Numerical Study of Non-Contact Piled Raft Interaction under Static Loads

In recent years, numerous studies have been devoted to discussion on non-contact piled raft foundations. In this study, three-dimensional finite element analysis employing ABAQUS software was used to investigate the non-contact versus contact piled raft interaction. Various types of foundations including unpiled raft, non-contact and contact piled rafts were studied in the FE analyses to investigate load-settlement curves, pile-soilraft relative settlement and load sharing coefficient considering several parameters such as cushion thickness and elasticity modulus, number and length of piles. The results show that pile length, Young’s modulus and thickness of cushion have significant effects on pile-soil-raft relative settlement, maximum raft settlement and load sharing ratio in noncontact piled raft foundation.