 Harry G.

Poulos
o 37.35
o The University of Sydney


John C. Small

o 31.5
o The University of Sydney

Helen Chow

o 2.36
o Coffey

Abstract
Piled raft foundations are increasingly being recognised as an economical and effective
foundation system for tall buildings. This paper sets out some principles of design for such
foundations, including design for the geotechnical ultimate limit state, the structural ultimate
limit state and the serviceability limit state. The advantages of using a piled raft will then be
described with respect to two cases: a small pile group subjected to lateral loading, and then
the design of the Incheon Tower in South Korea. Attention will be focussed on the
improvement in the foundation performance due to the raft being in contact with, and
embedded within, the soil.

Géotechnique
ISSN 0016-8505 | E-ISSN 1751-7656
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Volume 51 Issue 2, March 2001, pp. 95-113
>

Piled raft foundations: design and applications

Authors:
H. G. Poulos*
Author Affiliations
https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2001.51.2.95
Published Online: May 25, 2015
Keywords: numerical modelling and analysis ; design ; foundations ; piles ; soil/structure
interaction ; rafts ; settlement
... Show All

Key: Open access content Subscribed content Free content Trial content
Abstract

In situations where a raft foundation alone does not satisfy the design requirements, it may be possible
to enhance the performance of the raft by the addition of piles. The use of a limited number of piles,
strategically located, may improve both the ultimate load capacity and the settlement and differential
settlement performance of the raft. This paper discusses the philosophy of using piles as settlement
reducers and the conditions under which such an approach may be successful. Some of the
characteristics of piled raft behaviour are described. The design process for a piled raft can be
considered as a three-stage process. The first is a preliminary stage in which the effects of the number
of piles on load capacity and settlement are assessed via an approximate analysis. The second is a
more detailed examination to assess where piles are required and to obtain some indication of the
piling requirements. The third is a detailed design phase in which a more refined analysis is employed
to confirm the optimum number and location of the piles, and to obtain essential information for the
structural design of the foundation system. The selection of design geotechnical parameters is an
essential component of both design stages, and some of the procedures for estimating the necessary
parameters are described. Some typical applications of piled rafts are described, including
comparisons between computed and measured foundation behaviour.

Dang Dinh ChungNguyenSeong-BaeJoDong-SooKim

Show more

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2012.06.007Get rights and content

Abstract
The paper has proposed a design method considering interaction effects for a piled raft foundation. In
this method, the raft is considered as a plate supported by a group of piles and soil. The ultimate load
capacity of the pile group is taken into account in calculating the settlement when the foundation is
subjected to a large vertical external load. In addition, this method supports estimation of the
nonlinear behaviour of the piled raft foundation by considering the nonlinear behaviour of the piles.

A step-by-step procedure to apply the proposed method to calculate the settlement and distribution of
the bending moment of the piled raft foundation is introduced. To verify the reliability of the proposed
method, models of a 16-pile raft and a 9-pile raft with different pile lengths embedded in
homogeneous silica sand were tested in a centrifuge and comparisons were made between the results
of the proposed method, the results of centrifuge tests, and those of Plaxis 3D. Good agreement
between centrifuge modelling and the proposed method is demonstrated, thus showing the potential of
the proposed method.

Keywords
Piled-raft
Centrifuge modelling
Individual pile
Soil–structure interactions
Nonlinear behavior Settlement

