This ground improvement method was developed in the 1950s as a method which improves cohesive and high silt content soils that could not be treated only by dynamic methods, now using soil reinforcement with aggregates. This method allows the execution of stone columns to depths of 26 m.

The soil improvement with stone columns will allow an increase in the soil stiffness, increasing soil bearing capacity and reducing settlements, and reducing consolidation time (when applicable). Due to the reinforcement and drainage effect combined it has also been used as a liquefaction mitigation technique. This method can be designed considering regular grids of stone columns to improve large areas with distributed loads under rafts, pavements, embankments, or can also be designed to improve soils localized under the footings only.