Seismic Response of Stone Column-Improved Soft Clay Deposit by Using 1g Shaking Table

A series of shaking table tests were conducted to estimate the seismic performance of soft ground deposits improved by stone column. The amplification of acceleration, shear strain, and shear wave velocity were evaluated to compare the seismic response of unimproved ground deposits with that of improved ground deposits. From the test results, it was shown that the stone column can prevent large shear deformation in ground deposits. However, it was also found that the acceleration of improved ground deposits may be amplified more than that of unimproved ground deposits when it was subjected to short periodic seismic wave. The results suggest that it is necessary to perform the ground response analysis with model experiments for both unimproved and improved ground deposits to evaluate the effect of stone column on the seismic performance of improved ground deposits.