Raft foundations are the favorite choice for most of the designers; but nowadays,
due to constraints of cost increment decreasing availability of land because of
rapid industrialization & urbanization, there is growth in the vertical direction
resulting in many high-rise buildings going up. This has resulted in heavy load,
complicated stress conditions, limitation of bearing capacity of soil, and
 settlement of high-rise buildings. As a solution to the settlement problem of high-
rise buildings, a number of piles are used and a new type of foundation - called a
piled raft foundation - is coming up in a big way. In some designs, approach piles
are used for reducing the settlement and a load is carried by raft only. Another
design method still concentrates on providing adequate axial capacity from the
piles to carry the structural load and the bearing capacity of the raft is neglected.
In both the design approaches, the piled raft foundation becomes uneconomical
as bearing capacity of raft and pile are not utilized in the single design approach.
This shows that design rules and standards for piled-raft foundations are not well
established. The interesting observation in the Poulos-Davis-Randolph (PDR)
design methodology for piled raft, but using a simple stiffness formula, the piled
raft foundation can be designed and analyzed. It is observed that an increase in
pile length leads to increase in the settlement, which is contrary to the practical
observation. It is because the stiffness of any structural member in our case pile
decreases with increase in length for a given diameter. This can be avoided by
using a length of pile up to depth of fixity. The length of pile below fixity, due to
surrounding soi,l can be neglected. This length of pile above depth of fixity is also
called free-standing length of pile. This free-standing length can be calculated
using Indian standard on pile. By using simple stiffness formulae in PDR
methodology, the piled raft design can be simplified.

Optimum design of piled raft foundations Dimensionnement optimum de fondations mixtes pieux-
radier K. Horikoshi - Taisei Corporation, Tokyo, Japan M. F. Randolph - The University of Western
Australia, W.A., Australia

ABSTRACT: A design approach is presented for piled raft foundations, aimed at minimising
differential settlements. The approach is based on the results of extensive parametric studies. Key
non-dimensional parameters that govern the settlement response of piled rafts are presented and
their effects discussed. The results show that piled rafts can be designed with negligible differentia]
settlements using central pile support, and that the key parameters are (a) the ratio of pile

Abstract

Most conventional piled raft design methods focus on ultimate limit state and/or
serviceability limit state, with economics being evaluated afterward. Economics is a basic
requirement of the piled raft foundation design. The piled raft foundation cost estimation
consists of two tasks: the material quantities and the construction labor, and its assembly
include three tasks: installation, reinforcement and concrete. In this paper, piled raft
construction cost is the objective function and the piled raft design parameters such as:
allowable settlement, allowable differential settlement and maximum moment of the raft, are
the performance indices. The design procedure in this study was obtained through two stages.
At the first stage, different pile configurations were considered and the pile length, diameter
and the space were changed for obtaining equal construction cost in all pile configurations.
At the second stage, performance indices for each pile configuration were calculated. Each
pile configuration has a maximum performance index, which is the optimum pile
configuration. Sensitivity of the studies on the pile raft cost shows that, for typical pile raft
foundation design, pile spacing and configuration are the key parameters in economic design.
In general, it is recommended that, according to a given applied load (amount of load and
load type), the optimum pile configuration method should be used in combination with a
reasonable increasing of the pile length and/or pile positions to achieve the best possible
behavior of the piled raft foundation.

Keywords
Economic design Piled raft foundation Construction cost Parametric study

Piled raft foundations: design and applications

H. G. POULOS
In situations where a raft foundation alone does not satisfy
the design requirements, it may be possible to enhance the
performance of the raft by the addition of piles. The use of
a limited number of piles, strategically located, may improve
both the ultimate load capacity and the settlement and
differential settlement performance of the raft. This paper
discusses the philosophy of using piles as settlement reducers
and the conditions under which such an approach may be
successful. Some of the characteristics of piled raft behaviour are described. The design
process for a piled raft canbe considered as a three-stage process. The ®rst is a preliminary
stage in which the effects of the number of piles onload capacity and settlement are assessed
via an approximateanalysis. The second is a more detailed examination to assesswhere piles
are required and to obtain some indication ofthe piling requirements. The third is a detailed
design phasein which a more re®ned analysis is employed to con®rm theoptimum number
and location of the piles, and to obtainessential information for the structural design of the
foundation system. The selection of design geotechnical parametersis an essential
component of both design stages, and some ofthe procedures for estimating the necessary
parameters aredescribed. Some typical applications of piled rafts are described, including
comparisons between computed and measured foundation behaviour.KEYWORDS:
numerical modelling and analysis; design; foundations; piles; soil/structure interaction;
rafts; settlement.
Abstract
Important buildings such as nuclear power plants always require stricter control of
differential settlement than ordinary buildings. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an
optimized design for the piled raft foundations of important buildings. In this paper, a
new optimization method (using different pile diameters and different pile spacing) was
proposed for the design of piled raft foundations. This method adjusts the pile diameters
and pile spacing according to the stress distribution at the pile top of the initial design
to achieve a more uniform settlement of the raft and stress distribution on top of piles,
which can solve the differential settlement problems caused by uneven loads of the
superstructure. After optimized design, the differential settlement and integral bending
moment of the raft decreased more than 64% and 52%, respectively, and the differential
stress on top of piles decreased by at least 63%. The new method proposed in this paper
could be applied to large-scale piled raft foundations with complex superstructure loads.

