Vibro Stone Columns being installed by Van Elle, using a dedicated rig.

Vibro Stone Columns

Vibro stone columns provide a quick, cost-effective foundation solution and a practical alternative to traditional piling or deep trench fill. As a displacement technique, they generate minimal spoil.

The process involves penetrating a vibroflot to the design depth, creating a bore that is backfilled with primary or recycled aggregate and compacted in stages to form a dense, interlocking column. In granular soils, the vibration increases ground density, while in cohesive soils the columns act as reinforcing elements, improving settlement performance.

Project Advantages

  • Improved bearing capacity
  • Reduction in total & differential settlement
  • Significant savings over piling
  • Displacement system generates no spoil
  • Sustainable solution using recycled aggregates where possible
  • Modern fleet of vibro rigs – fully instrumented and with tier 4 engines
  • Fast installation process suitable for sites of any size requiring ground improvement
  • Enhanced ground conditions allow the use of shallow foundations, providing further cost savings
  • Fully validated by load testing for performance assurance

Example Applications

  • Housing Projects
  • Warehouses and Distribution Sheds
  • Local Authority Schemes
  • Education / Health
  • Embankment Support

Understanding Vibro Stone Columns

Employing two methods for this technique, we utilise rigs that have been customised and engineered to deliver an effective solution. These methods are:

Top Feed: Typically used where an open bore can be formed by the vibroflot and remains stable, allowing it to be filled with stone aggregate from working platform level.

Bottom Feed: Used where an open bore becomes unstable due to very soft soils or a high water table. In this case, stone aggregate is fed into the column through a tube attached to the vibroflot, which supports the bore as the flot remains within the ground during construction of the stone column.