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Working Platform For Heavy Tracked Plant Constructed Using Geogrid Over
Soft Ground

Conference Paper · January 2013

DOI: 10.3850/978-981-07-4948-4_062

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 WORKING PLATFORM FOR HEAVY TRACKED PLANT
CONSTRUCTED USING GEOGRID OVER SOFT
GROUND

R. Ong1 and M. J. D. Dobie2

1 Malaysia Regional Office, Tensar International Ltd, Malaysia.
E-mail: richard@tensar.com.my
2 Jakarta Regional Office, Tensar International Ltd, Indonesia.
E-mail: tensar@attglobal.net

Engineers are constantly challenged to build working platforms over soft ground
with the objective that safety should be attained without undue expenditure. One
of the alternatives to the conventional working platform construction is using a
geogrid stabilised working platform. The use of structural geosynthetics in working
platform construction is described in BR470 Report [1] to promote safe working
platform designs without excessive or unnecessary cost. This paper presents the
use of geogrid for the construction of two working platforms over soft clay sub-
grades to support the movement of heavy crawler cranes. In 1987, one of the
earliest applications of geogrid in a working platform was the rehabilitation of a
deteriorating fabrication yard using two layers of stiff biaxial geogrid to support
movement of crawler cranes with self-weight up to 2500 kN in Pasir Gudang,
Malaysia. More recently, stiff uniaxial and triangular pattern geogrids have been
used to construct a 1 m thick cellular foundation mattress and 2 m thick mechan-
ically stabilised layer (MSL) to form a stiff and stable working platform for an off-
shore fabrication yard to support crawler cranes with loading up to 500 kPa in Vung
Tau, Vietnam in 2011. In both cases, the performance of geogrid stabilised working
platform met the project requirements and provided saving to the project owner in
terms of both cost and time.

1. INTRODUCTION

Some of the conventional methods for the construction of working platform over soft
ground might include a piled raft foundation system, removal and replacement of the soft
soils, using ground improvement technology like soil-cement columns or stone columns,
etc. Ground stabilisation using geogrids is another feasible technology for working
platform construction.
Guido et al. [2] demonstrated that by the inclusion of a number of layers of stiff geogrids
within a layer of sand, the load carrying capacity of that layer in a footing situation could
be increased by a factor of 2.5 over the same section without geogrid. A recent large-scale
laboratory test by Watts and Jenner [3] to assess the performance of a geogrid stabilised
granular working platform concluded that the use of 2 layers of geogrids significantly

Advances in Geotechnical Infrastructure

Edited by C. F. Leung, S. H. Goh & R. F. Shen
Copyright © 2013 Geotechnical Society of Singapore (GeoSS). Published by Research Publishing.
ISBN: 978-981-07-4948-4 :: doi:10.3850/978-981-07-4948-4 062 129
130 Advances in Geotechnical Infrastructure

Figure 1. Interlocking mechanism of stiff geogrid providing lateral confinement.

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of cellular mattress over soft ground.

increase the bearing capacity of working platforms. The research showed that the triangu-
lar pattern geogrid (TriAx®) with near-uniform radial tensile stiffness outperformed the
biaxial geogrid and doubled the bearing capacity of the granular blanket without geogrid.
By including one or more layers of geogrid in a granular layer, a composite material with
better properties and performance is created and this is often described as a “mechanically
stabilised layer” (MSL). The interlocking mechanism, as shown in Figure 1, which restrains
the movement of aggregate particles within the geogrid apertures is identified as the lat-
eral confinement effect that can be mobilised from a stiff geogrid. Through the interlocking
mechanism and lateral confinement, the aggregate layer can be stabilised without exces-
sive deformation of the surface. Discussion on the concept and mechanism of MSL can be
found in Rakowski and Kawalec [4].
Apart from using an MSL, the cellular foundation mattresses can also be used in work-
ing platform construction. A cellular foundation mattress is normally 1 m thick, consisting
of a series of interlocking cells formed using stiff polymer geogrids to contain and confine
granular material providing a stiff and rough foundation to an embankment see Figure 2. It
allows for mobilisation of the maximum bearing capacity from the soft foundation soil and
forms a stiff and stable working platform which supports the movement of construction
plant. Jenner et al. [5] used slip line fields to assess the improvement in bearing capac-
ity of soft foundation soils under a cellular mattress installed at the base of an embank-
ment and provided a useful analytical method for assessing the horizontal stresses in the
geogrid elements. It should be noted that a cellular foundation mattress is self-contained
and normally does not need external anchorage beyond the embankment base whereby
the conventional construction with high strength reinforcement geotextiles would require
provision of anchorage length.
This paper presents the application of geogrids in two working platforms to support
movement of heavy cranes. The first project is the rehabilitation of an existing working
platform in a fabrication yard for offshore jackets and modules using an MSL in Pasir
 Working Platform for Heavy Tracked Plant Constructed Using Geogrid Over Soft Ground 131

Gudang, Malaysia. The second project is the construction of a heavy duty working plat-
form in Vung Tau, Vietnam using an MSL with a cellular mattress at the base. In both
cases, the working platforms were built over soft clays to support crane loadings up to 500
kPa. In the first case, performance is examined in terms of trafficking, and in the second
case as settlement under a static load. In both cases, the performance testing confirmed that
the MSL met the project requirements.