Abstract

A piled raft is a composite foundation in which the piles are used as settlement reducers and they share, with
the raft, the load from the superstructure. The applied load is transferred from the raft to the shallow soil and
to the pile heads, and from the piles it is diffused through the shaft and the base to deeper soil. The pile–raft
and pile–pile interactions represent the distinctive aspect of the piled raft foundations since they modify the
load–bearing behaviour of each foundation component, compared to an analogous isolated element, thus
determining the overall foundation behaviour. The main aim of this thesis is to highlight the effects of the raft–
soil–pile interactions on the resistance and stiffness of axially loaded piled raft foundations in sand. A series
of centrifuge tests on models of rigid circular piled rafts in loose saturated sand has been performed to this
end, employing both non displacement and displacement piles. The raft settlement and the load transmitted
to the pile heads and bases were monitored during the tests, which also included unpiled raft and isolated
pile tests. The test results have been analysed in terms of bearing capacity and stiffness; the former
according to a load efficiency method, the latter by comparing the values obtained from centrifuge tests with
those evaluated through a simplified analytical method. ii Modelling of Piled Raft Foundations in Sand D.
Giretti In order to clarify the effect of the pressure transmitted by the raft to the soil on the behaviour of a
single capped pile, some of the centrifuge tests were simulated via finite element numerical analyses, using
an elasto–plastic strain hardening constitutive model for the sand. The geometry and the dimensions of the
numerical models corresponded to those of the physical ones and the simulations were carried out applying
an accelerated gravitational field to the mesh. The influence of a granular layer, interposed between the raft
and the pile heads, on the load transfer mechanism has also been analysed, through an additional series of
centrifuge tests which was performed on square rigid raft models on displacement piles in dry dense sand.

METHODS OF ANALYSIS OF PILED RAFT FOUNDATIONS

H.G. Poulos Coffey Geosciences Pty. Ltd. & The University of Sydney, Australia ABSTRACT Piled raft
foundations provide an economical foundation option for circumstances where the performance of
the raft alone does not satisfy the design requirements. Under these situations, the addition of a
limited number of piles may improve the ultimate load capacity, the settlement and differential
settlement performance, and the required thickness of the raft. This report summarizes the
philosophy of using piles as settlement reducers, and outlines the key requirements of design methods
for rafts enhanced with piles. A number of available methods of analysis of piled raft behaviour are
reviewed, and their capabilities and limitations are discussed. Some of the methods are useful only
for preliminary design or for checking purposes, while others are capable of giving detailed
performance predictions and can be used for detailed design. Conclusions are reached regarding the
utility of some of the current methods used for design and the limitations of two-dimensional
 numerical analyses. A summary is also given of some recent research on the analysis of piled rafts
subjected to lateral loadings.

Behavior of Piled Raft Foundations Under

Lateral and Vertical Loading
J. C. Small B.Sc. (Eng), Ph.D., F.I.E. Aust., MASCE &H. H. Zhang B.E., M.E., Ph.D.

