Foundation Design
Foundation design for a multi-storey commercial building. This project was about understanding soil behavior and creating a foundation that would maintain the building safely for decades.
Project Objective
Design an economical raft foundation that meets bearing capacity requirements while minimizing differential settlement.
Structural System
Raft foundation with thickness variation for soil adaptation
Tools Used
Project visualization
The Real Challenge
The building site had variable soil conditions with a 2-meter layer of soft clay below the building corner. Uneven settlement could cause structural issues. I needed a foundation design that could accommodate this.
My Approach
Using SAFE, I modeled the soil-structure interaction and found that a thickened raft with varying thickness beneath the heavier loads was optimal. This approach controlled settlement to within acceptable limits while reducing overall concrete volume.
My Process
Understand the Problem
Spent time understanding the site conditions, constraints, and requirements before jumping into modeling.
Create a Model
Built a detailed 3D structural model accounting for all load cases and boundary conditions.
Analyze & Iterate
Ran multiple analyses with different configurations to find the optimal design.
Design & Verify
Designed all members per applicable codes and verified results against industry standards.
Document & Communicate
Created clear drawings and documentation for construction and contractor teams.
Key Results
Soil bearing capacity: 200 kN/m² (verified by geotechnical report)
Maximum settlement: 18 mm across the building
Differential settlement: <1:500 ratio
Cost savings vs. conventional piles: 23%
Interested in How I Work?
This is just one example of the challenges I've solved. I love tackling new structural problems and collaborating with teams to deliver great results. Let's chat about your project!