Dynamic Compaction State-of-the-Art

Dr Babak Hamidi

Dynamic Compaction (DC), developed by Louis Menard in 1969, is a powerful ground improvement technique that has seen widespread use in treating loose and compressible soils. Despite its effectiveness, it remains relatively unknown to many geotechnical engineers. This presentation aims to shed light on DC and its various aspects, and will discuss its concept, its variants, i.e., Dynamic Replacement (DR) and Dynamic Surcharging (DS), their applicability to various ground conditions, depth of influence, improvement magnitude, QA/QC and acceptance criteria. A section of the presentation will also be allocated to DC generated vibrations and equipment that are used.

A case study of a very challenging project will also be presented where 2.6 million m2 ground improvement works had to be performed in a very tight timeframe. The complexity of the project was further compounded by the fact that the ground conditions exhibited significant variability, the available geotechnical information was limited, and design changes were implemented during the works. Despite these challenges treatment solutions were successfully implemented using DC, DR and DS , resulting on completion within 8 months.

About the speaker

Dr Babak Hamidi Ground Improvement Lead at Menard Oceania

Dr Babak Hamidi is Ground Improvement Lead at Menard and Chair of ISSMGE TC-211 Ground Improvement Technical Committee. He has a BEng in civil engineering, a MEng in geotechnical engineering and a PhD in ground improvement with the Chancellor’s commendation from Curtin University. He has been working in the construction industry for more than 30 years of which a substantial portion has been focused on ground improvement and geotechnical contracting. The scope of his experience includes deep foundations, deep excavations, tunnelling and more than 10 million m² of ground improvement in several Middle Eastern countries and Australian States.

Babak has been a member of AGS Committees in WA and Sydney Chapters and prior to becoming the TC-211 chair represented Australia in the Committee for more than a decade. He is the author of more than 60 conference and journal publications on ground engineering and a reviewer of several reputable geotechnical journals such as ICE Ground Improvement Proceedings and Japan’s Soil’s & Foundations.

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