Ground Improvement of Tank Foundations in the Middle East

Although tank construction is well advanced in the Middle East, not all tanks are located on suitable grounds, and many require the implementation of specific foundation measures to ensure that design specifications are satisfied. While ground improvement of tank foundations in the region has a proven track record that dates back to the 1980s, and can potentially be the most appropriate solution for many tanks, it is the authors’ experience that occasionally the projects’ settlement requirements appear to have been influenced by building specifications that have not been developed for the purpose. Consequently and unnecessarily, more expensive solutions with longer construction schedules may have to be adopted that will not bring any additional benefits to the foundation solution. This paper initially reviews settlement criteria of a number of internationally recognized standards and then presents a number of case studies of tank foundation improvement by dynamic compaction and quality control by Menard pressuremeter tests.