STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF PILED-RAFT FOUNDATIONS USING LONG-TERM SETTLEMENT MONITORING

Abstract

A monitoring-simulation combined method is presented to evaluate the structural performance of building foundations. The proposed method has been applied to an existing piled-raft foundation. The continuous evolution of consolidation settlement is monitored at limited measurement points of interest using four kinds of sensor: differential settlement gauge, strain gauge, thermometer and optical level surveying. The monitoring resolution in space is refined through settlement simulation analyses using global and local models. The global model is concerned with the spatial distribution of soil settlement over the foundation mat, whereas the local model deals with the change in axial force of each pile and the dissipation process of excess pore water pressure induced by settlement. Based on measurement and analysis results, the usefulness and limitations of the proposed method are discussed.