Geoencased columns: toward a displacement based design

As is largely testified in literature, in the last decade geoencased columns have become a quite common alternative solution to standard stone columns. This is essentially due to the possibility of employing reinforcements to better the mechanical response of the inclusions without reducing their drainage efficiency. Although GEC are often used to reduce settlements induced by the construction of large embankments on soft soils, up to now a rational displacement based design approach has not yet been introduced. This is thus the final objective of this paper, that, by starting from a critical review of the standards presently available, will illustrate the results of a series of finite difference numerical analyses. A unit cell of an ideal reinforced soil embankment placed on a soft soil stratum will be accounted for and the effect of the main geometrical/mechanical parameters, as well as the response of the system during the construction stages, is discussed.