Analytical analysis of settlement and interaction - floating granular piled rafts, single and group of two units with the effect of partial stiffening

ABSTRACT

Analysis of granular piled raft (GPR) foundations that involves interactions between the pile, the soil, and raft is very challenging and an interesting area of research in geotechnical engineering. The present study pertains to the analysis of a single and group of two partially stiffened floating GPRs where the material in the top region of the granular pile (GP) is stiffened by using geosynthetics, which has better engineering properties. Analysis has been conducted by assuming the soil to be linearly elastic continuum and using the solutions due to Mindlin and Boussinesq for a point load acting in the interior and on the surface of the soil medium for estimating the stresses and displacements at any point in the soil medium. Computations were performed to assess and report the normalized shear stresses (NSS) at the granular pile – soil interface, fractional load shared by the raft and the same shared by the granular pile along its shaft and base (FLSR, FLSP, and FLSB), the distribution of normalized contact pressure (NCP) beneath the raft. The results have been reported in a non-dimensional form suitable to be used for design.

KEYWORDS:

• Settlement influence factor (SIF)
• granular piled raft (GPR)
• interaction coefficient (IC)
• settlement reduction factor (SRF)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

Ashish Solanki carried out the research work, literature review, method of analysis, formulation, results and discussion, parametric study and wrote the manuscript. Jitendra Kumar Sharma shared his knowledge at every stage of this paper especially in preparing the manuscript and the conclusion part. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Data availability statement

Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

Notes on contributors

Ashish Solanki

Mr. Ashish Solanki is a PhD research scholar in Department of Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering), at Rajasthan Technical University, Kota. He obtained his MTech degree in Geotechnical Engineering from RTU, Kota in 2018 with Hons. He has research interests in ground improvement technique, numerical and mathematical modelling, stabilization techniques and deep foundation. He has co-guided 01 MTech student. He has authored 10 papers (06 papers in referred journals and 04 in conferences). He is currently serving as a Student Member of American Society of Civil Engineers and also was the reviewer of International Foundations Congress and Equipment Expo (IFCEE21) held in Dallas, Texas, published by ASCE.

Jitendra Kumar Sharma

Dr. Jitendra Kumar Sharma is currently working as a Professor and HOD in Department of Civil, Petroleum, and Petrochemical Engineering at Rajasthan Technical University, Kota and serving since 1990. He obtained his PhD degree in Geotechnical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur in 2000. He is an active researcher with research interests includes ground improvement technique, numerical and mathematical modelling, ANN, soil-structure interaction, stabilization techniques and deep foundation. He is guiding 11 PhD (6 awarded) and more than 16 MTech students. He has authored more than 82 papers (40 papers in referred journals and 42 in conferences). He is currently serving as life member of Indian Geotechnical Society, Indian Society for Technical Education, and Indian Grade Drawing, Maharashtra and also reviewer of ELSEVIER and SPRINGER Journals. He addressed several lectures and key note address on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Engineering at MITS, Gwalior. He received IGS-Prof. Dinesh Mohan Biannual Prize in 1997 and was selected as a Young Geotechnical Engineer of IGS from India in 2000. Recently his paper “Effect of Nonlinear Nonhomogeneity of Floating Granular Pile and Soil on Settlement” (published in the Series A Journal of IEI, Vol. 100, Issue 2) was selected for the subject prize, ‘Sir Arthur Cotton Memorial’, which was presented at the Prize Distribution Ceremony of the 36th Indian Engineering Congress held at Vigyan Bhawan, Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi 110003 on December 26, 2021.