Pages 29-45 | Received 02 Jun 2001, Published online: 22 Aug 2006

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ABSTRACT
This article presents a new method of analysis of piled raft foundations in contact
with the soil surface. The soil is divided into multiple horizontal layers depending on
the accuracy of solution required and each layer may have different material
properties. The raft is modeled as a thin plate and the piles as elastic beams. Finite
layer theory is employed to analyze the layered soil while finite element theory is
used to analyze the raft and piles. The piled raft can be subjected to both loads and
moments in any direction. Comparisons show that the results from the present
method agree closely with those from the finite element method. A parametric study
for piled raft foundations subjected to either vertical or horizontal loading is also
presented.

study on optimized piled-raft foundations (PRF) performance

with connected and non-connected piles- three case histories
A. Eslami1,*, M. Veiskarami2, M. M. Eslami3
Received: June 2010, Revised: October 2010, Accepted: March 2011
Abstract
It has been realized that the raft (mat) foundations are capable of bearing very large loads when they
are assisted with a pilegroup. The contribution of both raft and piles to carry the surcharge loads is
taken into account, considering the stiffness andstrength of involved elements in the system, i.e. piles,
raft and surrounding soil. The piles are usually required not to ensure theoverall stability of the
foundation but to act as settlement reducers. There is an alternative design in which, the piles are
nonconnectedfrom the raft to reduce the settlement, which are then known to be "settlement
reducer non-connected piles" to increasethe system stiffness. In this paper, two and three
dimensional finite element analysis of connected and non-connected pile-raftsystems are performed
on three case studies including a 12-storey residential building in Iran, a 39-storey twin towers
inIndonesia, and the Messeturm tower, 256m high, in Frankfurt, Germany. The analyses include the
investigation of the effect ofdifferent parameters, e.g. piles spacing, embedment length, piling
configuration and raft thickness to optimize the design. The roleof each parameter is also investigated.
The parametric study results and comparison to a few field measurements indicate thatby
concentrating the piles in the central area of the raft foundation the optimum design with the
minimum total length of piles isachieved, which is considered as control parameter for optimum
design. This can be considered as a criterion for project costefficiency. On the other hand, non-
connected piled-raft systems can significantly reduce the settlements and raft internal
bendingmoments by increasing the subsoil stratum stiffness. Finally, the comparison indicates that
simple and faster 2D analysis hasalmost similar results to the time consuming and complicated 3D
analysis.
Keywords: Piled-raft foundations (PRF), Optimized design, Connected piles, Non-connected piles,
Finite element analysis

Issues on Design of Piled Raft Foundation

Padmanaban M S1
, Sreerambabu J2
1(Civil Engineering,Central Polytechnic College/ DOTE,Chennai, India)
2(Civil Engineering ,TPGIT/ Anna UniversityChennai , India)

Abstract: A piled raft foundation consists of a thick concrete slab reinforced with steel which covers
the entire contact area of the structure, in which the raft is supported by a group of piles or a number
of individual piles. Bending moment on raft, differential and average settlement, pile and raft
geometries are the influencing parameters of the piled raft foundation system. In this paper, a detailed
review has been carried out on the issues on the raft foundation design. Also, the existing design
procedure was explained..
Keywords: Raft foundation, differential settlement, soil
An approximate analysis procedure for piled raft foundations

P. Clancy

M. F. Randolph

First published: December 1993

Abstract

A piled raft foundation comprises both piles and a pile cap that itself transmits load directly to the
ground. The aim of such a foundation is to reduce the number of piles compared with a more
conventional piled foundation where the bearing effect of the pile cap, or raft, is ignored. This paper
describes a ‘hybrid’ approach for the analysis of piled raft foundations, based on a load transfer
treatment of individual piles, together with elastic interaction between different piles and with the
raft. The numerical analysis is used to evaluate a simple approximate method of estimating the
overall response of the foundation from the response of the component parts. The method leads to
estimates of the overall foundation stiffness, the proportion of load carried by the pile group and the
raft, and an initial assessment of differential settlements. Parametric studies are presented showing
the effect of factors such as raft stiffness and pile spacing, length and stiffness, and a worked
example is included demonstrating the accuracy of the approximate design approach.

