Experimental Study of Lateral Loading on Piled Raft Foundations on Sandy Soil

A Shallow foundation on cohesionless soil cannot support greater weights; piled raft foundations are recommended because they combine the load-bearing qualities of piles and raft. Combined Piled Raft Foundations (CRPF) are efficient for tall buildings because they account for both vertical and lateral loads. In a pile raft foundation, the raft’s load-resistance is disregarded due to soil-structure interaction. Simplification may lead to an uneconomical design. While study on raft’s vertical resistance is extensive, its horizontal resistance is limited. In the present study, 160 mm x 160 mm pile-raft model with different pile spacing and pile length was tested. Studies showed that pile length and spacing of pile improve bearing capacity and reduce settlement of raft. The pile raft system rests 65 percentage of the lateral load, depending on pile spacing and its length. Pile spacing and pile length lessen the raft’s lateral load contribution. Furthermore, as increasing in pile spacing reduces raft overturning by 60 percentage. Upgrade pile raft system design may make a cheaper and more efficient option for skyscrapers and make this foundation system more economical design.