Analysis of Embankment Height Impact on Soft Soil Reinforced with Stone Columns: A Numerical Investigation

The construction of embankments on soft soil presents significant geotechnical challenges, necessitating effective ground improvement techniques. This study presents a numerical investigation into the effects of embankment height on soft soil reinforced with stone columns. Using finite element analysis, the research examines the impact of key factors including encasement length, stiffness, and area replacement ratio on the performance of both ordinary (OSC) and encased stone columns (ESC). Results show that increasing embankment height from 0.5 to 2 m significantly increases settlement. Full encasement reduces maximum settlement by 29% for 2 m embankments, with ESCs outperforming OSCs. The settlement ratio decreases with increasing encasement length, ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 for full encasement. Stress concentration ratio increases with encasement properties, rising from 6.29 to 9.289 for 2 m embankments as encasement length increases from 0 to 6 m. Encasement stiffness shows diminishing returns beyond 2000 kN/m. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing the design of stone column-reinforced embankments on soft soil, emphasizing the importance of considering embankment height in conjunction with reinforcement parameters to achieve optimal performance in geotechnical engineering practice.