Static and slow cyclic response of piled rafts subjected to moment and horizontal shear in

clays

Author: Ravi Salimath, Intermediate Geotechnical Engineer, Aurecon.

In recent years, piled rafts are widely adopted as an effective and economical foundation solution as
they result in less number of piles as compared to the pile/pile groups while reducing the large
vertical/differential settlements. During earthquakes, the foundations are subjected to moment and
shear in addition to the vertical load. The behaviour of the piled raft subjected to moment and shear
can be different depending on load sharing arrangement between the piles and the raft. In this study,
three piled-raft models with different load sharing arrangements are analysed in Plaxis 3D finite
element program under static and slow cyclic loading conditions. Each model is analysed for
increasing moment and horizontal shear separately at constant vertical load. For slow cyclic case, the
hysteretic moment-rotation response of piled raft models is obtained at a different factor of safety
values. The static and slow-cyclic behaviour of each of the models is compared and
recommendations are made for the optimal design of piled rafts subjected to moment and shear. The
study also provides a better understanding of the performance of the piled rafts under seismic loading
and for tall structures subjected to large wind loads. The optimal arrangement of piles for enhanced
lateral resistance and moment capacity of the piled rafts is also discussed.