The analysis of flexible raft-pile systems

TLDR: In this paper, an analysis was developed to predict the behavior of a raft-pile foundation system, where a flexible elastic plate supported on a group of compressible friction piles is represented as an elastic homoeneous or non-homogeneous material.

Abstract: An analysis has been developed to predict the behaviour of a raft-pile foundation system. The analysis considers the system as a flexible elastic plate supported on a group of compressible friction piles, and the supporting soil is represented as an elastic homoeneous or non-homogeneous material. The ultimate load capacity of the piles is taken into account by a ‘load cut-off’ procedure. The analysis is used to establish the effectiveness of the pile group in reducing settlement of the raft and the effects of raft flexibility and size, and pile group parameters are considered. Two raft-pile systems, namely, the La Azteca building, Mexico City, and the Hyde Park Cavalry Barracks, London, are reanalysed. There is encouraging agreement between measured and predicted settlements and pile loads. Une methode a ete developpee afin de prevoir le comportement d'un systeme de fondation par radier general surpieux. L'analyse considere le systeme comme une plaque elastique flexible supportee par un groupe de pieux fl...