Raft foundations

 A raft foundation is a continuous slab of concrete

usually covering an area equal to or greater than the
base of the building or the structure to provide
support for walls or lightly loaded columns and serve
as a base for the ground floor.
 It spreads the load of the building over a larger area
than other foundations, lowering the pressure on the
ground.
 These are special cases of combined footings where all
the columns of the building are having a common
foundation.
 The word raft is used in the sense that the slab of
concrete floats on the surface as a raft does on water.
 Raft foundations are used for lightly loaded structures on soils with poor bearing capacity and where variations in soil conditions
necessitate a considerable spread of loads.
 Beam and raft and cellular raft foundations are used for more heavily loaded structures, where the beams or cells of a raft are used
to provide wide spread of loads.
 This is an alternative if you can't use a traditional strip or trench fill foundations.

Applicability of Raft (Mat) Foundations

 Low bearing capacity soil, where ground
conditions are poor and strip or pad
foundations would require
significant excavation, for example on
soft clay, alluvial deposits, compressible
fill, and so on.
 Where spread footings cover about 70%
of the structure
 High structure loads
 For structures like chimneys, silos, tanks,
large machines
 Structures and equipment sensitive to
differential settlement
 Watertight construction under
basements below groundwater table
 Highly compressible soil and extends to a
great depth
 When floor areas are small
and structural loadings are low, such as in one or two-storey domestic construction.
 It is employed for the construction of commercial buildings where the loads are commonly large. Mat foundations are popular in
areas where basements are common.
 Where a basement is required.
 Where it may be impractical to create individual 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.
 When the columns and the Shear walls are placed so closely, where the individual footings overlap each other.
Construction of Mat or Raft Foundations
 Remove dirt and excavate soil to a uniform and flat level.
 The foundation bed is then compacted by ramming.
 Then, a waterproof plastic sheet is laid over the earth.
 After that, pour around 7cm layer of plain cement concrete to
create a perfectly flat and level base for the foundation.
 Lay reinforcement on spacers over the foundation bed.
Reinforcements are provided in both directions in the form of
steel mesh. Two meshes are reinforced at the top and bottom of
the foundation to balance upward and downward bending
forces.
 After all the steel has been put in place, concrete is poured to the
desired thickness, which is usually in the range of 200mm to
300mm thick for small buildings: this can be much thicker if
heavy loads are to be carried. A minimum rebar cover of 50mm
should be maintained.
 Finally, a suitable curing regime should be used to make sure that concrete achieves the designated compression strength.

Basic framework of raft foundations -

Working Principle of Raft Foundations –

It transmits the total load form the building to the entire ground floor area. The stress distribution mechanism of the raft foundations
there is also very simple. When the total weight of the structure and self-weight of the mat calculate and divide by the total area of
the foundation it is covering to calculate the stress on the soil. Since the raft
‘floats’ on the ground below, rather than being anchored in it, it is less prone to
the effects of ground movement, due to settlements, for example.

 Forms of pressure in raft foundations -

 The behavior of the raft foundation resembles the behaviour of a strip
foundation grid.
 The stresses applied on the soil are larger in the columns area and smaller in
the intermediate areas.
 The presence of beams acting as stiffeners helps in a more even distribution of the soil pressures between the columns’ areas and
the intermediate areas of the raft foundation.

 Position of construction joint is to be provided

in a raft foundation (if required)
 Construction joint shall be provided preferably at a
location where stress are zero
 Construction joint is provided at one-third or end of
support.
 Also provide key and rebar to transfer shear stress
if shear stress is not zero at point of construction
joint.
 Provide construction joints as minimum as possible.
 Construction joint shall not be left on discretion of contractor. It must be approved by designer.

Types of Foundations -
 Based on the method of their support, raft can be –
Raft rests directly on the soil or beneath them but in some cases, they may be supported by piles

Type Description Graphics

Raft It is essentially a continuous slab resting on the
supported soil that extends over the entire footprint of the
on soil building, thereby supporting the building and
transferring its weight directly to the ground
below.
Buoyancy  The buoyancy raft foundations are also known
raft as compensated foundations or deep cellular
rafts. Whatever be the name they are known
for, they come under the category of floating
foundations.
 These are known as fully compensated
foundations as during their construction the
soil underneath the foundation is removed,
whose weight is equal to the weight of the
whole superstructure. Hence the weight
removed from the soil is compensated by the
weight of the building.
 Those areas with soft soil, layer in a huge
depth is observed, it is economical to go for
floating foundation. No other foundation like
pile foundation cannot be an efficient
replacement for these.
 Occupants in low-altitude areas face the
problem of high floods resulting in the collapse
of houses. The construction of buoyant
foundation would help in increasing the
elevation of the house.
 This arrangement is a flexible method, as the
building would remain on the ground under
the normal conditions. When flood
approaches, the building would rise to a
necessary height.

