Reinforced jet-grouted piles. Part 2: materials and tolerances

Part 1 of this two-part set of papers was intended to raise awareness of the specific problems encountered with the design of jet-grouted piles, the latter being usually based on reinforced concrete codes, as there is a lack of specialist documents on the subject. Among the problems identified in Part 1, those associated with the variability and uncertainty of both the material characteristics and the construction tolerances are prominent. The present article discusses the implications of the latter problems for the design of reinforced concrete grouting structures and proposes guidelines that aim to minimise the risk of inappropriate design solutions, which are usually among the main causes of structural failures.