Ultimate bearing capacity of soft clays reinforced by a group of columns - Application to a deep mixing technique

The ultimate bearing capacity of a soft ground, improved by end-bearing soil cement columns, is analyzed using the kinematic approach of the yield design theory. Presented here is an experimental analysis which is based on a three dimensional scaled model of the improved soft ground. The new results given by the kinematic approach and recorded experimental data are compared with others proposed by Broms' method and those established previously by the static approach of yield design theory. Regarding the results given by the Broms' method those predicted by the yield design theory approximate more accurately the recorded ultimate bearing capacity from experiments. Also, the influence of gravity forces on the bearing capacity is investigated.