Working characteristics of concrete-cored deep cement mixing piles under embankments

The concrete-cored deep cement mixing (DCM) pile is a new kind of composite pile created by inserting a precast core pile into the DCM column socket and has only been used in a few expressway projects to date. In this paper, full scale field tests of composite foundations reinforced by both concrete-cored DCM piles and by conventional DCM columns under embankments were conducted in northeast of Nanjing Surrounding Expressway (NS-N Expressway), China. With the installation of settlement plates, multipoint settlement gauges, inclinometers, piezometers, pressure transducers, and steel stress meters, the results of plate load tests and long-term monitoring, including ultimate bearing capacity, total settlement, settlement along depth, lateral movement, loading sharing ratio, vertical stress of precast core pile, and excess pore pressure were presented. Based on field test results, the reinforcement effects of composite foundations reinforced by concrete-cored DCM piles and conventional DCM columns were compared. The load transfer characteristics of concrete-cored DCM piles under embankments were also discussed. The test results show that the foundation treatment effect of concrete-cored DCM pile is better than that of the conventional DCM column. Compared to the conventional DCM column, the upper load borne by concrete-cored DCM pile is higher, while the excess pore pressure in concrete-cored DCM pile composite foundation is lower than that in conventional DCM column composite foundation. Under embankment, negative friction occurs at the upper section of concrete-cored DCM pile.