Performance of piled raft foundations under the effect of dewatering nearby an open pit

Abstract

The dewatering arrangement is required in execution works and it needs more attention due to the additional vertical settlement produced on the adjacent pile foundations. Raft foundations are being increasingly utilized for construction in cases of subsoil conditions with a high water table. Also, soil displacements in adjacent un-braced deep open pit may be a reason for high damages to the close buildings and foundations systems. The aim of this study is to examine the behaviour of piled raft foundations considering different pile locations under the effect of line drain and stage drilling of nearby open foundation pit. The line drain was used as dewatering process through the soil in this study. The pile vertical settlement and lateral displacement at various depths of excavation of an open pit in addition to the effect of line drain were investigated. A numerical modelling by using the three dimensional finite element package PLAXIS 3D is presented to simulate the problem. The soil is presumed to consist of two layers of deposit, the first is a clayey layer assuming soft soil criterion and the second is a sandy layer conforming to Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. It is found that there is an obvious effect of dewatering by line drain with the drilling process for corner and face piles of a piled foundation whereas less effect for the centre piles.