Deep Vibro Techniques

Brochure 10-02 E
 Deep vibro techniques offer
flexible solutions for soil
improvement.
They are mainly used under
foundations of structures
to be constructed on soils
of low bearing capacity.

Keller developed the depth

vibrator (patented in 1934),
which was originally used
to compact granular soils
such as sand and gravel.

Today Keller improves a

variety of granular and
cohesive soils employing
a wide range of depth
vibrator models and
techniques.

Content

Overview of
deep vibro techniques.......... 3
Vibro Compaction................ 4
Vibro Replacement............... 6
Structural Foundation
Elements................................ 8
Special Applications............ 10
Quality Control...................11
Keller Branches................... 12
Overview of deep vibro techniques

The subsoil stones in cohesive soils, and in granular soils The principle of
Usually the soil conditions are described in with a high fines content. the vibro process
a soil investigation report. If the properties The third technique creates structural
of the existing soil do not fulfil the design foundation elements in the ground which
requirements, deep vibro techniques offer an will allow comparatively high loads to be
economical solution for ground improvement. safely carried by soils where no adequate
They can be carried out to almost any depth. lateral support for Vibro Replacement
columns can be mobilized.
The depth vibrator
The cylindrical depth vibrator is typically The execution
between 3 m and 5 m long and weighs For all techniques the vibro process starts
approximately 2 tons. The core element of with the penetration of the oscillating depth
the vibrator is an electrically driven eccentric vibrator into the ground to the required im-
weight which induces the horizontal oscillation provement depth. Subsequently, the vibrator
of the vibrator. The vibrator string is assem­bled is withdrawn as required by the employed
with the vibrator and extension tubes to suit technique to either compact the soil from the
the improvement depth and suspended from bottom up, to construct a stone column, or
a crane or mounted on a custom-built rig (e.g. to construct a structural foundation element.
the Keller vibrocat).
The benefits
The techniques The deep vibro techniques present a very
The depth vibrator is used for three distinct versatile ground-improvement method that
techniques which differ in both their soil- can be adjusted to a wide variety of soil
improvement and in their load-transfer conditions and foundation requirements. Its
mechanisms. The foundation design is execution is comparatively fast even if large
therefore frequently developed by Keller in volumes of soil are to be improved and
close cooperation with both the consultant’s subsequent structural works can follow very
geotechnical and structural engineers. quickly. The soil improvement enables the
contractor to utilise standard shallow footings
The Vibro Compaction technique compacts which, in turn, leads to additional savings.
granular soils with negligible fines content by Another advantage is the environmental
re-arranging the soil particles into a denser friendliness of the deep vibro techniques,
state. as natural and in situ materials are used. In
The Vibro Replacement technique builds load- addition, only a comparatively small quantity
bearing columns made from gravel or crushed of soil is removed during the process.

Limits of application for deep vibro techniques

Clay Silt Sand Transition Gravel Cobbles

zone
Percentage passing [by weight]

100 100

80 80

60 Vibro Replacement 60

Vibro Compaction
40 40

20 20

0 0
0,002 0,006 0,02 0,06 0,2 0,6 2,0 6,0 20 60
Particle size [mm]
3
 The Vibro Compaction process
in granular soils

Equipment and execution

The compaction of granular soils is most
Extension
tube
economically realised with vibrators oscillating
at a comparatively low frequency to achieve
optimum compaction of the soil particles.
The vibrator is typically suspended from a
crane. The penetration of the vibrator and,
to a certain extent also the compaction
process, is aided by water flushing with
jets of variable pressure. The pressure
Flexible pipes and jets form an integral part of the
coupling vibrator string. The compaction is carried
out from the lowest point of penetration
upwards in predetermined pull out steps
and compaction intervals. The compaction
Water result is dependant on the effectiveness
or of the vibrator and the soil conditions.
air supply
Geotechnical aspects
Under the influence of the induced vibration,
Electric
the soil particles within the zone of influence
motor
are rearranged and compacted. The extent
of this zone depends on the vibrator used,
the soil, and the method employed. The
volume re duction of the compacted soil
Eccentric
weight can reach values of the order of 15 % The process
depending on the soil conditions and the
Nose cone
intensity of the compaction effort. 1 Penetration
At full water pressure the oscillating vibrator
penetrates to the design depth and is surged
up and down as necessary to agitate the
sand, remove fines and form an annular
before after gap around the vibrator. At full depth the
water flow is reduced or stopped.
Compaction below
raft footings

