References
Palm Jebel Ali Phase 1
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 2005-2006
Soil improvement works for the palm-shaped artificial island.
The Palm Jebel Ali’ is the second in the series of three “palm trees” that form an archipelago of artificial islands reclaimed from the sea in Dubai and set out in the shape of a palm tree. This Palm is intended to house residential and tourist complexes, shopping and leisure centres, for a population of approximately 250,000 people. The Vibroflotation Group Ltd, a Solétanche Bachy subsidiary, as part of a joint venture with APCC, was awarded the design and build contract for ground improvement works.
The site covers 10km2 of land to be treated, spread over a total area measuring 50km2, where most access to the work sites is by sea. This non-standard site mobilized more than 400 people with up to 20 cranes and a series of 36 compaction units (V48 for compacting and V23 for the stone columns).
After backfilling an area contained by rock armour to a thickness of approximately 15m, vibroflotation treatment could commence. This technique, sometimes called vibrocompaction, is used to increase load-bearing capacity, homogenise soil conditions, limit subsidence and differential settlement and eliminate the risk of liquefaction in granular soils.
Once this treatment was completed, 60 load-bearing tests, 1,000 test bores and 40,000 CPT (Cone Penetration Tests) were carried out.
Vibrocompaction tandem unit in action.
15m depth of treatmentn.
The Ressources
• 16 cranes in service,
• 24 x 500KVA to 1,250KVA generating sets,
• 38 compressors,
• 50 compaction units,
• 18 mechanical loaders,
• 2 unloading lighters,
• 5 fast transport vessels.
Our records
• 22 nationalities present on the project and 10 working languages,
• 34 000 m2 of land worked per day,
• 445 000 m3 of land treated per day,
• 1 120 dynamic cone penetrometer measurements carried out and analysed each week.
Techniques
Soil-improvement techniques involve changing soil characteristics by a physical action, such as vibration, or by the inclusion or mixing in the soil of a stronger material. The aim of this process is as follows:
- increase the load-bearing capacity and/or the shear strength,
- reduce both absolute and differential settlements or in certain cases, accelerate them,
- to mitigate or remove the risk of liquefaction in the event of an earthquake or major vibrations.
Ouvrages
Soletanche Bachy can deliver a building platform ready for construction
Voyage au coeur de l'ingénierie de pointe
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