Introduction to Pile Raft Foundation System

TABA TALLUM
MT/14/GTE/01

Introduction:
The piled raft is a foundation which acts as a composite
construction consisting of three load bearing elements i.e. piles,
raft and sub-soil.
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.
The concept of piled raft foundation was firstly proposed by Davis
and Poulos.
In this concept, piles are provided to control settlement rather than
carry the entire load.

Design philosophy
The design philosophy should be based on both ultimate load
capacity and settlement criteria.
According to its stiffness, the raft distributes the total load of the
structure (Stotal) as contact pressure (Rraft) as well as over the n-piles
(Rpiles) in the ground.
Hence the total resistance of the piled raft (R total) is given by:
Rtotal = Rraft + Rpiles Stotal

The behavior of a piled raft foundation can be characterized by the

coefficient (pr) known as the piled raft coefficient and is defined as
pr = Rpiles / Rtotal
which describes the load sharing between the piles and the raft.
The piled raft coefficient pr = 0, represent the case of shallow
foundation and pr = 1, represent the case of a fully piled foundation
without contact pressure beneath the raft. The piled raft foundations
cover the range 0 pr 1, whereby the conventional shallow and
pile foundation are the limiting case of a piled raft.
The influence of the piles to reduce the settlement of a raft depends
on the piled raft coefficient, which in turn depends on the sub-soil
conditions and geometric proportions of the piled raft.

Advantages of piled raft foundation system

In comparison to a fully piled foundation, a significant
reduction in the required numbers or length of piles.
Improvement of serviceability of a shallow foundation by
reduction of maximum and differential settlements.
In an economic way, reductions in internal stresses and
bending moment in a raft by an optimal arrangement of piles
beneath the raft.
Improvement of the bearing capacity of a shallow foundation
using the load share between raft and piles.
For eccentrically loaded raft, centralization of resistance of
foundation by concentrating piles under the eccentrically
loaded area of the raft.

Application
When the raft has adequate loading capacities, but the
settlement or differential settlement exceed allowable values.
When soil profiles containing soft clays near the surface, soft
compressible layers at relatively shallow depths and some
others.
The world tallest building, the Burj khalifa of Dubai is the
notable example of application of piled raft foundation system.
short piles made of relatively flexible materials such as soil
cement columns or sandgravel columns .
long piles made of relatively rigid materials such as
reinforced concrete .

Analysis and design concept

The design of piled raft foundations requires a new
understanding of soil-structure interaction because the
contribution of both raft and piles is taken into consideration to
verify the ultimate bearing capacity and the serviceability of
overall system.
The analysis of Piled-Raft Foundation is very challenging
because the load in the piled-raft structures is transferred to the
soil not only by the interaction between the soil and the piles but
also by the interaction between foundation structure and
superstructure.
The complex foundation system requires a reliable advance
computational method that can simulate the 3D-non-linear soil
behavior and structure-foundation system interaction.

Conclusion
The use of piled raft foundations is an effective way of minimizing
both total and differential settlement, of improving bearing
capacity of foundation and of reducing in an economy way the
internal stress level and bending moment within a raft.

Reference
Design Application of Raft Foundation by J. A.
Hemsley

Thank You