Seminar - Mauricio Sales - Compensated Piled Rafts in Clayey Soils: Behaviour, Measurements and Predictions

Wednesday 23 April 2008, 1.10 - 1.55 pm
Civil Engineering Lecture Theatre 3

Mauricio Sales
Escola de Engenharia Civil/UFG
Currently on research sabattical at The University of Sydney

Abstract:

Because of the increasing use of piled raft foundations in buildings with two or more basements, this presentation will show a method of analysis of the behaviour of piled rafts in clayey soils, in which a deep excavation was necessary to achieve the design level of the foundation, here called a “compensated piled raft”. The soil stresses reduce due to excavation, and the reloading of the soil should be taken into account for this kind of foundation. Many important key factors that are required to achieve a satisfactory comparison of "measurement vs. prediction" are pointed out. All these discussed facts are grouped in a proposed simplified method of analysing compensated piled rafts using numerical tools that can consider the raft-soil-pile interaction. Finally two cases of well-known compensated piled rafts (Hyde Park Barracks in London and the Messeturm in Frankfurt) and a newer building (the Skyper tower-Frankfurt) are analysed using the presented approach. It is discussed how to simulate the structure-foundation interaction.