RAFT FOUNDATION
WHAT IS THE RAFT FOUNDATION?
• The Raft foundation is also called mat footing. It is a combined footing that covers the entire area under a
structure and supports all the columns.
• Raft foundation is actually a thick concrete slab resting on a large area of soil reinforced with steel,
supporting columns or walls and transfer loads from the structure to the soil. Usually, mat foundation is
spread over the entire area of the structure it is supporting.
• This method is particularly useful where the column loads are heavy and thus requiring large bases or
where the bearing capacity is low, again resulting in the need for large bases.
• Raft foundation is continuous in two directions,
usually covering an area equal to or greater than the
base of a building or structure.
• It may be stiffened by ribs or beams incorporated
into the foundation.
• The raft foundations have the advantage of reducing
differential settlements as the concrete slab resists
differential movements between loading positions.
Some photos of raft foundation
• Mat or Raft foundation is used to reduce settlement on highly compressible soils by making the raft and
the weight of structure approximately same to the weight of soil excavated.
• Raft foundation is also used to support storage equipment, storage tanks, chimneys and various industrial
structures.
• A Raft foundation may undergo large settlements without causing harmful differential settlement.
• For this reason, almost double the settlement of that permitted for individual footings, is acceptable for
rafts.
• Usually, when hard soil is not available within 3 to 4 m, a Raft foundation is adopted if the soil is weak.
WHEN TO CHOOSE RAFT FOUNDATION
For foundation design, one of the most important aspects is choosing the right type of foundation. Raft
foundation is preferred when-
• The soil has a low bearing capacity.
• Load of the structure has to be distributed over a large area.
• The columns or walls are placed so closely that the individual footings would overlap.
•Stress on soil needs to be reduced.
•There is a possibility of differential settlement in case individual footing is used.
•Basement is to be constructed.
•Any other type of footing cannot be used advantageously.
•Where it may be impractical to create separate strip or pad foundations for a large number of individual loads.
In very general terms, if strip or pad foundations would cover 50% or more of the floor area, then a raft may
be more appropriate.
TYPES OF RAFT FOUNDATION
Raft foundations can be consider in three types-
1. Solid slab rafts.
2. Beam and slab rafts.
3. Cellular rafts.
SOLID SLAB RAFT FOUNDATION
• These are constructed of uniform thickness over the
whole raft area.
• The effect of the load from column and the ground
pressure is to create areas of tension under the column
and the areas of tension in the upper part of the raft
between the column.
• Often the nominal mesh of reinforcement is provided in
the faces where tension does not occur to control
shrinkage cracking of the concrete.
• It is commonly used when the columns are positioned at an approximately regular distance and the load
is evenly carried.
• It is mainly used for light structures.
BEAM AND SLAB RAFT FOUNDATION
• Beam and slab rafts are alternatives to the solid slab
raft and are used where poor soils are encountered.
• The beams are used to distribute the column load over
the area of the raft, that results in the reduction of the
slab thickness.
• As a Foundation to support the heavier loads of wall
or columns a solid slab raft would require
considerable thickness.to make the most economical
use of reinforce concrete in a raft Foundation
supporting heavier loads it is a practice to form a
beam and slab raft
• The beams can be upstand or down stand depending upon
the bearing capacity of soil near the surface.
• Down stand beams will give a saving on excavation costs
whereas upstand beams create a usable void below the
ground floor if a suspended slab is used.
• This raft consist of upstand and downstand beam that take
the load of wall or column and spread them to the
monolithically cast slab which bears on natural subsoil.
• On compact soils which can be excavated without the
necessity of timbering to trenches it is economical to use
downstand beams, and where the subsoil is granular, upstand
beams may ne necessary
CELLULAR RAFT FOUNDATION
• These type of foundations are used on soft
compressible subsoil such as soft clay or pit.
• So during curing process the reinforcement at the
bottom should be provided true level surface from
which the reinforcement can be positioned.
