Bearing characteristics of a model piled raft foundation in unsaturated soil subjected to variations in the groundwater level

Abstract

The bearing characteristics of a piled raft foundation (PRF) in saturated or dry soil ground have been investigated in previous studies. However, soils near the ground surface are generally in an unsaturated state. Matric suction occurs in unsaturated soils and influences the mechanical properties of soil. For more reasonable designs of PRFs, it is undoubtedly necessary to study the bearing characteristics of PRFs in unsaturated soil. In this study, model tests were conducted to investigate the bearing characteristics of a PRF in unsaturated soil subjected to variations in the groundwater level. The experimental results showed that, when the groundwater level was increased and the suction decreased, the load carried by the raft increased under dead load, leading to a significant settlement of the model PRF.