Raft  The addition of piles to a raft increases the

supported effective size of a foundation and can help
on piles resist horizontal loads which can improve
the performance of the foundation in reducing
the amount of settlement and
differential settlement, as well as improving
the ultimate load capacity.
 Piles under raft help in reducing settlement
and provides resistance against buoyancy.
 Uses -
o Piled raft foundations are typically used for
large structures
o in situations where soil is not suitable to
prevent excessive settlement.
o They are an increasingly popular choice
for high-rise buildings.
o water table is close to the ground surface or
when the minimization of settlement is
extremely important for the serviceability of
the superstructure.
o structures that require a single foundation
element, such as silos, tanks and chimneys.
 During the design process, the optimum
number and position of piles, as well as their
diameter, reinforcement and length, is
 determined to ensure the stability of
the structure while providing an economical
solution, with the raft and piles acting together
to ensure the required settlement is not
exceeded.
 Typically, the piles provide most of
the stiffness while the raft provides
additional capacity at the ultimate loading.
 If there are one or more ineffective piles,
the raft can allow some degree of load
redistribution to other piles, reducing the
influence of the pile’s weakness on the
overall performance of the foundation.
Innovative piled raft foundation scheme used on building
 In an Unconnected Piled Raft
project in London
Foundation (UCPRF), the piles are not directly
The construction site of the 33-storey student accommodation building at Miles
connected to the raft, but are separated from Street, London was too tight to fit a piling rig, thus the engineering team adopted an
it be a structural fill 'cushion' (such as a alternative piled raft foundation solution for the building's support. The Urbanest
compacted a sand-gravel mixture or Student Accommodation building is being constructed with a slip formed core, on a
compacted soil) which small site, with a quite tight construction timeline. The challenges concerning its
redistributes load between the raft and piles. foundation had to do with the combination of a restricted 1000 m2 triangular site
This can be a more efficient, and so economic next to a Network Rail viaduct and several existing buildings (meaning sensitive
solution. settlement requirements), as well as a deadline to start work, meaning that a pile
load test to reduce the design factor of safety was not possible. Without such a test,
 Whereas a standard raft foundation involves a
Balfour Beatty - contractor of the project - could only use piles of 1200mm diameter
concrete slab that sits on compressed ground, in order to achieve the loads. However, the necessary piling rig would have been too
the slab in a piled raft sits instead on a number big for the site. In cooperation with geotechnical consultant CGL, structural engineer
of much deeper pile foundations that are Walsh Associates proposed an innovative piled raft foundation as a solution to the
bored deep enough to reach a suitably stiff soil problem. They designed a lean concrete frame to reduce the foundation loads,
layer. These piles are long, thin footings made supporting it with a piled raft, using high and deep level ground support capacities
of reinforced concrete or steel, and they are to limit deflections. Along with the design of a slip formed core for the building,
drainage was also placed on top to shorten the required design time, allowing the
spaced evenly across the site. The raft then
construction of the foundation before the drainage scheme was fixed, while water
‘floats’ on top of these pilings.
attenuation pipes were used instead of the typical attenuation tanks.

With edge  Stiffened raft slabs consist of:

beam o 100 mm thick concrete slab
o edge beams
o internal beams - (except Class A and Class S
sites)
o steel reinforcement
o The concrete is poured in one operation.
  The stiffened raft configuration can be used on
all classes of sites (except problem Class P).
 Based on the structural system adopted for the raft –

