In this study, a 2D model of an excavation with a tied back sheet pile wall in interaction with perpendicular rows of deep dry mixed overlapping columns was compared to a 3D model. A method to take into consideration the effect of the overlap zones between columns in a 2D model, where the improved soil was modeled as a composite material, was investigated and the results between the 2D and 3D analyses were compared with focus on predicted failure load, failure mechanism and deformations. The results of this numerical study show that both the area improvement ratio of the improved soil and the quality of the overlap zone has a significant influence on how well a 2D model that incorporates the overlap zone between columns, performs compared to the 3D model.