Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 40, No.

5, 2003

PILED-RAFT FOUNDATIONS. DESIGN AND CHARACTERISTICS

OF CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES

B. V. Bakholdin UDC 624.152.61+624.154

Scientific-Research Institute of Foundations and
Underground Structures.

The classical range of application of pile foundations calls for their penetration through weak soil lay-
ers and the transmission of loads from the buildings and structures onto deep soil strata with high construc-
tion properties. Even the widespread use of short piles was, in essence, found to be within the framework of
the indicated range of application, since the relatively weak active soil layer subjected to freezing and thaw-
ing, and also fill soils would be penetrated by the piles. In that case, the existence of grillages that cover the
piles usually has not been considered in analyzing pile foundations. Recently, however, loads within the foot-
print of construction activity have begun to exceed 500-800 kPa, and occasionally 1,000 kPa in connection
with the increasing number of stories of the buildings being erected. In that case, foundations in the form of
pile fields covered by grillage slabs must be used, even if the buildings are designed with underground sto-
ries that cut through weak soils. Since soils with relatively good construction properties usually reside under
the slabs for the case under consideration, the question concerning utilization of their resistance will arise.
A number of researchers have been occupied with the problem of large-dimension pile groups.
Above all, previous studies by Golubkov [1] and Yalochkov [2], including the latest studies by Fadeev, E. É.
Deval’tovskii, and A. V. Vasil’chenko [3] deserve mention. Corresponding investigations have been conduct-
ed in the pile-foundation laboratory affiliated with the Scientific-Research Institute of Foundations and
Underground Structures by D. E. Razvodovskii and V. A. Kondrashov under the supervision of the author of
the present paper.
Assumptions concerning the procedure used to analyze piled-raft foundations are made on the basis
of analysis of results of these investigations.
Figure 1 shows the qualitative pattern of soil deformations between piles receiving loads transmitted
through a low-profile grillage supported on the soil, while Fig. 2 presents the qualitative pattern of the same
deformations when the loads are transmitted only onto the piles via a high-profile grillage situated above the
soil. It is apparent from comparison of these figures that a clearly expressed displacement of soil particles
occurs beneath the grillage right down to the level of the lower ends of the piles, while only slippage of the
piles is observed in the second case.
Groups of three mock-up piles 0.7 m long with deep marks were tested to expose more clearly the
indicated deformation characteristic of sandy soils as applies to a low-profile grillage. Measurements of dis-
placements that had occurred during loading of these groups are shown in Fig. 3. Similar results were
obtained during the testing of a group of full-scale piles with a 30 × 30-cm cross section, which were
embedded in clayey soils (Fig. 4). It is apparent from Figs. 3 and 4 that during transmission of load through
the grillage, the soil situated directly beneath the lower surface of the grillage is displaced more than the
soil at the level of the lower ends of the piles (for example, 50 mm for full-scale piles as compared with 15
mm). Consequently, slippage of the around-the pile soil occurs along the lateral surface of the piles.

Translated from Osnovaniya, Fundamenty i Mekhanika Gruntov, No. 5, pp. 24-27, September-October, 2003.
0038-0741/03/4005-0185$25.00 2003 Plenum Publishing Corporation 185
 Fig. 1. Pattern of soil-particle dis-
placement around-the-pile
space with combined resis-
tance of piles and grillage.
Fig. 2. Pattern of particle dis-
placement of around-the-
pile soil during loading of
pile foundation with high-
profile grillage.

P, kN

S, mm

Fig. 3. Displacements of deep marks established in bed of mock-up

pile foundation: S) displacement of marks; P) load on foundation.

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 P, kN

S, mm
Fig. 4. Dependence of settlement S of deep marks established in
bed of group of full-scale piles on load P.

Fig. 5. Computational diagram for piled-raft foundation.

The results derived from the experimental investigations make it possible to analyze a piled-raft
foundation as a traditional conventional foundation using a linearly deformable Gersevanov soil model in
conformity with the diagram shown in Fig. 5.
According to this diagram, the piles are treated as elastoplastic elements with a limiting resistance
Pr, and the interpile soil as a linearly deformable mass with a height H, which is composed of soil layers hi
with a modulus of deformation Ei. Performing the analysis as applies to the nucleus of the pile field with
the dimensions a × a for an average specific pressure p on the pile grillage, the settlement of the piled-raft
foundation (when Pr ≤ pa2) can be defined as