Type Description Graphics

Solid slab  In solid raft foundations, there is only
raft one unified foundation slab.
foundations  It is the simplest form of Raft foundation
and its formwork assembling as well as
its reinforcement is usually very easy.
 The flat slab raft is of uniform thickness
under the whole of the building and
reinforced to spread the loads from the
walls uniformly over the under surface
to the ground.
 This type of raft may be used under
small buildings such as bungalows and
two storey houses where the
comparatively small loads on
foundations can be spread safely and
economically under the rafts.
 Sometimes referred to as a plain raft,
and including; flat rafts, mats, wide
toe rafts, slip plane rafts, blanket rafts,
and so on.
Flat Plate  This type of mat is used when the
Mat columns and walls are uniformly spaced
at small intervals and the subjected
loads are relatively small.
 Raft of uniform depth is most popular
due to its simplicity of design and
construction.
 This type is most suitable where the
column loads are moderate and the
column spacing fairly small and uniform.
 Reinforcement is placed in both
directions and more reinforcement is
required at the column locations and
load-bearing walls.
 Steel mess typically used at the bottom
layer (where the column foundation
connection is close) and at the top of
the Concrete mat (Midspan between
column), to provide resistance in both
the direction.
 The thickness of this types of raft
foundation is generally restricted within
300mm for economic reason. A thicker
slab would not be economical.
 Flat raft mats are typically used for small
buildings where it’s possible to position
columns at regular distances across the
footprint of the building, to provide
equal stress distribution on the
foundation. Steel mesh is typically used
at the bottom (in the column-foundation
connection proximity) and the top (mid-
span between columns) of the concrete
mat, to provide resistance in both
directions
 Flat plate type is suitable when the
columns are placed with uniform space
between them and carrying an equal
and small load. This consists of a
reinforced concrete slab of uniform
thickness covering the whole bearing
area. They are using two mesh reinforce
at the top and bottom of the slab for the
slab to balance given forces. They have
upward and downward bending forces.
 A flat plate provides a maximum
thickness of 300 mm for the concrete
slab in case of a raft foundation.
 When a column loads are very heavy
then the flat plate type is not suitable.
To make it suitable, slab thickness must
be increased.
 When comes a heavy loads form column
then Introduced negative bending
moments and diagonal hear into the
slab So, to resist this a portion of the
slab under the column should be
 thickened.
 Typically, this type of Raft is used, where
the position of the column is a regular
over the entire footprint of the building,
it uses to provide the equal stress
distribution on the foundation.
Thickened  Flat plate mat is not suitable when the
Flat plate column loads are very heavy. must be
type increased.
 Hence, when the columns and load
bearing walls are subjected to heavier
loads, the slab is thickened under the
columns and walls.
 Extra reinforcement is provided to resist
against diagonal shear and negative
reinforcement.
 The heavy loads from column introduces
negative bending moments and diagonal
shear in to the slab.
 So, to resist this a portion of slab under
the column should be thickened.

Plates with  In this type of mat, a pedestal is

Pedestals provided at the base of the columns.
 The provision of the pedestal under the
column without increasing slab
thickness also helps to receive heavy
loads.
Wide Toe  Where the ground has poor
Raft compressibility and the loads on the
foundations would require a thick,
uneconomic flat slab, it is usual to cast
the raft as a wide toe raft foundation.
 Here, the slab is formed with a deeper
reinforced and a more profound
strengthened ‘toe’ which extends to
support the external side of a cavity
wall.
 The raft is cast with a reinforced
concrete, stiffening edge beam from
which a reinforced concrete toe extends
as a base for the external leaf of a cavity
wall.
 The slab is thickened under internal load
bearing walls.
 Vegetable top soil is removed and the
exposed surface is cut away to roughly
form the profile of the underside of the
slab.
 As necessary 100 mm of hardcore or
concrete is spread under the area of the
raft and a 50 mm layer of blinding
concrete is spread, shaped and levelled
as a base for the raft and toes.
 A waterproof membrane is laid on the
dried concrete blinding and the steel
reinforcement fixed in position and
supported preparatory to placing,
compacting and levelling the concrete
raft.
 The external cavity and internal solid
walls are raised off the concrete raft
once it has developed sufficient
strength.
 The extended toe of the edge beam is
shaped so that the external brick outer
leaf of the cavity wall is finished below
ground for appearance sake. A floor
finish is laid on 50 mm concrete finish or
a raised floor constructed.
Stepped Wide  On sites where the slope of the ground
Toe Raft is such that there is an appreciable fall in
the surface across the width or length of
a building, and a raft foundation is to be
used, because of the poor bearing
capacity of subsoil, it is necessary either
to cut into the surface or provide
additional fill under the building or a
combination of both to provide a level
base for the raft.
 It is advisable to minimise the extent of
disturbance of the soft or uncertain
subsoil.
 Where the slope is shallow and the
design and use of the building allows, a
stepped raft may be used down the
slope, as illustrated in the figure.
 A stepped, wide toe, reinforced
concrete raft is formed with the step or
steps made at the point of a load
bearing internal wall or at a division wall
between compartments or occupations.
 The drains under the raft are to relieve
and discharge surface water running
down the slope that might otherwise be
trapped against steps and promote
dampness in the building.
 The level raft illustrated in the figure is
cast on imported granular fill that is
spread, consolidated and levelled as a
base for the raft.
 The disadvantage of this is the cost of
the additional granular fill and the
advantage a level bed of uniform
consistency under the raft.
 As an alternative the system of cut and
fill may be used to reduce the volume of
imported fill.
 Raft foundations are usually formed on
ground of soft subsoil or made up
ground where the bearing capacity is
low or uncertain, to minimise
settlement. There is some possibility of
there being some slight movement of
the ground under the building which
would fracture drains and other service
pipes entering the building through the
raft. Service pipes rising through the raft
should run through collars, cast in the
concrete, which will allow some
movement of the raft without fracturing
service pipes. 

