GEOPIER IS GROUND IMPROVEMENT®

The Geopier Impact® system is designed to reinforce inadequate soils, including loose sand, soft silt and clay, mixed soil layers, uncontrolled fill, contaminated soils and soils below the groundwater table. Using a displacement process, this system allows for installation with no spoils and eliminates the need for casing.
 
This system is available as a Rammed Aggregate Pier (RAP) option constructed with crushed aggregate or as a Rigid Inclusion (RI) option by adding grout to the installation process to support high foundation loads.

The Geopier Impact® system:
 
  • Saves time and money by replacing deep foundations or over-excavation/ replacement
  • Allows for the use of shallow spread foundations (4 to 10 ksf pressures)
  • Allows for installation depth of 45+ feet (RAP and RI)



This paper presents a ground improvement solution, the innovative quality control program used during construction, and the results of the load testing program for a project where both rigid inclusions and aggregate piers were used to reinforce urban fill and organic soils.

A combination of crushed aggregate and grouted Geopier Impact® elements provided a robust design and installation for a site with highly compressible soils. 

A 7-story mixed-use structure was proposed on a site with poor subsurface conditions (gravel fill underlain by alluvial very soft to very stiff, loose to medium dense, silt, sand, gravel and interbedded layers of decomposed wood chips and timber debris followed by native dense to very dense silty sand and sand) and groundwater at 5 feet below grade. Due to these challenging conditions, the Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier® (RAP) and Rigid Inclusion (RI) technologies were selected to provide foundation and floor slab support for the column (up to 700 kips) and wall loads( up to 23 kips per foot).
 
Using the Geopier Impact® system negates the need for casing and expedites the construction process to create grouted Impact elements for support of the heavy foundation loads. Read more

I’m amazed at where we are today. In the midst of this crazy pandemic, Americans are finding ways to thrive. Replacing socializing with social distancing, conference rooms with Zoom calls, classrooms with virtual learning, commuting with multi-tasking, we are adapting to our new realities and making the most of it.  

We in the engineering / construction trades are storming along. We have collectively made the leap to go electronic, shoving aside our ever-growing paper stacks (at least as much as we can), delivering design documents through the clouds, employing health and safety processes at our job sites, and getting the job done. We have talked so much in this column about digitization – it finally came like a Tsunami; paddled our boats out to meet it and rode it to shore.  Read More

Geopier Foundation Company
130 Harbour Place Drive, Suite 280
Davidson, NC 28036
T. (800) 371-7470 | (704) 439-1790
F. (704) 439-1799