3D Numerical Model for Piled Raft Foundation

Load sharing of piled raft foundations is known as an economical design for deep foundations. Nevertheless, research in this area has been lagging because of the complexity of the problem and lack of field data. Numerical modeling can be used to provide valuable data with a high level of success. A three-dimensional finite-element model of a piled raft foundation was developed to simulate the case of a piled raft foundation. The model accounts for pile-to-pile, raft-to-pile, pile-to-soil, and raft-to-soil interactions. The model was used to examine the effect of the key parameters governing the performance of this foundation during loading and, accordingly, the load shared by the piles and the raft. After validating the numerical model with available data in the literature, the model was used to develop data for a wide range of parameters and to examine the role of the foundation geometry, including pile spacing in the group, pile length, pile shape, pile diameter, and raft thickness. Furthermore, the influence of the mechanical properties of the surrounding soils on the load-sharing mechanism was also examined, including the angle of shearing resistance and the cohesion of the soil. The results of this study could be used as guidelines for achieving economical design for piled raft foundations and to lead to additional research in this area.