Slip This raft is mainly used in active mining areas or where clay is creeping on inclined sand beds where the horizontal  
Sandwich ground strains set up during subsidence or creep movements would cause damage to the structure, if allowed to be
Raft. transferred up to it via the foundation
1. Blanket  Where the build site includes small
Raft areas of weaker soil or different soil
types, a blanket raft may offer the best
solution.
 Here, a stone ‘blanket’ is laid on the
prepared ground in layers, building it up
to the required level, before the
concrete raft is poured on. The raft
foundation and the stone blanket work
together to provide an even load
support, despite the areas of weakness
within the footprint of the build.
 Where the construction site includes the
small area of weaker soil or other soil
types, a blanket raft may provide the
best solution.
 Here in this type of raft, a stone Blanket
is laid on the soil in a layer.
 Lay stone blanket up to the required
level, before pouring concrete raft.
 The stone blanket and Raft foundation
work together to provide even load
support, despite an area of weakness
within the footprint of the building.
2. Slip Plane  Slip Plan Rafts Comes with a preliminary
Raft layer of sand, which is laid over the little
large surface area then the required raft
foundation, Where the gap around the
raft filled with the compressible filling
material.
 This type of raft foundation involves a
slip plane layer (usually made of sand)
positioned between the raft and the
sub-strata.
 The slip plane layer extends out beyond
the raft, and the space between the
surface and the slip plane is filled with a
compressible material.
 The slip plane should be of sufficient
thickness to resist tensile or
compressive ground strains, as well as
accommodating potential frost heave.
 This raft is mainly used in active mining
areas or where clay is creeping on
inclined sand beds where the horizontal
ground strains set up during subsidence
or creep movements would cause
damage to the structure, if allowed to
be transferred up to it via the
foundation.
 By using a slip-plane of known
resistance, the maximum force which
can be transferred from the ground to
the building before the plane ruptures
can be calculated, and the raft designed
to resist this force in any direction that it
 is likely to occur.
Slab beam  In this type, the beams run in two
rafts perpendicular directions, and are cast
monolithically and the raft slab is
provided between the beams
connecting the columns and walls.
 Reinforced concrete or steel columns
are positioned on intersections of
reinforced concrete ground beams,
which add the required stiffness to the
slab.
 Uses -
o typically used where there are
unequally distributed column loads.
o when the columns are placed at a
larger distance
o for heavy buildings where stiffness is
the principal requirement to avoid
excessive distortion of the super
structure as a-result of variation in the
load distribution over the raft or the Typical details
compressibility of the supporting soil.
o when the bending moments to be
resisted by column strips are Types
excessive and the thickness of slab
given by the preceding method is
considered uneconomical, perhaps
only on the consideration of
economics alone, then on anything
else a beam and slab raft is adopted.
 Types - As a foundation to support the
heavier loads of walls or columns, a solid
slab raft would require considerable
thickness. To make the most economical
use of reinforced concrete in a raft
foundation supporting heavier loads, it
is usual practice to form a beam and
slab raft. This raft consists of upstand or
down stand beams that take the loads
of walls or columns and spread them to
the monolithically cast slab, which bears
on natural subsoil.
Hence, beam and slab raft which can be
designed with down stand beam or
upstand beam systems.
o Upstand - Although it is usual for the
raft to span over the ground beams,
they can also be designed as up stand
beams with a precast concrete
suspended floor at ground level. This
then creates a void between the raft
and the ground floor.
o Downstand
 These rafts, however, have many
obvious difficulties –
o If the beams are deep, ribs placed
below the basement floor or raft, the
 bottom of the excavation becomes
badly cut up with trenches, impairing
the bearing value of the soil because
of its disturbance.
o Water proofing in case of basements
becomes more complicated arid
involved.
o If the beams are projecting up,
usefulness of the basement is
destroyed unless the entire
foundation is lowered and the gap
filled up or an upper slab is provided Beam and Slab raft
supported on these inverted beams to with upstand beams
form the ground floor of the
structure.
Rigid Frame  In this type of raft, the foundation walls
Mat/Cellular act as a deep beam.
Raft  Cellular raft or framed raft with
Foundation foundation slab, walls, columns and one
of the floor slabs act together to give a
very rigid structure.
 Rigid frame mat is referred when
columns carry extremely heavy loads
and the connecting beams exceeds
90cm depth.
 It 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.
 They are very rigid, making them
suitable for
heavy loads or loose soil that can be
subject to uneven settlement.
Where ground heave is likely to be a
problem, cellular raft foundations may
be installed to reduce the
