Lateral Soil Displacement Gains Ground on U.S. Projects
A low-impact, low-cost composite ground improvement system developed in France is now taking hold in the U.S. Controlled Modulus Columns densify and reinforce soft ground without causing vibration or generating spoils.
“CMCs fit a very wide niche between doing nothing and a heavy deep foundation solution such as piling or drilled shafts,” says Seth L. Pearlman, president of Pittsburgh-based DGI-Menard Inc.—the sole U.S. licensee of the patented technique—and current president of the Deep Foundations Institute. “Traditional practice dictates that when settlements are not acceptable, then deep foundations are required. That may not be the most cost efficient nor environmentally sustainable technique because of materials requirements. CMCs minimize concrete usage and don’t generate off-site disposal, which is critical on brownfield sites.”