MAT FOUNDATIONS
When more than one line of columns is supported by a concrete slab,
it is called a mat or raft foundation.
Mat foundations are generally used with soil that has a low bearing
capacity. Mat foundations are used under the following
circumstances:
a. When more than 50% of the structure’s footprint will otherwise be
constructed as pad or strip footings,
b. When the type of structure requires that the differential settlements
be limited to very small values, or
c. When there are nonuniform soil conditions or soil where pockets of
weak soil are present
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Common types of Mat Foundations
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Common types of Mat Foundations
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Mats may be supported by piles, which help reduce the settlement of
a structure built over highly compressible soil. Where the water table
is high, mats are often placed over piles to control buoyancy.
Figure: Comparison of isolated foundation and mat foundations B=
width, Df = depth
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Geotechnical Design of Mat Foundation
Designs of mat foundations are often governed by the settlement
considerations rather than the bearing capacity.
Therefore, the mat foundation must be designed to limit settlements to
a tolerable amount. These settlements may include the following:
1. Consolidation—including any secondary effects
2. Immediate or elastic
3. A combination of consolidation and immediate amounts
Design Steps
Determination of allowable bearing capacity
Settlement
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations
Different methods idealize the mat in general either as a rigid
block (same as spread footings) or a flexible plate.
Rigid Assumption
Rigid block assumption: calculate bearing capacity of mat using the
same equations employed for spread footings. The pressure
distribution beneath the mat is either uniform (if it is loaded centrically)
or varies linearly (if eccentric or moment loads are present). This
assumption may be non conservative for mat structural design as it
may underestimate the shears, moments and deformations of the
mat.
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations
Flexible Assumption
Flexible mat assumption: more accurate in modeling pressure
distribution beneath the mat and in evaluating shears, moments and
deformations of the mat. However, it is more difficult to implement.
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations (Rigid
Assumption)
The ultimate bearing capacity of a mat foundation can be determined
by the same equation used for shallow foundations
……..(1)
The term B in equation (1) is the smallest dimension of the mat.
For saturated clays with =0 (Note: Nc = 5.14, Nq = 1, and N
= 0) and a vertical loading condition, Eq. (1) gives,
qu=5.14cScdcic + DfSqdqiq
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations
Determine the net ultimate bearing capacity of a mat foundation
measuring 20 m x 8 m on a saturated clay with Cu= 85 kN/m2,
= 0, and Df =1.5m. Assume the mat is rigid.
Solution:
qu=5.14cScdcic + DfSqdqiq
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations
What will be the net allowable bearing capacity of a rigid mat
foundation with dimensions of 13.7 m x 9.15 m constructed over
a sand deposit? Here, Df = 1.98 m, the allowable settlement is
50 mm, and the average penetration number N60 =10.
Solution:
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Bearing Capacity of Mat Foundations
The mat shown in figure below has dimensions of 20 m 3 30 m. The
total dead and live load on the mat is 110 MN. The mat is placed over
a saturated clay having a unit weight of 18 kN/m3 and cu = 140
kN/m2. Given that Df = 1.5 m, determine the factor of safety against
bearing capacity failure. Assume the mat is rigid.
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Settlement of mat Foundation
The settlements may include the following:
1. Immediate or elastic
2. Consolidation—including any secondary effects
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Consider a mat foundation 30 m x 40 m in plan, as shown in figure
below. The total dead load and live load on the raft is 200x103 kN.
Estimate the immediate and primary consolidation settlement at the
center of the foundation. Assume average elastic modulus and Poison
ratio of underlying soil layers are given as 20 Mpa and 0.40,
respectively.
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Differential Settlement of Mat Foundation
In 1988, the American Concrete Institute Committee 336 suggested a
method for calculating the differential settlement of mat foundations.