upward force of heave from
transmitting to the structure above.
 Here two concrete slabs are placed, one
on top of another and connected with
foundation walls in both directions and
thus forms a cellular raft foundation.
 The required depth of the raft, in the
case of overburden removal, may be
influenced more by the amount
of excavation required to achieve an
adequate load reduction than by the
resistance of the cellular raft to
the bending moment.
 However, if the raft is required to be
resistance to seismic loads of
mining subsidence, then the depth of
the raft can be influenced more by the
likely bending moments that will be
induced.
 This type of raft is very rigid and is
economical when the required slab
thickness is very high. They are
commonly found on sites that have
been used for heavy mining activity or in
poor ground where large bending
moments need to be resisted. While
often being an economic solution for
such situations, they are one of the
most expensive foundation types.
 The foundation walls act as a deep
beam. Rigid frame mat referred when
columns carry extremely heavy loads
and the connecting beams exceed 90 cm
depth. Here two concrete slabs are
placed, one on top of another and
connected with foundation walls in both
directions and this from cellular raft
foundations. It is very rigid and
economical when the required slab
thickness is very high
 Bearing capacity can often be increased
by the removal of overburden (waste or
spoil), which is the material that lies
above an area to be developed.
 Advantages and disadvantages -
o Suitable for loose soil or soils that
tends to settle unevenly such as back
filled inactive mining site. The
thickness of the constructed
foundation may exceed 1 m. Other
types of foundation are not
economical for this type of soil.
o A cellular raft consists of an
arrangement of two-way interlocking
foundation beams with a ground
bearing slab at the underside and a
suspended slab at the top surface.
o The upper and lower slabs are usually
incorporated within the beams to
form I sections.
o The intersecting beams effectively
break the large slab into two-way
spanning continuous small panels.
o The top slab is cast using precast
soffits or other forms of permanent
formwork such as lightweight infill
blocks.
o These rafts are used on sites subject
to severe mining activity or in areas of  Usage –
poor ground where large bending o They are commonly found on sites that have been used for
moments are to be resisted. heavy mining activity
o They are also used in locations where o in poor ground where large bending moments need to be
a valuable increase in
resisted.
o bearing capacity can be achieved by
the removal of the overburden and
where deep foundation beams are
 required
Lidded  The lidded cellular raft is very similar in
Cellular Raft profile to the cellular raft and is used in
similar locations, i.e. severe
mining conditions, areas of poor ground
where the raft will be subjected to large
bending moments, etc.
 The main difference however is the use
of a lighter form of upper slab designed
to be separate to the main foundation.
 The detail at the seating of the upper
floor depends upon the need for re-
levelling and the possible number of
times adjustments to line and level may
be necessary.
 Due to its formation tends to be a little
less stiff than the true cellular raft. The
design calculations however follow
similar lines with the exception that the
cross-section of the beams tends to be
restricted to inverted T and L shapes.
 The advantage of this form over the
pure cellular raft is that the upper slab
can be detailed to allow it to be re-
levelled should the floor tilt or distortion
become excessive for the building’s use.
Also in some locations the top of the
lidded raft can be constructed in precast
units and may prove  more economic,
avoiding the possible need for
permanent formwork.
 The raft is usually designed as a number
of intersecting inverted  T beams taking
advantage of the lower ground slab as
the flange of the  T but ignoring the
upper slab  which could be constructed
in timber joists and boards or other
form to suit the design requirements.
Remember that the strength advantage
of the T beam can only be used for
midspan, where compression occurs in
the bottom of the beam. The section
below the column must be designed as
rectangular.
 The detail at the seating of the upper
floor depends upon the need for re-
levelling and the possible number of
times adjustments may need to be
made.
 As explained in the section, the upper
floor of the lidded raft is a separate
structure to the main inverted T and  L
 beams forming the concrete raft. remainder of  the design follows the same procedure as before with the
 Sizing the design exception already mentioned that the element sections become
The design procedure is similar to that inverted T or L beams rather that I or box sections.
of the cellular raft except that the upper
deck is simply designed to span as  a
floor between the up-standing ribs. The
Ribbed raft  Ribbed mat foundations are similar to
slab/ waffle spread footings and continuous wall
raft slab – A footings in how they distribute the loads
unified to the soil. This is mainly because a
foundation ribbed mat foundation is also a shallow
slab with foundation.
stiffeners  Apart from the unified foundation slab
