Non-linear analysis of vertically loaded piled rafts

While the availability of 3D FEM or FDM analyses has greatly contributed to the increasing use of piled rafts for high rise structures, there is a need in industry for practical analysis methods which would also allow the adoption of piled rafts for more ordinary structures. For this purpose, a 3D boundary element solution is proposed for computing the non-linear response of piled rafts to vertical loads. The validity of the analysis is demonstrated through comparison with alternative numerical solutions and field measurements. Examples are given to demonstrate the basic importance of considering soil nonlinearity effects in design, thereby leading to more realistic predictions of the raft and pile response. The key feature of the proposed approach lies in its computational efficiency which makes the analysis economically viable not only for the design of piled rafts supporting high rise buildings (generally based on complex and expensive 3D FEM or FDM analyses) but also for that of bridges, viaducts and normal buildings.