Project Details
This great project involves the development of the iconic “BLUE CITY” project located south of Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. The total duration of the project is over 14 years in length, with total costs of construction to be estimated at more than 18 billion USD.
Project Specifications:
- Safe bearing capacity: up to 143 kPa with a factor of safety of 3.
- Maximum allowable settlement: 100mm in the raft.
- Maximum allowable differential settlement: 1/500 in the raft.
Associated Problem:
- Low bearing capacity of the soil at sea side.
- Beach front soils not appropriate for roller compaction/engineering fill without soil improvement.
- Required Bearing Capacity not met by the Client using Rapid Impact Compaction.
- Excessive total and differential settlements under buildings due to heterogeneity in soil stiffness.
Menard Solution
Menard, established under its Omani Company, Freyssinet Arabian Sea,LLC (FAS), was invited by AECO Development LLC, to improve the soil by Dynamic Compaction method for a total area of 78,722 sq.m corresponding to the Plot 1.1.2 and 1.4.2.
The plots included the construction of residential and commercial community’s buildings (semibasement + N storey) from 2 to 7 stories and other infrastructures associated with the development.
DC was performed in 4 phases over 78,722 m2 of platform using 2 Dynamic Compaction rigs lifting up to 23 tons pounders and working on a double shift basis.
2 PMT testing rigs working in double shift were used to verify achievement of both Bearing
Capacity and Settlement Criteria ensuring completion of the job within a 2.5 months’ schedule.
Quality Control
Quality control included vibration monitoring and 41 post-treatment Pressuremeter tests.
Bearing capacity and Finite Element Method Settlement calculations confirmed achievement of the specifications.
Selected Techniques:
Dynamic Compaction (DC)
Treatment Area:
78,722m2
Project Location:
Oman