2. WORKING PLATFORM IN PASIR GUDANG

The first working platform built in Malaysia using a mechanically stabilised layer (MSL)
was the working platform rehabilitation project in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia in 1987 as
reported by Yong et al. [6] and Chan [7]. The working platform covered an area of 7 hectares
for the fabrication of offshore steel jackets for the oil and gas industry. The working plat-
form was built on top of a 10 m thick deposit of very soft marine clay by filling up the area
with 1.5 m to 2.0 m of clayey residual soil. Due to the heavy crawler cranes loading and
movement, severe rutting was detected on the unpaved working platform during initial
operation of the fabrication yard. The crawler cranes weighed between 2000 and 2500 kN
and the concentrated pressure exerted on the working platform was up to 500 kPa during
lifting operations. With the working platform deteriorating rapidly, a new platform was
planned by the client with the emphasis on speedy construction since the working plat-
form was in operation at that time. After considering various soil improvement methods,
the solution using two layers of stiff biaxial geogrid within a 1 m thick granular fill (i.e.,
the MSL solution) was adopted in the new working platform construction, as it met the
requirements in terms of both time and cost see Figure 3. The primary design considera-
tion was to minimise differential settlement and rutting of the working platform during its
operation.
The construction of the new working platform was started by removing the top 700 mm
of the clayey residual soil fill. The first layer of geogrid was then placed at the excavated
level. After suitable subsoil drains were laid, backfilling and compaction of quarry waste
(i.e., granular material) was conducted. The second layer of geogrid was then placed before
backfilling and compaction of the final 300 mm of quarry waste to the final platform level.

2300 kN crane
with 700 kN load
2 layers of geogrid
MP MP
MP
1m thick MSL

MP
2 layers of
Deep deposit
woven geotextile MP = measurement of very soft
point Upper Marine
Clay

Figure 3. Working platform constructed at Pasir Gudang and second trial layout.
132 Advances in Geotechnical Infrastructure

Passes (no)
0 10 20 30 40
Trial procedure with geogrid
-100
(1) 8 passes along single track
Single Multiple track Single (2) 20 passes along multiple
0 track
(3) Refill ruts
Settlement (mm)

(4) 8 more passes along single

100 track
(5) Measuring settlement at three
measurement points (MP) as
200 shown on Figure 3

Trial procedure with geotextile

300 Edge of track On subgrade (1) First pass gives 350mm rut
Under track Geotextile (2) Rut filled, then further passes
quickly result in 200mm rut
400

Figure 4. Plot of settlement versus number of passes from second crane trafficking trial.

The rehabilitated working platform was load tested using a crawler crane with a self-
weight of 2250 kN. It was reported that the settlement of the working platform was only
37 mm after 30 passes with a decreasing rate of settlement per pass [7], which was consid-
ered acceptable. Several years later, an extension was built, and a further trial carried out
to examine the performance of the geogrid stabilised MSL and compare it with a woven
geotextile. The section is shown on Figure 3, and the trafficking trial results are shown on
Figure 4. The geogrid stabilised MSL far out-performed the geotextile solution, and based
on the trial it was adopted for construction of the extension.

3. WORKING PLATFORM IN VUNG TAU

The working platform for an offshore facilities fabrication yard in Vung Tau, Vietnam
was required to support the movement of crawler cranes with track contact pressures
up to 500 kPa. Although the initial design was to use a conventional reinforced concrete
piled raft foundation system, an alternative solution was sought by the main contractor of
this project to reduce the construction time. The proposal of a working platform using a
mechanically stabilised layer (MSL) with cellular mattress at the base was selected by the
contractor not only because it would help to reduce the construction time but it would also
provide substantial cost saving to the project.
The design was conducted based on 2 m wide by 13.7 m long crane tracks separated
by a clear distance of 7.6 m. The maximum pressure under each track was 500 kPa. The
foundation soil consisted of 10 m of soft bluish clay with average undrained shear strength
of 23 kPa from vane shear test results. Based on this undrained shear strength, the ulti-
mate bearing capacity was calculated to be 131 kPa, which was not sufficient to support
the loading from the crane tracks. Due to the high loading from the cranes and low bear-
ing capacity, a 2 m thick MSL over a 1 m thick cellular mattress base was proposed for
this working platform see Figure 5. The MSL and cellular mattress were built 3 m below
the existing ground. The aggregate used as backfill for the MSL and cellular mattress was
specified as well graded granular material. In the calculations, the angle of load spread for
the fill material stabilised with geogrid within the MSL was taken to be 1 vertical to 1 hori-
zontal (i.e., 1 V:1 H) whereas the load distribution through the cellular mattress was taken
 Working Platform for Heavy Tracked Plant Constructed Using Geogrid Over Soft Ground 133

Max cranne track 5 layers off geogrid

MP EGL
load = 500
5 kPa
2m thick MSLL
1V:1H load spread
s
1m thick celluular
mattress 1V:22H
load spread
MP = measureement point in BPT
Soft clay, beaaring
capacity = 1331 kPa

Figure 5. Working platform constructed in Vung Tau.

