Soil Improvement with Micropiles: A Case Study of Fully Loaded Container Rafts at Dekheila Port, Alexandria

Abstract This paper evaluates the effectiveness of micropiles in enhancing the geotechnical behavior of reclaimed soils beneath container rafts at Dekhila Port, Alexandria. The bearing capacity of a micropiled raft on loose sand was investigated using finite element analyses with a validated numerical model simulating a micropiled raft subjected to a concentric vertical load. Three configurations were analyzed: a raft directly on soil, a raft supported by vertical micropiles, and a raft reinforced with inclined micropiles. Key design parameters, including number of micropiles, micropile diameter, length, spacing, and inclination, were systematically varied, and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results show that inclined micropiles increased soil efficiency by up to 79.4%, while optimal diameter and length improved performance by 38.14% and 41.17%, respectively. Settlement was reduced by up to 52% with optimized spacing and inclination. These findings confirm that micropiles are an effective ground improvement technique, providing significant benefits for the stability and serviceability of port infrastructure.