Stone Columns
Non-Vibratory Stone Columns (NVSC) are a proprietary style of displacement ground improvement—a method of preparing a subgrade to mitigate geological hazards or carry large vertical loads. The “non-vibratory” installation method has no impact on the design and implementation of these columns, and they are frequently used in place of rigid inclusions, vibratory stone columns, and compaction grout.
Construction Process
Drill Tech installs NVSC using a two-phase process, the first of which is to displace the necessary soil. Our teams force a large-diameter tool into the soil strata, eliminating any spoils, but causing a minimal amount of near-surface heave. The second phase of the installation is to deliver and compact the stone column using a proprietary tool and carefully measured metrics. Our operators consistently construct high-quality columns with predictable performance criteria.
Benefits of Use
Displacement ground improvement methods strengthen soil to weather geological hazards and increased loads; NVSC have the added benefit of the stone column system. The installation process is cost efficient, and the stone columns supply pressure relief not found in other non-porous displacement strategies. The unique advantage of NVSC systems is environmental—many urban projects will not tolerate the noise and vibration of other ground improvement methods but will approve NVSC due to their minimal disturbance.
