Optimization Method of Reducing the Differential Settlements of Piled Raft Foundations Based on Pile-to-Pile Interaction Theory

In order to reduce the differential settlement of piled raft foundations, an optimization method based on pile-to-pile interaction theory is proposed in this paper, which translates the problem of pile-to-pile interaction (PPI) in pile groups into that in single piles using the interaction factor method. The pile lengths were adjusted via the relationship between load, settlement, and the length of single piles during the optimization design. ANSYS software, in conjunction with nonlinear elastic soil model, is used to analyze piled raft foundation models. Two cases with different safety factors that suffer different kinds of surface loads (uniform load and nonuniform load) are used to verify this method. The differential settlements of the raft in different cases are all reduced by nearly or more than 80% after optimization design. The results show that the optimization method proposed in this paper has high efficiency and stability. This study can help practicing engineers optimize the pile lengths in pile groups to satisfy higher differential settlement requirements.

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