Assessment of the Interaction of the Combined Piled Raft Foundation Elements Based on Long-Term Measurements

Understanding the complex phenomena of interactions between the elements of a combined piled raft foundation (CPRF) is essential for the proper design of such foundations. To evaluate the effects of mutual influence among the CPRF’s elements, a series of long-term measurements of selected physical quantities related to the performance of the foundation were conducted on a building with a frame structure, stiffening walls, and monolithic technology, consisting of seven aboveground stories and one underground story. The analysis distinguishes the real deformations resulting from temperature changes and from stress strains resulting from load changes. The two types of deformations were subjected to further interpretation of only changes in the stress and strain over time. Changes in stress values in the subsoil, as well as strain measurements in the vertical direction of concrete columns, were recorded to assess the load distribution between the CPRF’s components. The numerical analysis results obtained for a fragment of the monitored foundation were compared with actual measurement results to verify the numerical model of interaction between the structure and the soil. Field monitoring and FEA methods were used to compare the long-term deformation analysis, and they helped to minimize the monitoring time. This comparison also served to supplement and simultaneously expand the dataset of test results on a real-world scale.