Ground Improvement
Densify loose soils and fills, or consolidate soft clays, to improve bearing performance and reduce settlement.
View methodsEngineered ground. Stronger foundations.
GEODEN is a specialist ground engineering contractor in Saudi Arabia, working in soil improvement, deep foundations and geotechnical execution.
- 30 methods & tests
- Across six service families
- SAMA Holding
- Part of a Saudi construction group since 1990
- Trial → Production → Verification
- How every method is delivered
- 13.8 million m²
- Treated by our team in 16 projects
We choose the method from the ground conditions, control production and verify the result by test, so the ground can carry what is built on it.
30 methods and tests in six service families, organised around the ground problem
Each family starts from what the ground must achieve: density, stiffness, load transfer or proven performance.
Piling & Deep Foundations
Transfer load to suitable strata where shallow support is insufficient.
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Soil Reinforcement & Stabilization
Reinforce soft or variable ground, treat voids and stabilise platforms where densification alone is not enough.
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Excavation Support & Groundwater Control
Shoring and retention of excavations, slope stabilisation and groundwater control, so construction can proceed safely and dry.
View methodsEarthworks & Site Preparation
Compacted platforms, preloading of soft ground, reinforced working layers and shallow investigation to prepare a site for construction.
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Geotechnical & Geophysical Testing
Measure ground and foundation performance with CPT, plate, zone and pile load tests, pressuremeter tests, geophysics, trial pits, and vibration and groundwater monitoring.
View methodsEngineering-led from investigation to acceptance
Engineering before equipment
We select the treatment around the ground condition and the performance requirement.
Controlled execution
Trial parameters, production controls and measurable acceptance criteria are defined before full production.
Verification built into the method
Treatment is connected to CPT, plate load tests, pile tests or other project-specific verification.
Clear technical documentation
Traceable records, plans and test results make consultant review easier.
Technical depth, method by method
Every method has its own technical page. Suitability is always confirmed against the site investigation and the required performance.
High Energy Impact Compaction
A towed non-circular roller delivers high-energy impacts to compact large areas and near-surface layers.
Rapid Impact Compaction
A hydraulic hammer strikes a steel foot that stays in contact with the ground, in rapid, controlled blows.
Dynamic Compaction
A heavy weight dropped from a crane on a planned grid densifies loose granular soils and fills to depth.
Vibro Compaction
A depth vibrator rearranges sand grains into a denser state; suited to clean sands and hydraulic fills.
Prefabricated Vertical Drains
Band drains installed through soft clay shorten the drainage path, so a surcharge consolidates the ground in months rather than years.
Dynamic Replacement
Large granular columns driven into soft ground by a falling weight, using Dynamic Compaction equipment.
Vibro Replacement (Stone Columns)
Stone columns formed with a depth vibrator reinforce soft or mixed soils and improve drainage.
Bored Piles
Cast-in-place reinforced concrete piles formed in a drilled shaft, for high loads and large depths.
Continuous Flight Auger Piles
Concrete pumped through a hollow auger as it is withdrawn; fast, quiet and low-vibration.
Micro Piles
Small-diameter drilled and grouted piles for underpinning, tight access and tension loads.
Dynamic Replacement
Large granular columns driven into soft ground by a falling weight, using Dynamic Compaction equipment.
Vibro Replacement (Stone Columns)
Stone columns formed with a depth vibrator reinforce soft or mixed soils and improve drainage.
Rigid Inclusions
Grouted columns with a load transfer platform carry load to deeper layers and control settlement.
Cavity Probing & Grouting
Probe holes on a grid locate voids and weak zones, which are then filled with cement-based grout.
Geocells
Cellular confinement of granular fill increases the stiffness and load spreading of a thin layer.
Geogrid
Polymer grids interlock with compacted fill to reinforce platforms, roads, slopes and embankments.
Jet Grouting
High-velocity jets of grout cut and mix the soil in place, forming hardened columns of soilcrete.
Deep Soil Mixing
Rotating mixing tools blend cement or lime binder into soft soil to form stiffened columns, panels or blocks.
Secant & Contiguous Piles
Rows of cast-in-place piles forming embedded retaining walls for basements and deep excavations.
Soil Nailing & Rock Anchoring
Grouted steel nails and tensioned anchors stabilise excavation faces, slopes and retaining walls.
