DESIGN OF FOOTINGS

FLORES, ALBERT ANDREW S.

CE52FB1
 MAT (RAFT) FOUNDATION

If the loads transmitted by the columns in a structure are so

heavy or the allowable soil pressure so small that individual
footings would cover more than about one-half of the area, it
may be better to provide a continuous footing under all columns
and walls. Such a footing is called a raft or mat foundation
 TYPES OF RAFT FOUNDATION

1. Flat slab types

2. Flat slab thickened under columns.
3. Flat slab thickened under columns with heavy loads.
4. Beam-slab type raft.
5. Box structures
 USES OF RAFT FOUNDATIONS

1. Low soil bearing capacity

2. Spread footing cover about 70% of structure area
3. High structure loads
4. For structures like chimneys, silos, tanks, and large machines
5. Structures and equipment sensitive to differential settlement
6. Soft pockets or cavities of in the Soil to unknown extent raft
7. Watertight construction under basements below ground water
table
8. Highly compressible soil and extents to a great depth
 DESIGN PROCEDURE (CONVENTIONAL METHOD)
1. Strips
2. Calculate eccentricity
3. Calculate pressure distribution on the soil at different locations under
the raft
4. Divide the raft into a series of continuous beams centered at column
rows .
5. Draw the bending moment, shear force diagrams for . Draw the bending
moment, shear force diagrams for each beam in x, y direction.
6. Depth of the beam raft, check the shear stress. Note that the Raft depth
should constant.
7. Design the raft in the other direction knowing the depth.
 MAT (RAFT) FOUNDATION

If the loads transmitted by the columns in a structure are so

heavy or the allowable soil pressure so small that individual
footings would cover more than about one-half of the area, it
may be better to provide a continuous footing under all
columns and walls. Such a footing is called a raft or mat
foundation
 MAT (RAFT) FOUNDATION
•Mat or raft foundation is a large concrete slab supporting several
columns in two or more rows.
• It is used where the supporting soil has low bearing capacity.
•The bearing capacity increased by combining all individual footings in to
one mat –since bearing capacity is proportional to width and depth of
foundations.
•In addition to increasing the bearing capacity, mat foundations tend to
bridge over irregularities of the soil and the average settlement does not
approach the extreme values of isolated footings.
•Thus mat foundations are often used for supporting structures that are
sensitive to differential settlement.
 MAT (RAFT) FOUNDATION

Design Assumptions
- mat is indefinitely rigid
- planner soil pressure distribution under mat
Design Procedure
1. Determine the line of action of the resultant of all the loads acting on the mat
2. Determine the contact pressure distribution as under:
- If the resultant passes through the center of gravity of mat, . the contact pressure is given by
σ = Q/A
- If the resultant has an eccentricity of 𝑒𝑥 and 𝑒𝑦 in the x and y direction
X' = Pi xi /Ptot