there are also beams which behave as
stiffeners. The beams add stiffness to
the foundation and they also level the
soil stresses.
 The difference between ribbed mat
foundations and the others lies within
settlement considerations. Column
spread footings are isolated and their
settlement can affect parts of the
structure connected to the column but
will not affect parts of the structure not
connected to the column. Continuous
wall footings can have problems with
differential settlement but will not affect
parts of the structure that are not
connected to the continuous footing.
Conversely, ribbed mat foundations are
connected to multiple parts if not every
part of the superstructure, making
differential settlement the main concern
with ribbed mat foundations.
 Because ribbed mat foundations cover a
larger area than spread and continuous
wall footings, the settlement of any part
of the foundation will directly affect all
other parts of the superstructure.
 On the other hand, piles and caissons
differ from ribbed mat foundations in
both load bearing and settlement
considerations.
 The deep foundations use surface
friction as well as point bearing to
obtain their bearing capacity.
 Therefore, the settlements of piles and
caissons are isolated and can affect
parts of the superstructure, but an
isolated settlement won’t affect the
entire superstructure.
 When settlements are isolated into a
single foundation element, the part of
the superstructure connected to that Another Rib-Raft foundation done & dusted, this time at Foxton Beach.
foundation element will settle but the Kevin Bartlett and his crew move in to place the concrete in a prompt and
rest of the superstructure will only settle tidy manner as always.
as much as the isolated foundation
 element it is connected to.
 However, because a ribbed mat
foundation is one single large
foundation element, any differential
settlement of the foundation affects the
entire superstructure because the entire
superstructure is connected to the
foundation.
 Consequently, for a ribbed mat
foundation to be effective, the designer
needs to meet all serviceability
requirements to minimize any
differential settlements.
 Advantages and Applications of Ribbed
Mat Foundations -
o The advantages of ribbed mat
foundations are directly related to the
applications in which mats are used.
o One of these advantages is the ability
of the foundation to support high
column loads. When a building has
several columns that support high
loading conditions, placing a 7 ribbed
mat foundation can be more
economical than placing several
spread footings. Generally, when
more than 50% of the building plan
area is covered by footings, a ribbed
mat foundation can be the most cost-
effective solution. This is taking into
account the costs of labor and
formwork. For high-rise structures
with several columns to support high
loading conditions, a ribbed mat
foundation could be an economical
and functional support system.
o Their ability to evenly distribute
building loads onto the soil allows for
an even settlement of the building
structure as long as differential
settlements are small. Even
settlement is important because it can
help mitigate cracking in the mat. For
several structures, such as
warehouses, mitigating cracking and
differential settlement is important
because of the operation of forklifts
and other machinery. These machines
can be sensitive to lips or bumps
caused by cracking in the slab.
o Another advantage of ribbed mat
foundation is their ability to resist
expansive soils. Expansive soils can
cause several problems for
foundations. Mat foundations are
applicable for locations which contain
these soils. Expansive soils may cause
 considerable differential movement in
a foundation. Ribbed mat foundations
can be used effectively to transfer the
moments caused by differential
settlement induced by the expansive
soil.
o Residential construction -Properly
designed mats can mitigate cracking in
foundation walls and slabs. Cracks can
allow moisture into the building and
are not aesthetically pleasing.
Construction Precautions of Raft Foundation -
 One must take the necessary steps to provide shore protection which is a common term used before the installation of a mat
foundation. Shore protection is usually provided by shore piles which support the surrounding loads and prevents surrounding soil
from breaking at the time of construction.
 While constructing a raft foundation one needs to understand the concept of uplift. When the soil outside the mat becomes
saturated or the water table rises up, say during a period of very heavy rain, the water exerts huge upward pressure on the
foundation. Then, the basement begins to act like a ship that floats in a sea of water. The water will exert a strong  upwards force
on the basement. In such a case, the foundation tends to move up. In case this upwards force is counterbalanced by a strong
downward force, like loads from the structure, the weight of many floors above the basement. If, however, there is no balancing
force, as may be the case if the basement has just been constructed, and there is nothing above and the water table rises up while
construction of the mat and no necessary steps are taken, then the upwards force may be strong enough to lift the basement out
of the earth, ruining it completely and causing great damage.

