Abstract:
Ground improvement can be applicable to projects of any size; however there are certain delicacies that necessitates special attention when ground treatment is implemented in large size projects. From the experience of performing millions of square meters of ground improvement, it is observed that soil treatment projects of mega and giga size can be optimised if specifications and testing methods have been developed properly, the ground improvement solution has been adapted according to the in-situ ground conditions and project requirements, and that allocation of equipment and working teams have been planned and managed appropriately. Unsuitable acceptance criteria can veer the ground improvement campaign into an unnecessarily costly and time consuming and sometimes impossible endeavour. This presentation will provide the lessons learned from the ground improvement works of several very large size projects including Abu Dhabi Corniche (900,000 m2), Al Quoa New Township (1,135,000 m2), King Abdulla University of Science and Technology (2,600,000 m2) and Al Falah New Township (4,840,000 m2).


Profile of Speaker:
Mr. Serge Varaksin was born in 1943 in Belgium. After completing his civil engineering degree, he was enrolled on a work-study program at Northwestern University at Evanston, USA. He completed his master’s degree under Professor Jorg Osterberg and published his research on relative density below groundwater table in the ASTM, STP 523.  In 1972, he performed his military service at the Belgium Military School as a teaching research assistant to Professor Van Wambeke. During this time, he was exposed to Menard Pressuremeter technologies. Soon after, he joined Menard of France in 1973 after a short stint with Fondedile of Belgium. Since then, he has devoted his career in creating the global network of Menard companies specialising in ground improvement works following the corporate visions of the late Louis Menard and Prof. Jean-Marie Cognon. He retired from Menard as the Deputy Managing Director. Serge Varaksin has given keynote lectures at international conferences and he has conducted touring lectures in Asia, Australia, Africa and America organised by ISSMGE. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers in ground improvement techniques. Currently, he is the co-chairman of ISSMGE TC211 on ground improvement and scientific advisor for APAGEO.