LAUSR

Large deposits of marine clays are encountered all along the Indian coastal belt. The marine clays are soft clays characterized by low shear strength and high compressibility. In Cochin, most of the areas consist of soft marine clay deposits. The presence of weak marine clays demands the use of expensive deep foundations in these areas. Also the settlement of foundations is a major problem associated with the structures constructed over these areas. This paper presents the results of laboratory studies to determine the improvement of engineering properties of Cochin marine clay by introduction of compacted lime column and lime fly ash column techniques with and without preloading. The test results indicate that the compacted lime column and lime fly ash column improve the physical, chemical and engineering characteristics of soft clay very effectively. From the studies, it is noted that the columnar intrusion with preloading can substantially improve the soil properties and can lead to economy in design of foundations and retaining systems during deep excavations.