Settlement of piled foundations using equivalent raft approach

This paper presents a comprehensive study on estimating the settlement of large-scale pile groups using the equivalent raft approach. First, five common methods of analysis are briefly reviewed. The reliability of the methods is then verified by back-analysing six well-documented case studies of large-scale piled foundations, all of which include hundreds of piles. The case studies include three representative footing types, characterised according to the pile cap stiffness as flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid. It was found that the stiffness of the pile cap and the consideration of horizontal stress increments are the key factors affecting the estimation of settlement. It is concluded that, with appropriate consideration of the various factors, several of these methods can reasonably be applied for the estimation of the settlement of pile groups.