ADU
Department of Civil Engineering
Chapter 10:
Mat Foundations
Dr. Omer Mughieda
Types of Foundations
• Shallow Foundations versus Deep
Foundations
Foundations
Shallow Deep
Foundations Foundations
Spread Mat Driven Drilled Auger Cast
Footings Foundations Piles Shafts Piles
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Mat (or Raft) Foundations
Forum Place; Harrisburg, PA
10ft thick, 2700 yd3 concrete mat
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Mat (or Raft) Foundations
Rochester Inst. of Technology; Student Life
Center, Rochester, NY
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Reasons to Consider Raft or
Mat Foundations
Structural loads are too high or soil
conditions are too weak; spread footings
cover > one-third (or half?) of the building
footprint
Soil conditions or loading is so erratic that
special design is needed to control
differential settlements
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Reasons to Consider Raft or
Mat Foundations
Structural loads are erratic; flexural strength of the mat will
absorb these irregularities.
Lateral loads are not uniformly distributed through the
structure and thus may cause differential horizontal
movements in spread footings or pile caps.
Uplift loads are larger than spread footings can accommodate.
Bottom of the structure is located below the
groundwater table, so waterproofing is an
important concern. Mats are monolithic, so
easier to waterproof. Weight of mat also resists
hydrostatic uplift forces.
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MAT (RAFT) Foundations
Usually large concrete slab supporting
many columns
Commonly used as foundation for silos,
chimneys, large machinery
Provides larger FOS against bearing
failure:
reduces bearing pressure
at the same time increases bearing
capacity
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Types of Mat Foundations
Flat concrete slab of uniform thickness
Slab thickened under larger column
loads
Slabs with pedestals to support heavier
column loads
Slabs with two-way beams
Cellular structures
Rigid frames consisting of slabs and
basement walls
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Concrete Slab of Uniform
Thickness
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Slab Thickened under Heavier
Columns
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Slabs with Pedestals to Support
Heavier Columns
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Slabs with Two-Way Beams
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Foundation Mat with Cellular
Structure;Walls act as stiffeners
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Mat (or Raft) Foundation
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Transfer of Column Loads to Mats
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Design of Mat Foundations
Bearing Capacity Analysis follows the
same approach as for spread footings
qult cN c sc d c zD N q sq d q 0.5 BN s d
Factor of Safety (Das, 2004):
Under normal D+L loads.. Minimum 3.0
Under extreme loads …Minimum 1.75-
2.0
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Design of Mat Foundations
Settlement Analysis
Deformation of the slab
Compression of the underlying soil (Follow
procedures outlined in Chap.7)
Differential Settlement of Mat
Foundations (American Concrete Institute
Committee 336, 1988)
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Design of Mat Foundations
Differential Settlement of Mat
Foundations (American Concrete Institute
Committee 336, 1988)
Modulus of Elasticity of Material used
in Structure Moment of inertia of
structure per unit
Kr= Relative Stiffness E I b length at right angles
Factor Kr to B
Es B 3
Width of raft
Modulus of Elasticity of Soil
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Design of Mat Foundations
Differential Settlement of Mat Foundations
(American Concrete Institute Committee 336,
1988) ah 3
E I b E I F I b
12
E I b flexural rigidity of the superstructure and foundation per unit length at right angles to B
E I flexural rigidity of the framed members at right angles to B
b
E ah / 12 flexural rigidity of shear walls
3
a shear wall thickness
h shear wall height
E I F flexibility of the foundation
If K r 0.5, then mat can be treated as rigidi.e. ( d / ) 0
If K r 0.5, then ( d / ) 0.1
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If K r 0, then ( d / ) 0.35(square mats) and ( d / ) 0.5(long mats)
Structural Design of Mat
Foundations
Rigid method
Mat is extremely rigid
Contact pressure is planar
Same assumptions used in spread footing
design
Simplified Elastic Methods
Mat behaves like an elastic plate that is
supported on a bed of elastic springs (Winkler
Method)
Finite Difference Method
Finite Element Method
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Methods of Designing Mat
Foundations
Rigid Methods
Considers the mat far more rigid than the surrounding soils, so
flexure of the mat does not affect distribution of bearing pressure.
Nonrigid Mehtods
Considers the flexibility of the mat relative to the soil
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Rigid Methods
Magnitude and distribution of bearing pressure only depend on the
applied loads and the weight of the mat.
Distribution is either uniform or varies linearly across the mat (same
as spread footings)
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Application of Rigid Methods
Although rigid methods are appropriate for spread footings, it
is not really applicable for mat foundations.
Portions of a mat beneath column and bearing walls will settle
more than portions with less load, which increases bearing
pressure beneath heavily-loaded zones.
This is especially true with foundations on stiff soils and rock,
but is true with all foundations.
Simplified bearing pressure is in reality not correct in any case;
more important with large mat.
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Distribution with Column Loads
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Structural Design of Mat Foundations
Conventional Rigid Method
Conventional Rigid Method
The conventional rigid method of mat foundation design can be
explained step by step with reference to Figure 6.10:
Step 1. Figure 6.10a shows mat dimensions of L X B and column
loads of Q1, Q2, Q3 . . .. Calculate the total column load as
Q= Q1 + Q2+ Q3 + ... (6.22)
Step 2. Determine the pressure on the soil, q, below the mat at
points A, B, C, D, . . ., by using the equation
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Step 3. Compare the values of the soil pressures determined in
Step 2 with the allowable soil pressure to determine whether
q < qall.
Step 4. Divide the mat into several strips in the x and y
directions. (See Figure 6.10). Let the width of any strip be ,B1.