The foundation concept The layout of the compaction points can be

The range of compaction for an individual adjusted so that soil volumes of any size are
Compaction below
single footings
point is governed by several parameters. compacted.
Keller is able to draw upon a wealth of The achieved degree of compaction can be
experience to propose a suitable foundation easily and economically verified using a range
concept. The optimum arrangement of of different tests.
the vibro compaction points is usually best
achieved by an on-site trial, where different
compaction grids and methods can be
tested and evaluated. After compaction, high
loads can be safely carried and foundation
pressures of up to 1 MN/m2 can be reached.
4
 Natural or man-made deposits of sand and gravel are frequently not dense
enough or are too inhomogeneous to allow a proposed structure to be safely
and reliably founded. With Keller’s depth vibrators the soil density can be
increased and homogenized independently from the groundwater table.

Depth
0

–1

–2

–3

–4

–5

–6

–7

–8

–9

2 Compaction 3 Backfilling 4 Finishing

The compaction is carried out Around the vibrator a After completion of the As early as 1939 a
in steps from the maximum crater develops which compaction, the surface is
compaction depth of
depth of penetration upwards. is backfilled with sand, re-levelled and, if required,
It encompasses a cylindrical soil which is either imported compacted with a vibratory 35 m was reached
body of up to 5 m diameter. (A) or taken from the roller. on a site in Berlin.
The increase in density is existing soil (B). For this Nowadays maximum
indicated by an increased power purpose a volume of up compaction depths
consumption of the vibrator. to 15 % of the treated greater than 50 m
soil volume is required. have been achieved.

–31

–32

–33

–34
Vibrator in a compaction crater
–35
Special applications
With depth vibrators, slender elements
such as dolphins, soil anchors or steel
profiles can be sunk into sandy soils and
securely anchored.
–48
A further field of application is the
densification of embankment zones –49
and excavation bases to reduce their
–50
permeability.
5
 Vibro Replacement in granular soils with
high fines content and in cohesive soils

Equipment and execution

For the construction of Vibro Replacement
columns the bottom feed process is frequently
employed, which feeds coarse granular material
Air chamber
to the tip of the vibrator with the aid of pres­
and lock
surized air. To optimize the performance of this
process and to accommodate the specialized
equipment, Keller has developed the vibrocat
base unit which guides the vibrator on its leader
and allows additional pull-down pressure to be
exerted during penetration and compaction.
Extension tube The Vibro Replacement process consists of
and stone
feeder pipe alternating steps. During the retraction step,
(material gravel runs from the vibrator tip into the
storage) annular space created and is then compacted
and pressed into the surrounding soil during the
subsequent re-penetration step. In this manner
Flexible stone columns are created from the bottom up,
coupling
and these behave as a composite material with
the surrounding soil under load.

Geotechnical aspects
Insofar as any compaction can be achieved in
mixed or fine-grained soils through horizontal
vibration and soil displacement (which depends
mainly on their degree of saturation), this im- The process
Electrical
motor provement should be evaluated in the same
manner as Vibro Compaction. The pure Vibro 1 Preparation 2 Charging
Replacement process, however, does not as- The vibrocat positions the The skip is lifted and empties
Stone feeder sume any compaction in the surrounding soil. vibrator over the required its contents into the air
pipe
location of the compaction chamber. Once the air lock
point and stabilises itself is closed, the material flow
Eccentric
using hydraulic supports. towards the vibrator tip is
weight Design diagram for Vibro Replacement A wheel loader fills the assisted by pressurized air.
skip with aggregate.
Improvement factor

