Insights into the Behaviour of Piled Raft Foundations Under Vertical-Horizontal-Moment Loading Conditions

This study focuses on investigating how the interaction of combined VHM loads influences the behaviour of piled raft foundation (PRF) when it is placed in sandy soil. Two sets of earthquake data, the Sikkim earthquake of 2011 and the El-Centro earthquake of 1979 are employed in simulations for pseudostatic horizontal loading and moment loading. To analyse the response of PRF under these complex loading conditions, finite element analysis is employed using the three-dimensional software. The numerical model is initially validated by comparing it to model test results from the existing literature. Subsequently, the effect of different parametric variations of horizontal load versus lateral deformation response and moment capacity has been assessed. Failure and design charts are developed for the validated PRF, considering VHM loads and various influential system parameters. It is observed that an optimal design factor of safety in the range of 1.67–2.0 is preferable for maximising lateral and moment capacities under combined VHM loading conditions.