WATERPROOFING OF BASEMENTS -
 Basements often extend several stories below ground. The
soil or rock around the basement can easily be saturated
with water. This water will seep into the building if the
building is not waterproofed properly, as concrete is not
impermeable to water (it allows water to pass through). So a
great deal of attention is paid to the waterproofing design of
basements, as once this is done, there is no way to repair it,
so it must be done perfectly during construction.
 The best way to do this is to wrap the outside of the
basement in a waterproof layer called a waterproofing
membrane. This should cover the bottom and all sides of the
basement, and should be placed between the soil and the
concrete, so that the concrete always remains dry. The
waterproofing membrane must also be physically strong, as
the raft will be constructed on top of it, and the weight of the building will press down on it. This layer also serves to chemically
isolate the building, as soil may contain chemicals that adversely affect concrete in the long run.
In some cases, a way to remove water from the soil below the basement whenever it builds up is worked out. While this sounds
difficult, the solution is rather simple: during construction, perforated pipes are laid in the soil a few inches  below the concrete raft.
These are wrapped with geotextile, which is a kind of cloth that allows water to pass through, but not particles of soil. Stone chips
are then packed around the pipes to allow water, but not soil to pass through. The raft is then constructed. The pipes then are
turned to follow the walls of the basement and appear above ground. Later on, if engineers suspect that lots of water is in the soil
around the basement, they can remove it by attaching pumps to the pipes and sucking out the water.