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Step 5. Draw the shear, V and the moment, M, diagrams for
each individual strip (in the x and y directions). For example,
the average soil pressure of the bottom strip in the x direction
of Figure 6.10a is
where qI and qF : soil pressures at points I and F,
as determined from Step 2.
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The total soil reaction is equal to qavB1B. Now obtain the total
column load on the strip as Q1 + Q2 + Q3 + Q4.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, or
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So the modified column loads are FQ1, FQ2, FQ3,and FQ4. This
modified loading on the strip under consideration is shown in Figure
6.10b. The shear and the moment diagram for this strip can now be
drawn, and the procedure is repeated in the x and y directions for all
strips.
Step 6. Determine the effective depth d of the mat by checking for
diagonal tension shear near various columns. According to ACI Code
318-95 (Section 11.12.2.1c, American Concrete Institute, 1995), for
the critical section,
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Step 7.From the moment diagrams of all strips in one direction (x or
y), obtain the maximum positive and negative moments per unit
width (i.e., M' : M/B1).
Step 8. Determine the areas of steel per unit width for positive and
negative reinforcement in the r and y directions. We have
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Nonrigid Methods
Nonrigid methods consider the deformation of the mat and
their influence of bearing pressure distribution.
These methods produce more accurate values of mat
deformations and stresses.
These methods are more difficult to implement than rigid
methods because of soil-structure interaction.
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Nonrigid Methods
Coefficient of Subgrade Reaction.
Winkler Methods
Coupled Method.
Pseudo-Coupled Method
Multiple-Parameter Method
Finite Element Method
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Coefficient of Subgrade
Reaction
Nonrigid methods must take into account that
both the soil and the foundation have
deformation characteristics.
These deformation characteristics can be either
linear or non-linear (especially in the case of the
soils).
The deformation characteristics of the soil are
quantified in the coefficient of subgrade reaction,
or subgrade modulus, which is similar to the
modulus of elasticity for unidirectional
deformation
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Coefficient of Subgrade
Reaction
Definition of Coefficient of Subgrade Reaction
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Coefficient of Subgrade
Reaction
Plate load test for coefficient of subgrade reaction
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Coefficient of Subgrade
Reaction
Application of coefficient of subgrade reaction to larger mats
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Coefficient of Subgrade
Reaction
Portions of the mat that experience more settlement produce
more compression in the springs.
Sum of these springs must equal the applied structural loads
plus the weight of the mat.
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Determination Coefficient of Subgrade
Reaction
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Winkler Methods
The earliest use of these "springs" to represent the interaction
between soil and foundation was done by Winkler in 1867; the
model is thus referred to as the Winkler method.
The one-dimensional representation of this is a "beam on
elastic foundation," thus sometimes it is called the "beam on
elastic foundation" method.
Mat foundations represent a two-dimensional application of
the Winkler method.
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Beams on Elastic Foundations
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Beams on Elastic Foundations
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Beams on Elastic Foundations
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Application to Spread Footings
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Non-Linear Characteristics of
Soil Deformation
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Limitations of Winkler Method
Load-settlement curves are not really linear; we must make
a linear approximation to use the Winkler model.
Winkler model assumes that a uniformly loaded mat
underlain by a perfectly uniform soil will uniformly settle into
the soil.
Actual data show that such a mat-soil interaction will deflect
in the centre more than the edges.
This is one reason why we use other methods (such as
Schmertmann's) to determine settlement.
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Limitations of Winkler Method
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Limitations of Winkler Method
Soil springs do not act independently. Bearing pressure on one
part of the mat influences both the "spring" under it and those
surrounding it (due to lateral earth pressure).
No single value of ks truly represents the interaction between
the soil and the mat.
The independent spring problem is in reality the largest
problem with the Winkler model.
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Coupled Method
Ideally the coupled method, which uses additional springs as
shown below, is more accurate than the Winkler method.
The problem with the coupled method comes in selecting the
values of ks for the coupling springs.
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Pseudo-Coupled Method
An attempt to overcome both the lack of coupling in the
Winkler method and the difficulties of the coupling springs.
Does so by using springs that act independently (like Winkler
springs), but have different ks values depending upon their
location on the mat.
Most commercial mat design software uses the Winkler
method; thus, pseudo-coupled methods can be used with
these packages for more conservative and accurate results
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Pseudo-Coupled Method
Implementation:
Divide the mat into two or more concentric zones
The innermost zone should be about half as wide and half as long
as the mat.
Assign a ks value to each zone
These should progressively increase from the centre
The outermost zone ks should be about twice as large as the
innermost zone
Evaluate the shears, moments and deformations using the
Winkler method
Adjust mat thickness and reinforcement to satisfy strength and
serviceability requirements
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Pseudo-Coupled Method
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Multiple-Parameter Method
This method replaces the independently-acting
linear springs of the Winkler method with springs
and other mechanical elements
The additional elements define the coupling effects
Method bypasses the guesswork involved in
distributing the ks values in the pseudo-coupled
method; should be more accurate
Method has not been implemented into software
packages and thus is not routinely used on design
projects
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Finite Element Method
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Finite Element Method
Finite element method is used for structural analysis.
Mat is modelled in a similar way to other plate
structures with springs connected at the nodes of the
elements.
Mat is loaded with column loads, applied line loads,
applied area loads, and mat weight.
Usually superstructure stiffness is not considered
(conservative). Can be done but is rarely performed in
practice.
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Finite Element Method
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Example of Determining Coefficient of
Subgrade Reaction
Given
Structure to be supported on a 30 m wide by 50 m
long mat foundation. Average bearing pressure is
120 kPa. Average settlement determined = 30 mm
using settlement analysis method
Find
Design values of ks used in a pseudo-coupled
analysis
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