ASIRI National Project

Since 1990, soil improvement by inserting vertical rigid inclusions has gained tremendous interest as the field of application now covers a wide range of civil engineering as well as construction works. Use of this innovative breakthrough technique in the area of foundations required the issuance of specific Recommendations and design guidelines. This effort, set into motion by an array of actors in the construction industry with support provided by the French Government, led to launch of the ASIRI National Project combining input from contractors, facility owners, architects, scientific laboratories and engineering consultants. This Project has entailed an intensive 5-year research and study program resulting in the 2012 publication of the ASIRI Recommendations.

These recommendations describe the behavior of structures lying on rigid inclusions through detailing, based on the output of rigorous experimental campaigns and modeling work, the various interaction mechanisms that develop between the soil, the inclusions and a load transfer platform.

A significant part of these recommendations focuses on the design, dimensioning and justifications of these different elements. The methods presented herein are intended for ease of adaptation to the full range of structures, depending on their specific degree of complexity. The justification  rules introduced are also compliant with the requirements stipulated in Eurodes, in particular Eurocode 7-1 dedicated to geotechnical design.

The implementation procedures reviewed  in this book reflect the applicability of experiences drawn from all participants in this research project labeled ASIRI (French acronym for Soil Improvements through the use of Rigid Inclusions).