Analysis of Pile-Raft Foundations

with 3D Finite-Element Method
Lisa J. Novak ; Lymon C. Reese, Hon.M.ASCE ; and Shin-Tower Wang

o SHARE

Abstract
One of the most challenging problems in soil-structure interaction is the piled raft. Piled-raft
foundations for important high-rise buildings have proved to be a viable alternative to
conventional pile foundations or mat foundations. The concept of using piled raft foundation
is that the combined foundation is able to support the applied axial loading with an
appropriate factor of safety and that the settlement of the combined foundation at working
load is tolerable. In some instances the piles are spaced uniformly and in other cases are
spaced strategically to achieve a more uniform settlement of the mat. Two strong reasons
dictate the use of the 3D Finite Element Method (FEM): (1) the problem is so complex that
simplified methods cannot model the problem correctly; and (2) codes for the FEM are
available, powerful, and capable of being run on the personal computer. Thus, the modeling
of the raft, piles, and supporting soil as a soil-structure-interaction problem using FEM is a
feasible method. Two piled-raft foundations were analyzed using the FEM program.
Comparisons were made between experimental and analytical results and the FEM was
shown to yield excellent results for the cases analyzed.

Finite element modeling for piled raft

Show more authors
Abstract
This study relates to the analysis of un-piled and piled raft foundations with sandy soil conditions similar to those
found in Surfers Paradise of Australia. The subsoil layer model was established for Surfers Paradise from 25
boreholes data at four different sites. The boreholes extend to 50m from ground surface to the rock stratum. A
seven layer subsoil model was established and the geotechnical parameters for these layers are estimated from
SPT tests. Based on these geotechnical parameters, a finite element analysis was conducted on un-piled and
piled raft foundations. For the un- piled raft, the normalized settlement parameter (IR) for the raft sizes of 8m×8m
and 15m×15m ranged as 1.02-1.15, and 0.64-0.81 respectively. In the case of the piled raft with raft thicknesses
of 0.25, 0.4, 0.8, 1.5 and 3m, the corresponding maximum settlements are 64, 63.3, 62.6, 62.3 and 62.2 mm, and
the bending moment values are 107, 160, 321, 446 and 485 kNm. The piles are 0.7m diameter and 16m length.
Three values of intensity of loading as 215, 430 and 645kN/m 2 are studied. The suitability

Analysis of Pile-Raft Foundations with 3D

Finite-Element Method
Conference Paper · April 2005 with 63 Reads
DOI: 10.1061/40753(171)93
Conference: Structures Congress 2005
Cite this publication

Lisa J. Novak
Abstract
One of the most challenging problems in soil-structure interaction is the piled raft. Piled-raft foundations for
important high-rise buildings have proved to be a viable alternative to conventional pile foundations or mat
foundations. The concept of using piled raft foundation is that the combined foundation is able to support the
applied axial loading with an appropriate factor of safety and that the settlement of the combined foundation at
working load is tolerable. In some instances the piles are spaced uniformly and in other cases are spaced
strategically to achieve a more uniform settlement of the mat. Two strong reasons dictate the use of the 3D Finite
Element Method (FEM): (1) the problem is so complex that simplified methods cannot model the problem
correctly; and (2) codes for the FEM are available, powerful, and capable of being run on the personal computer.
Thus, the modeling of the raft, piles, and supporting soil as a soil-structure-interaction problem using FEM is a
feasible method. Two piled-raft foundations were analyzed using the FEM program. Comparisons were made
between experimental and analytical results and the FEM was shown to yield excellent results for the cases
analyzed.

LUP Student Papers

 LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

FEM Modelling of Piled Raft Foundations in Two and Three Dimensions

Ryltenius, André(2011) In TVGT
Geotechnical Engineering

 Mark

Abstract

In conventional design of pile foundations, all loads are taken by the piles, i.e. the contact
pressure between the raft and the soil is neglected. In the last decades geotechnical
engineers have started to take this pressure into account in design of pile foundation. Such
a foundation,
where the raft and the piles interact to transfer the loads to the ground, is in this
dissertation called piled raft foundation or piled raft.

