Settlement Control
Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier® Armorpact® System
The Armorpact® system allows for dramatically increased
load-carrying capacity in very soft clays/
silts or organic soil, and has proven to be a very
cost-effective solution for supporting structures
of all shapes and sizes in some of the softest soils found
in Canada.
The system is essentially based on using a high density
polyethylene (HDPE) confining shell and vertical impact
ramming to construct high capacity Rammed Aggregate Pier®
(RAP) elements for superior settlement control. What makes
this system particularly impressive when compared to some
other ground improvement systems, are the heavy vertical
TECHNICAL
crowd force, vertical ramming energy and confinement provided
by the HDPE sleeve. This action, along with the vertical
ramming and heavy crowd pressure is unique to this particular
system. These factors are essential as the result is a more
highly engineered system with improved performance over
other ground-improvement approaches.
This displacement method is also ideal for contaminated
sites where spoils or over-excavation is cost-prohibitive or
not an option. The Armorpact® system also provides costeffective
solutions for soils where temporary casing may
increase construction costs or lower design capacities for
other systems.
By Mark Tigchelaar, P.Eng., GeoSolv Design/Build Inc.
PHOTOS: GEOSOLV DESIGN/BUILD INC.
PILING CANADA 37