The use of compacted aggregate piers has increased substantially over the last ten years.  Used principally as a ground-improvement process, these piers can provide a cost-effective alternative for projects where deep foundations or significant excavation and material replacement would previously have been required. 

The use of gravel as a foundation material also serves as a resource consistent with current “Green Building” recommendations.  Despite the advances in this technology, increased usage, pier-reviewed research, and benefits to multiple projects, few college-level construction management students are exposed to this alternative system prior to experiencing it in the field.  To date, primary education methods have focused on proprietary seminars or presentations that detail the process and proposed benefits of a given system. 

This paper explores the background of the aggregate pier system, details of a specific case study, and concludes with recommendations on how such a foundation system can be taught effectively in the college classroom to construction management students.