(a) Schematic diagra

am of cellular ma
attress fabrication (b) Cellular mattress fabricated at project site

Figure 6. Cellular mattress fabrication.

as 1 vertical to 2 horizontal (i.e., 1 V:2 H) to model the very stiff nature of the construction,
see Figure 5.
The construction of the working platform using an MSL over the cellular mattress was
relatively straightforward and did not require special machinery or skilled personnel. After
excavation to the formation level, the first step was to erect the honeycombed cellular struc-
ture by fabricating a series of interlocking cells using 1 m wide, stiff uniaxial geogrids in a
vertical orientation, which were connected to a base geogrid as shown in Figure 6. The cel-
lular mattress was then filled with well graded aggregate with diameter less than 75 mm
without applying direct compaction. Subsequently, the MSL was constructed on top of the
cellular mattress. The first layer of geogrid was laid at 200 mm above the top of the cellular
mattress and subsequent layers of geogrid were placed at 400 mm intervals with the final
layer of geogrid placed at 200 mm below the formation level. The compaction of the aggre-
gate for the MSL was carried out in accordance with conventional earthwork compaction
specifications.
After completion of the working platform consisting of MSL over cellular mattress,
a large-scale plate bearing test (PBT) was conducted to determine its performance. The
acceptance criterion for the project was that total settlement should be less than 100 mm
under loading of 500 kPa. The large scale PBT was conducted using a specially fabricated
steel plate with a length of 10 m and a width of 1.5 m. Six jacks were used with six dial
gauges to exert pressures up to 600 kPa by jacking against 11,000 kN of kentledge con-
structed by stacking concrete blocks on a steel platform. The loading on the steel plate was
134 Advances in Geotechnical Infrastructure

PBT pressure (kPa)

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
0
Settlement (mm) 20
40
60
80 PBT (10m x 1.5m)
100 Project specification
120

Figure 7. Result of the plate bearing test (PBT).

increased in six steps: 100 kPa, 200 kPa, 300 kPa, 400 kPa, 500 kPa and 600 kPa. The set-
tlement versus applied load graph is shown in Figure 7 and the total settlement of 41 mm
under a loading of 600 kPa was well within the requirement of the project. This project has
been reported in greater detail by Ong et al. [8].

4. CONCLUDING REMARKS

This paper presents the application of geogrids in working platform construction. From
the two projects described, it is shown that both the mechanically stabilised layer (MSL)
and MSL with cellular mattress constructed with stiff geogrids can be adopted success-
fully for the construction of working platforms over soft soils to support heavy loadings
from crawler crane operations. It is also shown that working platforms constructed using
geogrid performed satisfactorily in terms of meeting the settlement requirements, although
the loadings from the heavily loaded crawler cranes were up to 500 kPa. Therefore, this
innovative geotechnical solution may be considered as an alternative option for the con-
struction of working platforms in the future.

REFERENCES

1. Building Research Establishment, “Working platform for tracked plant”, BR 470, BRE, UK (2004).
2. Chan, S. F., “Reinforced soil structures using geogrids,” Proc. 2nd Asian Geosynthetics Conf., Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, Vol. 1 (2000), pp. 95–110.
3. Guido, V. A., Kneuppel, J. D. and Sweeney, M. A., “Plate loading tests on geogrid-reinforced earth
slabs,” Proc. Geosynthetic ’87 Conf., New Orleans, USA, Vol. 1 (1987), pp. 216–225.
4. Jenner, C. G., Bassett, R. H. and Bush, D. I., “The use of slip line fields to assess improvement
in bearing capacity of soft ground by a cellular foundation mattress installed at the base of an
embankment,” Proc. Intl. Geotech. Symp. on Theory and Practice of Earth Reinforcement, Fukuoka,
Japan (1988), pp. 209–214.
5. Ong, R., Song, W. K., Tran, N. M. and Pham, X. T., “Geocell mattress for heavy duty working
platform over soft soil,” Proc. Intl. Conf. Geotec Hanoi 2011, Hanoi, Vietnam (2011), pp. 153–158.
6. Rakowski, Z. and Kawalec, J., “Mechanically stabilized layers in road construction,” Proc. 27th Int.
Baltic Road Conf., Riga, Latvia (2009).
7. Watts, K. and Jenner, C. G., “Large-scale laboratory assessment of geogrids to reinforce granular
working platforms,” Proc. Euro. Geo. 4 Conf., Scotland, UK, Paper #222 (2008).
8. Yong, K. Y., Chan, S. F. and Lee, K. K., “Reinforced soil working platform for offshore jacket fab-
rication yard,” Proc. 4th International Conference on Geotextiles, Geomembranes and Related Products,
The Hague, Netherlands (1990), pp. 223–226.

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