• This type of Raft consists of top and bottoms slabs
separated by and reinforced with vertical cross ribs
in both direction.
• This form of foundation can be used where a
reasonable bearing capacity subsoil can be found at
depth where beam and slab techniques become
uneconomic.
• This construction is similar to reinforce concrete
basement except that internal walls are used to spread
the load over the raft and divide the void into cells.
• Openings can be formed in the cell wall allowing the
words to be utilized for the housing of services store
rooms or general accommodation.
• The monolithically cast reinforced concrete cellular draft has great rigidity and spreads Foundation loads
over the whole area of the substructure to reduce consolidation settlement and avoid differential settlement.
• The cellular draft may be full depth of a basement story and the cells of raft may be used for mechanical
plant and storage.
• The function of this layer is to fill in any weak pockets encountered during excavation.
• A cellular raft is also used in deep basement are constructed to reduce settlement by utilizing the overburden
pressure that occurs in deep excavation.
• A cellular raft foundation consists of two slabs with two-way interlocking ground beams. The upper
(suspended) slab and the lower (ground-bearing) slab are usually incorporated within the beams to form I-
sections, with voids between them
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
• Raft Foundation is one which at least covers, and may extend beyond, the area of a building and consist of
concrete suitably reinforced; the reinforcement may take the form of mild Steel circular bars laid in both
directions or fabric.
• Such Foundation may be adopted on sites where the subsoil of a yielding one ( e.g. soft clay or made up
ground) or where unequal settlement may occur as a result of, for example, mining subsidence, and for
which the relatively narrow strip type of foundation would provide an inadequate spread.
• The whole of the ground floor is covered with concrete reinforced with a layer of Steel fabric, lapped 150
mm at the joints, near the bottom surface; and alternative and the better arrangement in shown at D, Where
two layers, of fabric having 40 mm cover of concrete top and bottom are provided.
At shown, the reinforced concrete beam
Foundation under the wall is incorporated with
the Floor by extending the mild steel stirrups-
see enlarged detail in E. the lean concrete
blinding shown provides a clean bed for a
structure concrete; alternatively, a layer of gravel
may be used for this purpose.
• Another form of raft, alternative to the type at C and suitable for gravel or similar non shrinkable soil sites in
shown at G.
• only light reinforcement is necessary in the form of 6 mm diameter bars, top and bottom as indicated, or layers
of fabric.
• Instead of the beam below the wall shown at C, 12 mm longitudinal top and bottom bars are placed at this
point; the concrete below internal walls should be similarly reinforced.
STEPS TO CONSTRUCT RAFT FOUNDATION
• First, the excavation is done up to correct depth as per design.
• After excavation, the foundation bed is compacted by ramming
• Then, a waterproof plastic sheet is laid over the earth, and a thin layer of plain cement concrete (PCC) is
poured just to create a perfectly flat and level base, for the foundation.
• After this, a waterproofing layer is installed, if it is a basement.
• And then, laying of reinforcement is done on spacers over the foundation bed.
• And at last pouring of the concrete is done over the reinforcement.
• The foundation may be stiffened by beams or ribs built in during construction which will add extra rigidity
and strength.
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ADVANTAGES OF RAFT FOUNDATION
• Mat footing can be provided where the shallow foundation is necessary and when the soil is poor.
• When raft foundation is used in place of pile foundation, then there would be saving in time as well as cost.
• It require little excavation.
• It can cope with mixed or pored ground condition
• It reduces differential settlement.
DISADVANTAGES OF RAFT FOUNDATION
• Raft foundation is prone to edge erosion.
• Raft foundation requires more amount of reinforcement in some cases, and it will ultimately cost more.
• Skilled labors are required as compared to other foundation.
• Special attention is needed when the mat or raft foundation is subjected to the concentrated(point) load.
• Raft foundation requires more steel and concrete and hence it will be expensive.