7 ϕS = 45.0°
Nozzle
6 ϕS = 42.5° μB = ⅓
5 ϕS = 40.0°
4 ϕS = 37.5° input parameters. For the foundation design, the
3 ϕS = 35.0° improved ground is treated like normal subsoil.
The allowable bearing pressure achieved after the
2
improvement is typically in the range of 150 to
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 400 kPa.
Area ratio A / A S
Settlement evaluation for single footings
The improvement relies on the greater stiffness
Settlement ratio s/s∞ *

1
and higher shear strength of the stone column.
0,8
No. of stone columns

1600
900
The foundation concept 0,6 400
While the compaction of the surrounding 225
100
soil can be easily verified by soundings, the 0,4 64
36
improvement effect of the Vibro Replacement 0,2
16
9
4
can only be checked by in-situ load tests. 1

Keller has developed a reliable design method 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28

Depth ratio t/d
which uses the geometry of the columns and
* s ∞ = settlement of a theoretical infinite load area
the friction angle of the column material as
6
 Mixed-grained and fine-grained soils frequently do not possess a sufficient
bearing capacity. For a fines content in excess of 10 % to 15 % an acceptable
compaction result without imported material cannot be expected. In these
cases the Vibro Replacement technique is a viable option. This technique is
also suitable for the treatment of coarse fills such as rubble, building debris
and material from slag heaps.

Depth
0

–1

–2

–3

–4

–5

–6

–7

–8

–9

3 Penetration 4 Compaction 5 Finishing

The vibrator displaces After reaching the maximum The stone column is built
the soil and is lowered depth the vibrator is pulled up up in alternating steps to The Vibro Replacement
to the design depth, slightly, causing the aggregate the design level. During the technique was developed
aided by the compressed to fill the cavity created. During final levelling, the surface in the late 1950s. Without
air and by the vibrocat’s re-penetration the aggregate is to be re-compacted, or a any special modifications of
pull-down pressure. compacted and pressed into the blinding layer is required the bottom feed setup the
surrounding soil. as an alternative. vibrocat can install columns
with a length of up to 20 m.

Benefits of working with the –13

View of the cut off level
after Vibro Replacement bottom feed vibrator: –14

• The aggregate is always fed –15

directly to the tip of the vibrator, –16
creating a continuous column.
–17
• Only a single penetration is required.
• Thanks to the air pressure, the hole –18
cannot collapse even in critical soils. –19
• The leader ensures the –20
verticality of the columns.
• No water is required, eliminating
the necessity to dispose of any mud
which would otherwise be created.

7
 Structural Foundation Elements

Premixed Vibro Concrete Columns (PVCC)

Equipment and execution

These foundation elements are built in the
same manner as described for the Vibro
Replacement process.
For premixed vibro concrete columns, a
special coarse-grained concrete mix with a
strength typically ranging between C8/10
and C25/30 is installed. It behaves identically
to the stone material, allowing the same
compaction and displacement effects in the
Installation of premixed surrounding soil.
vibro concrete columns
Geotechnical aspects
The load bearing behaviour of the structural
foundation elements is largely identical to the
behaviour of piles.

The foundation concept

For Premixed Vibro Concrete Columns Keller
has the approval of the German supervisory
board for construction (Agrément Board).
The external load-bearing mechanism used
in the design of the soil improvement is very
well supported by a large number of load
test results as per DIN 1054. Depending on
Excavated premixed vibro concrete column
the soil conditions and the materials used,
working loads of up to 900 kN can routinely
be achieved. Vibro concrete columns can
be easily combined with the normal Vibro
Replacement method by eliminating the use of
concrete in the upper or lower section of the
column as required, thus creating a buffer or
transition zone to the rigid concrete columns.

Penetration Formation of the toe Installation of the column

Pull down

Material
Vibrator charging
Vibrocat
with stone
feeding tube

weak strata Nozzle

competent strata Column toe

8
 This method is employed if the fine-grained subsoil does not mobilize sufficient
lateral support for stone columns or when high organic contents are found
which decompose and cause soil shrinkage. Another field of application is the
foundation of structures with high loads.