Pr
pa2 −
γ
S = Sc. f + Sp + H 2 2 k
,
(a − A) ∑ Ei hi

187
where Sc.f is the settlement of a conventional foundation, as determined by the procedure outlined in Con-
struction Rule and Regulation 2.02.03-85, Sp is the conditionally elastic (sublimiting) settlement of the pile,
which corresponds to the settlement for which the bearing capacity of a pile is assigned from results of its
static testing (within the framework of the conventional foundation, it can be treated as the latter’s warping
settlement), A is the cross-sectional area of a pile, H is the height of the conventional foundation, and γk is
the reliability index.
The proposed computational model of a piled-raft foundation may raise objections to the scheme
that, at first glance, the model fails to consider one very important factor – the possibility of additional
loading of the piles during compression of the around-the-pile soil by negative-friction forces resulting from
settlement of the interpile medium. As a matter of fact, this deficiency is only apparent, since the investiga-
tions conducted by the author in conjunction with Berman [4] indicated that negative friction comes into
play only during settlement of the around-the-pile soil, and essentially vanishes after its completion. This
characteristic of the appearance of negative friction is explained by the well known property of a soil as a
body, a prevailing factor for which is not elastic, but residual (plastic) deformations, which are by no means
caused by the development of a limiting state in the body, but by a physical characteristic of the soil mate-
rial itself. This should warrant special attention in connection with the fact that in recent years, this charac-
teristic of the Gersevanov model of a linearly deformable soil has been frequently disregarde in favor of his
elastoplastic model for the solution of problems relative to the deformation of soils.
Use of elastoplastic models for practical analyses of piled-raft foundations should be considered
inexpedient not because of the mathematical complexity of their application, but in connection with the fact
that they require additional assumptions that diminish the accuracy of the analyses. Elastoplastic models can
therefore be used only for profound investigation of characteristic features of the interaction between soils
and foundation structures. Use of the Gersevanov’s linearly deformable model of a soil is entirely adequate,
however, for design practice.
The above-developed computational relationship for determination of the settlement of a piled-raft
foundation can be used without fear of generating serious errors from its practical use, since it satisfies the
boundary conditions. If Pr = a2p, it corresponds to the method of settlement determination, which is cur-
rently standard, but if ΣEihi → 0, it requires that the load on the foundation approach the bearing capacity
of the piles, i.e., pa2 → Pr /γ.
As for use of the computational scheme of a conventional foundation, its validity is confirmed by
numerous practical design applications, and does not contradict theoretical considerations, since beginning at
a determined depth, the stresses will be independent of the law governing load application, and will depend
only on the location where the resultant of the loads is applied.
The question concerning use of the scheme of a conventional foundation is restricted by the same
conditions that apply to analysis of foundations on a natural bed, i.e., that the stresses beneath the lower
surface of the conventional foundation be no greater than those established for foundations on the natural
bed, since partial deep overflow of soils is possible in the opposite case.
The procedure proposed for the analysis includes elements of the analysis of a piled-raft foundation
simultaneously with respect to both the first and second limiting states, since the bearing capacity of the
piles is used for the analyses. Its magnitude can be determined by generally accepted methods adopted for
single piles, and the reliability index can be assigned equal to 1.0-1.2, since for the case in question, the
piles in the foundation are arranged in the form of a pile field, and, consequently, there is an even possibil-
ity that the bearing capacity of the individual piles will deviate with respect to its average value. Here, it is
implied that the average bearing capacity of the piles in a piled-raft foundation can be assumed equal to the
bearing capacity of the piles, if it is determined from results of their static testing.
When the proposed method of analysis is used, only the question concerning the computed values of
the modulus of deformation of the soils remains unanswered. Considering the large dimensions of piled-raft
foundations, their moduli of deformation can be set equal to the compression modulus of deformation. The
values of these moduli should be corrected, however, in connection with imperfection of the instruments
used for their determination, and erroneous interpretation of the results obtained. Among other things, the

188
moduli of deformation of clayey soils should be corrected using, for example, the familiar Agishev factors,
understanding, however, that introduction of these factors is results not from the scale factor used for con-
version to moduli obtained from plate tests, but from the need to account for the cohesiveness of clayey
soils, as a result of which phenomena of increased seepage pressure of ground water are observed in the
soils [5].
The procedure employed to install piled-raft foundations should simultaneously include all elements
of the procedure used to install both slab foundations on the natural bed, and also pile foundations.
Piled-raft foundations can be used with piles of any design, including driven, cast-in-place, and
injected; this is confirmed by practical use of these foundations during the construction of a number of
high-rise buildings. At the present time, two 22-25-story buildings on Pilyugin Street and two 27-story res-
idential buildings on Lenin Avenue and Udal’tsov Street are being constructed on piled-raft foundations in
Moscow, and the construction of 35-story buildings on Profsoyuznyi and Khersonskii Streets are under
design. Observations of the buildings under construction have confirmed that piled-raft foundations make it
possible to ensure allowable settlements for the buildings that are erected on them.

REFERENCES

1. V. N. Golubkov, “Experimental investigations of pile performance under vertical load,” Svainye Estest.
Osn., No. 10 (1939).
2. V. D. Yablochkov, “Problem of accounting for the performance of a low-profile grillage in analyzing pile
foundations on short precast friction piles,” Tr. Permskogo Politekh. Inst., No. 16 (1964).
3. A. B. Fadeev, E. É. Deval’tovskii, and A. V. Vasil’chenko, “Interaction between piles and a low-profile
grillage,” Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Problems of Pile-Foundation Engineering
[in Russian], Moscow (1998).
4. B. V. Bakholdin and V. I. Berman, “Optimal friction forces on the lateral surface of piles and
assumptions concerning their consideration,” Osn., Fundam. Mekh. Gruntov, No. 4, 11-15 (1974).
5. B. V. Bakholdin and L. P. Chashchikhina, “Determination of the modulus of deformation of soils from
data of compression tests for analysis of pile-foundation settlements,” Osn., Fundam. Mekh. Gruntov, No. 1,
8-11 (1999).

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