Editorial Note, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2023-Article

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The DFI Journal’s 2023 special issue highlights the growing use of ground improvement as an efficient, adaptable, and increasingly sustainable approach to construction challenges. Its editors note strong international interest in the topic and the expanding range of methods available to address different soil and site conditions.<br /><br />The issue presents five studies:<br /><br />- In-situ stabilization mixed Portland cement into saturated coal ash, creating a safe working platform across an eight-acre area of a larger impoundment.<br />- Three-dimensional numerical simulations examined how rigid inclusions interact with soil during earthquakes, identifying stratigraphy and reinforcement as important influences on performance.<br />- Research on solidification-stabilization considered its use in retaining structures and showed how surcharge loading during curing can increase the stabilized soil’s shear strength.<br />- A Malaysian project compared stone columns with hybrid concrete columns using full-scale load tests; stone columns performed more favorably under the site conditions studied.<br />- Full-scale tests and physical models investigated helical piles in loess, finding that installation methods combining crowd pressure and water pressure can reduce soil collapse and improve pile load behavior.<br /><br />The editors conclude that ground improvement has become a mainstream tool for the construction industry and encourage continued collaboration and innovation. A second special-issue volume was planned for 2024, with topics including dynamic compaction, rigid-inclusion guidelines, and a global review of current practice.

Keywords

ground improvement

construction engineering

soil stabilization

rigid inclusions

earthquake simulation

solidification-stabilization

stone columns

helical piles

sustainable construction

numerical modeling