Ground improvement for a major residential subdivision project In Western Australia using surcharge preload

Development of residential subdivisions on soft and compressible ground conditions has been a challenge to the geotechnical engineers. Large settlements under building load and expensive footings can be the key issues with residential subdivision development on soft and compressible ground conditions. This paper presents ground improvement methods adopted for a major residential subdivision project in Busselton in Western Australia. The project includes construction of more than 750 residential Lots, a marina, boat ramp, canals, roads, footbridge and a freshwater lake. About half of the overall development has been built so far.