has strived to address these issues in a two-part commentary document. Part I describes the fundamental load transfer mechanics of RIs and discusses the state-of-the-practice for the design of RIs in the United States. This document (Part II) discusses construction and verification considerations of RIs. The results of quality issues during RI installation can be detrimental to cost, schedule, and, more importantly, system performance. It is important to select the RI installation procedures in accordance with the variability, type, and density of the soil conditions onsite. The term RI can apply to a variety of materials, but the primary focus of this paper is on cementitious, cast-in-place RIs. Construction risks may be mitigated with thoughtful pre-mobilization planning and robust quality control procedures as discussed herein.