According to this method, the rigidity factor Kr is calculated as
Where
E’Ib = Flexural rigidity of the superstructure and mat, perpendicular
direction to B
Es = modulus of elasticity of the soil
B = width of foundation
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Differential Settlement of Mat Foundation
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Differential Settlement of Mat Foundation
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Compensated Foundation /Floating Foundation
The net average applied pressure on soil is,
For no increase in the net pressure on soil below a mat foundation,
q should be zero. Thus,
This relation for Df is usually referred to as the depth
of a fully compensated foundation
MAT FOUNDATIONS
Structural Design of Mat Foundations
The structural design of mat foundations can be carried out by
two conventional methods: the conventional rigid method
and the approximate flexible method. Finite difference and
finite-element methods can also be used.
In the conventional rigid method, the entire raft is assumed to be
rigid. The bottom of the mat remains horizontal. The pressure
applied to the underlying soil is assumed to vary linearly. The
mat is divided into rectangular beams (i.e., a strip) in both x and
y directions, considering the tributary areas. Each beam is
analyzed as a structural member, and reinforcements are
provided from the structural design considerations based on the
bending moment and shear force diagrams.
Conventional Rigid Method
The plan of a mat foundation is shown in Figure below. Calculate the
soil pressure at points A, B, C, D, E, and F. (Note: All column sections
are planned to be 0.5 m x 0.5 m.) Also perform structural design.
Step 1: Determine the total
column load
Q=470+600*2+660+1600*2+200
0*4+550*2
Q= 14,630 kN
Step 2: Determine the pressure
on the soil, q, below the mat at
points A, B, C, D, E, and F by
using the equation
Q
Conventional Rigid Method
Y’ Y
(*,*) e
x
ex
ey (*,*)
X
X’
Conventional Rigid Method
Centroid of Mat from x’ axis = 13.75 m
Centroid of Mat from y’ axis = 10.25 m
Centroid of Column loads from x’ axis, y’ = 13.86 m
Centroid of Mat from y’ axis, x’ = 9.686 m
Y
Y’
(9.686, 13.86)
ex
ex = 10.25-9.868=0.57 m
ey = 13.75-13.86=0.11 m ey (10.25,13.75)
X
Mx = Q*ey = 14690*0.11= 1616 kN-m
My = Q*ex = 14690*0. .57= 8373 kN-m
X’
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
Step 3: Compare the values of the soil pressures determined in Step 2 with the
net allowable soil pressure to determine whether q ≤ qall (net).
Step 4: Divide the mat into several strips in the x and y directions.
Step 5. Draw the shear, V, and the moment,
M, diagrams for each individual strip (in the
x and y directions).
Conventional Rigid Method
Determination of shear and moment diagrams for strips along y direction:
Strip AGHF:
Conventional Rigid Method
Determination of shear and moment diagrams for strips along y direction:
Strip AGHF:
Note:
The sum of the column loads on the strip will not equal qavB1B,
because the shear between the adjacent strips has not been taken
into account. For this reason, the soil reaction and the column loads
need to be adjusted.
Conventional Rigid Method
Determination of shear and moment diagrams for strips along y direction:
Strip GIJH:
Conventional Rigid Method
Determination of shear and moment diagrams for strips along y direction:
Strip ICDJ:
**Note: In view of the assumption of uniform soil reaction to nonsymmetric loading, there is a discrepancy in the moment values
at the right column. As a result, the moment diagram will not “close.” This is ignored since it is not the governing design moment.
Conventional Rigid Method
Step 6: Determination of the Thickness/ effective depth ,d of
the Mat
The critical section for diagonal tension shear will be at the
column carrying 2000 kN of load at the edge of the mat
Q
Conventional Rigid Method
Step 6: Determination of the Thickness/ effective depth ,d of
the Mat
Conventional Rigid Method
Step 6: Determination of the Thickness/ effective depth ,d of
the Mat
Step 7: Identification of Maximum positive and negative
moment from strips
Conventional Rigid Method
Step 7: Determination of Reinforcement
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
Determination of shear and moment diagrams for strips along x direction:
Calculate in a similar Manner!!!
And
Submit it in the Next Class
