Performance Evaluation Of Disconnected Piled Raft System Under Vertical And Lateral Loading

Abstract The present study analyses the performance of Disconnected Piled Raft (DPR) foundations on soft clay soil using PLAXIS-3D under varying lateral loading conditions. A 3*3 square patterned group of piles with a layer of 1 m thickness cushion overlain by a rigid raft foundation was simulated for conducting a parametric study by varying cushion material, lateral loading, and diameter of piles under constant vertical loading of 300 kN/m2. The cushion material selected was sand and geofoam, while the diameter of the piles varied from 0.5m to 1.5m by keeping the constant centre-to-centre spacing of 2.5m among piles. The lateral loading was assumed to act at the edge-middle pile as a point load varying from 30 to 330 kN to maintain symmetric loading conditions. The findings from this research investigation concerning individual DPR piles indicate that Geofoam has the potential to serve as a viable substitute in place of sand as cushion material for a pile diameter of less than 1m.