Fundamentals of Ground Improvement Engineering

Ground improvement has been one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving areas of geotechnical engineering and construction over the past 40 years. The need to develop sites with marginal soils has made ground improvement an increasingly important core component of geotechnical engineering curricula. Fundamentals of Ground Improvement Engineering addresses the most effective and latest cutting-edge techniques for ground improvement.

Key ground improvement methods are introduced that provide readers with a thorough understanding of the theory, design principles, and construction approaches that underpin each method. Major topics are compaction, permeation grouting, vibratory methods, soil mixing, stabilization and solidification, cutoff walls, dewatering, consolidation, geosynthetics, jet grouting, ground freezing, compaction grouting, and earth retention.

The book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate-level university students, as well as practitioners seeking fundamental background in these techniques. The numerous problems, with worked examples, photographs, schematics, charts and graphs make it an excellent reference and teaching tool.

1. Introduction to Ground Improvement Engineering 2. Geotechnical Fundamentals 3. Fundamentals of Geosynthetics in Ground Improvement 4. Compaction 5. Consolidation 6. Soil Mixing 7. Grouting 8. Slurry Trench Cutoff Walls
9. Ground Improvement Using Geosynthetics 10. Reinforcement in walls, embankments on stiff ground, and soil nailing 11. Additional Techniques in Ground Improvement 12. The Future of Ground Improvement Engineering

Dr Jeffrey Evans is Professor Emeritus of Bucknell University. He earned his BS, MS and PhD in Civil Engineering from Clarkson, Purdue, and Lehigh, respectively. In England, he has been a visiting academic at the University of Cambridge and University of Nottingham. His experience includes over 10 years as a consultant with Woodward-Clyde Consultants (now AECOM) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reserves, where he served as a 2nd and 1st Lieutenant and Captain.

Mr Daniel Ruffing is Vice President at Geo-Solutions, Inc., located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned his BS and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Bucknell University. His experience includes over 10 years of design and construction on geoenvironmental components of projects, mainly focusing on the construction of slurry trenches, soil mixing, jet grouting, and grouting, all techniques that Geo-Solutions specializes and excels in. He has also worked in general environmental remediation and other more general construction.

Dr David Elton is Professor Emeritus of Auburn University. He earned his BS, MS and PhD in Civil Engineering from Clarkson, Utah State, and Purdue, respectively. His 30 years of research and teaching specialized in geotechnical and geosynthetics engineering. A former President of the North American Geosynthetics Society, he is an ASCE Fellow, has won teaching awards, research awards, authored two books (one an ASCE best-seller) and over 50 refereed papers. He is known world-over as the ‘Soils Magician’.