Shotcrete
Sprayed concrete forms facings for soil nail walls and protects slopes and rock faces.
Dewatering
Temporary lowering of groundwater with sumps, wellpoints or deep wells so work can proceed in the dry.
Rock Slope Stabilisation & Rockfall Protection
Rock bolts, drapery mesh, shotcrete and catch fences hold unstable rock in place or stop falling blocks before they reach people and roads.
Jet Grouting
High-velocity jets of grout cut and mix the soil in place, forming hardened columns of soilcrete.
Deep Soil Mixing
Rotating mixing tools blend cement or lime binder into soft soil to form stiffened columns, panels or blocks.
Micro Piles
Small-diameter drilled and grouted piles for underpinning, tight access and tension loads.
Groundwater Level Monitoring
Standpipes and piezometers record groundwater levels and pore water pressure before, during and after the works.
High Energy Impact Compaction
A towed non-circular roller delivers high-energy impacts to compact large areas and near-surface layers.
Rapid Impact Compaction
A hydraulic hammer strikes a steel foot that stays in contact with the ground, in rapid, controlled blows.
Prefabricated Vertical Drains
Band drains installed through soft clay shorten the drainage path, so a surcharge consolidates the ground in months rather than years.
Geocells
Cellular confinement of granular fill increases the stiffness and load spreading of a thin layer.
Geogrid
Polymer grids interlock with compacted fill to reinforce platforms, roads, slopes and embankments.
Trial Pits
Shallow pits dug by excavator expose the soil profile directly, for logging, sampling and in-situ tests.
Plate Load Testing
A loaded steel plate measures the ground's settlement response to give near-surface stiffness and bearing behaviour.
Cone Penetration Testing
An instrumented cone pushed into the ground gives a continuous profile of soil resistance, before and after treatment.
Plate Load Testing
A loaded steel plate measures the ground's settlement response to give near-surface stiffness and bearing behaviour.
Pressuremeter Testing
An inflatable probe expanded in a borehole measures in-situ stiffness and limit pressure at depth.
Pile Testing
Static, dynamic and integrity tests confirm pile capacity, settlement behaviour and soundness.
Zone Load Testing
A large loaded area tests a group of treatment points together, measuring the settlement of the improved ground under a design-scale load.
Geophysical Testing
Seismic and electrical surveys map ground stiffness, layers and anomalies across a site without drilling every metre.
Trial Pits
Shallow pits dug by excavator expose the soil profile directly, for logging, sampling and in-situ tests.
Ground Vibration Monitoring
Seismographs at nearby structures record the vibration caused by compaction, piling or other dynamic works against agreed limits.
Groundwater Level Monitoring
Standpipes and piezometers record groundwater levels and pore water pressure before, during and after the works.
Not sure which method you need?
Start from the ground problem in your site investigation. Each page shows how it is recognised and which methods are usually considered.
- Loose sand and fillLoose natural sands and uncontrolled fills compress under load.
- Soft clay and compressible soilSoft clays and silts cannot be densified by impact or vibration.
- Liquefaction riskDuring an earthquake, loose saturated sand can lose its strength as pore-water pressure rises.
- Collapsible soilSome dry, loosely structured soils are stable until they get wet.
- Cavities and karstLimestone and gypsum dissolve slowly in groundwater, leaving voids.
- Deep excavation and groundwaterA deep excavation removes the support of the ground beside it.
- Heavy loads and deep bearing strataWhen the upper soils cannot carry a structure's load, even after improvement, the load is transferred to deeper, stronger strata.
- Weak subgrade for roads and platformsRoads, storage yards and working platforms need a stiff surface layer.
Design intent, production control and acceptance, kept separate
Every scope follows the same traceable sequence, so the consultant can see how the result connects back to the original requirement.
Investigation review
Ground model, groundwater and performance criteria agreed.
Trial area
Parameters calibrated and tested before full production.
Production control
Point-by-point records against the agreed parameters.
Acceptance testing
Independent verification against the acceptance criteria.
Records & handover
As-built records, test reports and close-out documentation.
Cone resistanceDepth
- Before treatment
- After treatment
- Acceptance criterion
Representative equipment
Grouped by capability.
Tell us the location, the ground problem and what you have.
A geotechnical report, drawings or a BOQ help us give a useful technical response. If you're not sure which method fits, ask for a technical review.