Vibro Concrete Columns (VCC)

Equipment and Execution

Vibro Concrete Columns typically consist of
pumpable, C20/25-strength concrete. The
toe of the column is enlarged by repeated
retraction and re-penetration of the vibrator,
but the shaft is built in a single pull due to
the high internal strength of the concrete.

Geotechnical aspects
During the installation of Vibro Concrete
Columns no particular effort is made to Installation of Vibro
densify any specific soil layer. As with other Concrete Columns
structural foundation elements, a high
degree of improvement can be achieved
at the toe of the column, and this leads
to a particularly high bearing capacity
and low deformations under load.

The foundation concept

For Vibro Concrete Columns Keller
also has the approval of the German
supervisory board for construction.
Vibro Concrete Columns are generally
more slender compared to other
structural foundation elements. Typical
Excavated Vibro Concrete Columns
shaft diameters range between 40 cm and
60 cm. The bearing capacity under working
load can reach 1200 kN depending on
the ground conditions and on the extent
to which the toe can be enlarged.
Cross Section of
a Vibro Concrete
Column

Penetration and Installation of

Preparation
toe formation the shaft

Pull down

Vibrator with
concrete
feeder pipe

Concrete Readymixed
Vibrocat Pump concrete

weak strata Concrete nozzle

competent strata Column toe

9
 Special Applications

Multiple Vibrators and

Offshore Compaction
Vibro Compaction of large areas both
onshore and offshore can be carried out
with multiple vibrator assemblies.

dredged and
clay, silt replaced by sand
sandstone

For Vibro Replacement offshore, such as for

quay walls and bridge piers, a special gravel
pump is used to construct columns with the
bottom feed process.

Gravel pump

weak soil

rock

Vibro Replacement –
Top Feed Method
In suitable ground conditions the Vibro
Replacement process can be performed
using crane hung vibrators similar to the
Vibro Compaction setup. In this case water
or air flushing is used. The flushing medium
assists rapid penetration into the ground and
stabilizes the annulus around the vibrator.
It also can be used to increase the column
diameter.

10
Quality Control

For all vibro techniques, electronic measuring

devices can be employed to ensure and
record constant high quality of workmanship.

The measuring device

To control the process, monitor the quality
and for production records, the relevant
construction parameters for each compaction Display unit and CPU of
probe can be measured, saved and printed the M5 measuring device
as proof of production and quantities.

The measurement device consists of

• The display unit in the operator’s cabin,
• The CPU with data storage,
• PC with printer at the site office,
• Dot-matrix printer mounted on the base
unit for real time printout (optional).

Process: Vibration Process (3.0.0)

Inventory: 9130517 Site: 1234173
Section: 0 Point: 241 Ref. No.: 15
Date: 15.10.12 Time: 05:10:47 Interval: 4 sek
Weight: 1.5 kN/m
Legend:

Time Depth Penetration Rate Thrust Power

[sec] [m] [m/min] [bar] [A]
400
200

100
150
-40
-20

40
20

50
10
15
0
5

0
1

500

1000
Load tests are a suitable
means of verifying the
1500 improvement of the soil

2000 2

Event Time Depth Electrical Susp. Net Total Inclination Inclination

Energy Point Weight Weight Right/Left For/Back
No. Type Description hh:mm:ss [m] [kVAh] [cbm] [ton] [ton] [Deg] [Deg]
01 09 Point Start 05:10:47 0.1 0.00 0.00 2.98 2.98 -0.2 +0.3
02 10 Point End 05:45:08 0.1 21.03 0.00 2.79 5.77 -0.4 +0.2

Total Time: 34.33 min Max. depth: 10.00 m Rel. weight: 0.58 ton/m

The measurement results

During compaction a number of different site
and production parameters are automatically
recorded.
Values such as time, depth, penetration/
pullout speed, pull-down force and current
can be graphically displayed and printed. If
required, the energy consumption can be
recorded.
11
Keller Group plc
Ground Engineering Contractors
www.keller.co.uk
Keller Holding GmbH
www.kellerholding.com

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0615 · 10- 02 E

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