Examination of loose saturated sands impacted by a heavy tamper

Abstract

This article examines the densification effects on the loose saturated sands impacted by a heavy steel tamper dropped from a great height (i.e., deep dynamic compaction, DDC). This examination was achieved by carrying out a series of piezocone penetration test (CPTu) soundings before and after the DDC impact. The depths at which densification took place ranged from 6.5 to 9.5 m below the ground surface (BGS) after one pass of DDC, and from 7.5 to 11.0 m BGS after two passes. The propagation of the surface waves generated in DDC disturbed the top 0.3–1.3 m soils. Directly below this disturbed layer, it was the most densified soil layer at the depths of 1.7–4.5 m BGS. The existence of the residual soft peat pockets reduced the densification effects substantially. Both the strength and the stiffness of the loose saturated sands were significantly improved after the DDC treatment. After two passes of impact, the liquefiable soils were densified to the level of unliquefiable along with dramatic reduction in liquefaction probabilities when subjected to earthquake motions.