Analysis of piled rafts requires numerical methods, due to complex soil-structure

interaction. In this dissertation four different modelling approaches for analysis of piled raft
foundation are compared; a full three dimensional finite element method model (FEM
model) and also three plane strain FEM models (i.e. two dimensional models). All models
are carried out by using programs developed by Plaxis, i.e. Plaxis 3DFoundation and Plaxis
2D, respectively. The plane strain models are similar but differ in the way of modelling the
interaction between the piles and the soil. The first plane strain model is introduced in
Chapter 3.4.2. Since this model produce questionable results, due to too weak modelling
of the pile-soil interaction, two alternative models are introduced in Chapter 8.4 and 8.5
(called AM1 and AM2).

Piled raft foundations are three dimensional problems, in a two dimensional analysis one
has to introduce simplifications and thereby inaccuracies. However, it could still be
convenient to use this method since it is faster and the software is less expensive. The
inaccuracies in a 2D model compared to a 3D model will vary depending on the
characteristics of the problem. The object of the work is to study the inaccuracies and how
these changes as the characteristics of the problem change.

The work starts with a study of previous master dissertations and other literature. To get a
better understanding of Plaxis, a sheet pile wall is then modelled in Plaxis 2D.
Subsequently, a hypothetical piled raft is analysed in Plaxis 2D and 3DFoundation to
illustrate the different
modelling approaches. The piled raft is square with the piles distributed uniformly, and it is
loaded vertically and uniformly. Finally, a parametric study of the different models is
performed, where two parameters for the hypothetical piled raft are varied, i.e. pile
spacing and the shape of the piled raft (rectangular, with different base to length
relations).

When comparing the results, the 3D model is considered “true” and the maximum values
are examined. In general for the piled rafts analysed, the two dimensional models (AM1
and AM2) overestimate the settlement (~30%), the raft bending moment (~30%) and the
pile force (~10%). As the pile spacing decreases, the pile force from the 2D models
resembles the
3D models more. While the settlement and the bending moment coincides less as the pile
spacing decreases. As the length of the piled raft increases, the settlements and pile force
from the 2D model converge towards the 3D results, which is expected since the problem
get more two dimensional. However, a problem occurs as the raft gets non quadratic. The
maximal differential settlement will then take place in the longer direction, and to calculate
it, calculations have to be made for sections in the longer direction, were the plane strain
condition is less satisfactory. This problem is off course less significant when the
differential settlements are small as for a piled raft with a very stiff raft.
The inaccuracies occurring in the alternative plane strain models are more or less
significant in all cases and the 2D models should be used carefully. Especially when
calculating differential settlements or the bending moment in the longer direction. The
plane strain models generate similar settlement and pile force as a 3D model when pile
spacing is narrow and the piled raft shape is greater than 1:2, i.e. when the problem is
more two dimensional. However, the piled rafts analysed are simple and as the problems
get more complex the conclusions drawn here could be questionable, and the choice of
model should lean towards a
3D model. (Less)
 ANALYSIS OF PILED-RAFT FOUNDATION BY THE FINITE
ELEMENT METHOD
Omar al-Farouk Salem al-Damluji, Nadher Hassan Al-Baghdadi

Abstract

The piled raft is a geotechnical composite construction consisting of three elements: piles,raft and soil. It
is suitable as a foundation for large buildings. This paper presents an analysis of piled raft foundation,
included material nonlinearity and soil structure interaction. An efficient computer program in FORTRAN
9Ois developed for this analysis. A 20 node disoparametric brick element has been used to model pile,
raft, soil and interface materials. Thin layer interface element has been used to model the contact zone
between the pile and soil, and between raft and soil. The behavior of the piled raft material is simulated
by using a linear elastic model. However, the behavior of soil and interface materials is simulated by an
elasto-plastic model by the use of Mohr Coulomb failure criterion. Some of the variables of piled-raft
system, related to settlement and differential settlement in sandy soil, have been studied, where the
length of piles and distance between piles an effective role in reducing both settlement and differential
settlement of foundation system. Also increasing the thickness of raft foundation reduces the
effectiveness of additional piles for the purpose of reducing differential settlement.

