ABSTRACT
The Combined Pile-Raft Foundation (CPRF) has become a prominent foundation system for high-rise buildings due to its cost-effectiveness and sustainability, especially under conditions of heavy loading or challenging soil profiles. In a CPRF system, piles play a critical role in reducing both total and differential settlement, enabling an economical design while maintaining structural safety. However, analyzing behavior of CPRF systems remains complex due to intricate interactions that occur, such as pile-pile, raft-pile, and pile-raft interactions. In this study, a series of 3D finite element analyses were conducted using PLAXIS 3D. The CPRF model was initially validated against data from existing literature. Subsequently, the model was used to investigate CPRF behavior in homogeneous sandy soil under combined vertical and horizontal loading conditions, leading to development of VH failure envelopes. Results indicate that the presence of vertical loading improves horizontal load-bearing capacity of CPRF, providing insights into CPRF behavior under combined loading.
