A NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF PILE HEAD CONNECTIONS ON PILED RAFT FOUNDATION UNDER VERTICAL AND STATIC HORIZONTAL LOADS

On the behalf of both rigid and hinged pile head connections, the piled raft foundation can be examined for its design function. A numerical study has been carried out on the piled raft subjected to uniform vertical load and static horizontal load. A constant spacing and a constant uniform length to diameter ratio of 3×3 pile group of piled raft models were adopted. Such three-dimensional finite element models were validated first and then the study of these models resting on cohesion less soil has been carried out. The connection to the rigid and hinged pile head with raft was considered. Additionally, the effect of raft-soil stiffness has been also implemented. The effect of raising the horizontal load on piled raft has been investigated. The horizontal load applied was varied from about 6.25 percent to 12 percent of the vertical load applied. Normalized axial force, bending moment and lateral displacement of piles was examined along its normalized depth. Load sharing percentage of the piled raft components was calculated and its behaviour change was established for horizontal and vertical loading conditions. It was found largely dependent upon the connectivity of the pile head.