Geotechnical Aspects for Design and Performance of Floating Foundations

Floating foundations are often practical when foundations must be placed over deposits of compressible soil and when deep foundations are expensive. The aim of the present paper is to study parameters affecting the behavior of floating foundations, including the kind of floating foundations, depth of excavation, and imposed pressure by the superstructure. Herein, 3 buildings ranging from 15 to 25 stories with gross foundation pressures from 195Kpa to 342Kpa with similar area plan, 40m x 50m, are studied for 4 soil types ranging from very soft to strong type. Their foundations are studied by using numerical method of finite element. Moreover five case histories have been studied based on their records and analytical predictions. Results indicate that in case of low bearing capacity and high settlement, the floating foundations can be chosen as a reasonable alternative considering of technical and economical aspects.