Parametric Study on Foundation Retrofitting Using Micro-piles: Fid-Bau Portal

Parametric Study on Foundation Retrofitting Using Micro-piles

Singh, Vishal / Mohapatra, Benu Gopal

Improvement in techniques of building construction has led to the incorporation of new ideas to ease the lifestyle of the new generation at minimal cost. Thus, this paper aims to determine the effect of additional floors added to the existing strucutre, which further leads to the increase in load on the building's foundation. The effect of additional superimposed load on the settlement characteristics of foundation modified through micro-pile-based retrofitting is studied. Initially, a three-storey building with isolated footing is considered for the analysis and a few additional storeys are incorporated to the existing structure which increases the superimposed load on the foundation. Commercially available FE softwares such as STAAD Pro. and PLAXIS-3D were used for the determination of load on foundation of the building and then modeling of footing, respectively. Four layers of soils containing clay, lean clay crust, soft lean clay, and soft fat clay are considered in the first model, whereas soil layers of soft clay and hard clay are taken for the second model. Diameters and the number of piles are different in different footings (designed as per superimposed load) of the building model. Results of the study revealed that reduction in settlement by nearly about 34, 58, and 66% are obtained for addition of fourth, fifth, and sixth-floor loading, respectively for the first model, and for the second model, the settlement is reduced by nearly about 30, 50, 62, and 67% for the addition of third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-floor loading with micro-piles when compared to the respective model without micro-piles.