Numerical simulations of the reuse of

piled raft foundations in clay
Abstract

The development and growth of urban environments in recent years is requiring geotechnical
engineers to consider foundation reuse as a more sustainable solution to inner city
redevelopment. Two main phenomena associated with foundation reuse have been reported in
the literature, namely ‘preloading effects’ and ‘ageing effects’. The aim of this paper is to
investigate the relative merits of these effects on the reusability of both piled and unpiled raft
foundations in clay. Finite element analysis, in conjunction with an isotropic elasto-
viscoplastic soil model, is employed for this purpose. The study is presented in two phases:
(1) evaluation of preloading effects only by using a very low creep coefficient and (2)
evaluation of combined preloading and creep effects. The variables considered in the
parametric study include the number of piles, pile spacing, pile length, and soil type. Results
show that both unpiled and piled rafts can exhibit significant capacity and stiffness increases
upon reloading even for moderate levels of preload. Moreover, these increases are strongly
dependent on the piled raft load sharing where unpiled raft and free-standing pile group
capacity gains serve as upper and lower bounds, respectively, for that of a piled raft. This
study underlines foundations reuse as an effective and sustainable solution for inner city
redevelopment.

Keywords
Creep Foundation reuse Numerical Preloading Raft
Pile-Raft-Soil Interaction Study in Piled Raft Foundation by Finite Element Analysis Soumya Roy
 Abstract— In the present work, a raft supported on a centrally located pile has been analyzed by
through a Finite Element Model to predict the interaction behavior pile-raft and soil in piled raft
foundation composite. Attempt has been made to study the effects of soil modulus, raft to pile
width ratio, pile slenderness ratio and raft thickness on load sharing characteristics of piled raft
foundation. Analysis showed an increase in axial load on pile with higher pile slenderness ratio for a
fixed raft to pile width ratio. Whereas, higher raft thickness does not show much effect on load
sharing. Side resistance along the pile length increased up to the critical depth of pile. Radius of
influence of pile also seems to higher for higher pile slenderness ratios for a thinner raft. Index
Terms— Piled raft foundation, Finite element analysis, load sharing in piled raft foundation.

Finite Element Analysis of Piled Raft

Foundation
 Anthony Robert Timmins, Raghunandan Kumar
 Published 2015
A piled raft foundation is fairly a new concept in which the total load coming from the
superstructure is partly shared by the raft through contact with soil and the remaining
load is shared by piles through skin friction. Due to the three dimensional nature of the
load transfer, piled-raft foundations are regarded as very complex systems involving
many interaction factors such as pile-to-pile, pile-to-raft, raft-to-soil and pile-to-soil. The
foundation design becomes economical when both the criteria of bearing capacity and
settlement are satisfied in an optimum way. In the case of sand the permissible
settlement for the foundation is less than that of foundation resting on clay. Therefore
the applicability of piled raft to support moderately loaded buildings on sand and
predominantly sandy soils gains importance, further more understanding of load sharing
between piles and raft is very much important for the piled raft in sand particularly when
the piles are driven because the driving of piles improves the state of compaction of the
sand. Even though lot of works has been carried out in piled raft, not much of a work has
been carried out on the behavior of piled raft with varying pile length and in most of the
conventional designs, piles in the foundation have uniform lengths. In case of plaza like
structures wherein the raft thickness as well as the pile length can be varied depending
upon the capacity requirements, it becomes necessary to understand the effect of
variation in pile length on settlement reduction and load sharing behavior of piled raft.
IndexTerms ANSYS, Finite element method, Pile, Piled raft foundation, Raft, Settlement,
Ultimate load.

Development of Interaction Factors Charts for Piled Raft Foundation

Authors:
Abdelazim Makki Ibrahim, Esamaldeen Ali
Abstract:
This study aims at analysing the load settlement behavior and predict the bearing
capacity of piled raft foundation a series of finite element models with different
foundation configurations and stiffness were established. Numerical modeling is used
to study the behavior of the piled raft foundation due to the complexity of piles, raft,
and soil interaction and also due to the lack of reliable analytical method that can
predict the behavior of the piled raft foundation system. Simple analytical models are
developed to predict the average settlement and the load sharing between the piles
and the raft in piled raft foundation system. A simple example to demonstrate the
applications of these charts is included