Advantages of Raft foundations -

 It helps to distribute the load of the building structure over the entire area of the building footprint.
 It is constructed for shallow depth hence, requires less excavation work.
 It reduces the settlement of the soil.
 Raft foundations can be fast and inexpensive to construct, as they tend not to require deep excavations compared to strip or pad
foundations and they may use less material as they combine the foundation with the ground slab.
 It shows good resistance and cannot slide during the flood.

Disadvantages of foundations -
 A very large amount of reinforcement is required, which increases the cost of the entire project.
 It requires more attention or supervision on a raft foundation in case of concentrated loads.
 If the raft is not treated properly, there is a very high chance of the edge corrosion.
 Skilled laborers are required for the construction.
 They tend to be less effective where structural loads are focussed on in a few concentrated areas, and they can be prone
to erosion at their edges.
 One key issue that can affect raft foundations is edge erosion, and the edges of the raft do need to be treated and protected to
prevent this.
 From a geotechnical point of view, the use of deep foundations on piles up to a stiff soil layer can offer higher resistance to
liquefaction due to earthquake shakings compared to raft foundations.

Raft Foundation Design Requirements

 It shall not be placed on the topsoil.
 As per IS 1080, a minimum depth of 50 cm shall be used for mat foundation. This is required to ensure that the soil has a safe
bearing capacity which is assumed in the design.
 The depth of mat foundation must satisfy shear requirements.
 They are generally constructed on a compacted hardcore base (perhaps 100 mm thick). A layer of blinding concrete may then be
laid to allow formation of the raft (typically 50 mm) with a waterproof membrane above.
 The concrete raft tends to include steel reinforcement to prevent cracking, and may incorporate stiffening beams or
thickened areas to provide additional support for specific loads, for example, below internal walls or columns (which may require
punching shear reinforcement). Beams may stand proud of the raft, either above or below it, or may be 'hidden' beams, formed by
reinforced areas within the depth of the raft itself. These thickened areas are particularly useful where there are poor ground
conditions, as the required thickness of the raft itself might otherwise be uneconomic.
 Typically, a thickened reinforced area is created at the perimeter of the raft to form an edge beam supporting the external walls of
the building. A concrete toe often supports the external leaf of the wall.
 Insulation will generally be laid on top of the raft, with a concrete floor, or raised floor above.
 Drainage may be required in some circumstances under raft foundations, and geotextile barriers may be required to prevent free-
draining materials from becoming clogged up by the surrounding soil.
 A uniform thickness can be used for raft foundation if columns are equally spaced and the loads are not very heavy.
 The above reinforcement cover may be increased based on harmful chemicals and minerals in the soil and fluctuations of water
table when it is very near to the foundation.
 Mat foundation should be placed below the level which would not be influenced by the seasonal change of weather to cause
swelling and shrinking of the soil. Added to that, frost also may endanger the foundation, if placed at a very shallow depth.
 When mat foundation is constructed on
sand, the minimum depth of foundation is
around 2.5 m below the surrounding ground
 surface. if a smaller depth is considered, the edges of the raft settle appreciably more than the interior due to lack of confinement
of the sand.
 When raft foundation is founded on sand, differential settlement governs the design but this is determined by the strength and
stiffness of the raft structure and is very difficult to assess.
 Accurate estimations of all types of loads, moments, and forces are needed for the present as well as for future expansion. This is
crucial because once the construction of the foundation is completed and settles well into the soil, it would be difficult to
strengthen it in future.
 Foundation structures should be able to sustain the applied loads, moments, forces, and induced reactions without exceeding the
safe bearing capacity of the soil.
 The settlement of the structure should be as uniform as possible and it should be within the tolerable limits.
 Mat foundation should provide adequate safety for maintaining the stability of structure due to either overturning and/or sliding
 Foundation structures undergo soil-structure interaction. Therefore, the behavior of foundation structures depends on the
properties of structural materials and soil. That is why soil investigation is needed to specify the properties of soil, strata-wise and
its settlement criteria.
 Rafts constructed on saturated clay have to be examined for both bearing capacity and settlement because either may control the
design.
 The weight of the raft is not considered in the structural design because it is assumed to be carried directly by the subsoil.
 The raft may be ribbed where the column spacing is irregular or for economy in using a relatively thin slab over most of the area.
 Alternatively, rafts may be thickened at the column locations for economy and depth should be made sufficient to resist shear.
 A waterproof membrane sheet is placed over the ground surface and then 4″ PCC is poured to create a level base for the Mat/raft
foundation. After the PCC, reinforcement steel bars are tied (cage) in place and then the desired thickness of the
concrete(According to the design) is poured.
 The raft design usually has an 'edge beam' formed by a cage of steel reinforcement, which will need to be carefully assembled on
site. Internal stiffening beams are sometimes needed too. These beams transfer the building loads through the rest of the slab and
then evenly over the ground.
 A site investigation is usually needed for the engineer to understand what the ground is like. Very poor ground may mean you need a
different solution such as piles.
 The raft design will normally need a hardcore sub-base to level the ground. This stone should be mechanically compacted.
 You must ensure steel reinforcement is lapped at least 450mm (for
both mesh and mild steel bars) and provided with 40mm concrete
cover. 'Treading in' the reinforcement during the concrete pour isn't
a suitable means of placing reinforcement - use the special
'chairs' or 'soldiers' to support the mesh.
 The edge of the raft must be carefully detailed for the damp course
and membrane position, which may need a 'step' forming in the
concrete at the raft edge.
 Insulation is usually placed over the top of the raft - take care
to avoid cold bridging at the junctions with external walls.
  A structural engineer designing a raft foundation may not be fully
aware of damp coursing, cold bridging or land contamination issues.
It must be ensured that the building designer considers these
details before constructing the raft - once the concrete is poured it
may be difficult to overcome.
 Detail of raft foundation reinforcement - The foundation slabs are
reinforced with two wire meshes, one placed at the lower fibers and one at the upper
fibers. Since the most intense stresses appear along the columns’ axis, their surrounding
areas are usually reinforced with stronger or double grates. The slabs’ free edges are
reinforced with common hairpin bars or with a wire mesh shaped like a hairpin.

Reinforcement details –
1. Solid Slab Raft Foundation
THICKNESS/ DEPTH

 A minimum depth of 50 cm shall be used which is required to ensure that the soil has a safe bearing capacity which is assumed in the
design.
 When mat foundation is constructed on sand, the minimum depth of foundation is around 2.5 m below the surrounding ground surface.
 If a smaller depth is considered, the edges of the raft settle appreciably more than the interior due to lack of confinement of the sand.
 Excavation depth of approximately 2.5m is required.
 Diagonal tension at a point 45° beyond the bottom of the pedestal is also kept w ithin the permissible lim it’s. Reinforcement is provided
for the requirements of the modified bending moments.

MINIMUM REINFORCEMENT

The quantity can vary depending upon multiple factors, but typically will be a minimum ratio of 0.0018 to 0.0020 of reinforcement area to gross
concrete area (for 40 ksi or 60 ksi strength, respectively).

MINIMUM DIA OF BARS

 Mesh is divided into two parts, Top mesh and Bottom Mesh.
 The bottom mesh is provided on covering blocks, ends of a bottom mesh are bent at an angle of 90 degree up to a height of 50D where D
is Día of Bar.
 The top mesh is tied to the bottom mesh in reverse direction.
 The top mesh is similar to bottom mesh bent with 90 degrees but an extra bar of 50D is not provided as it is already equipped on bottom
mesh.
 The 50D extra bar is provided either on bottom or top mesh.
 The rings are tied to top mesh and bottom mesh to maintain the exact framework.
 Minimum Dia of Bars used for rings are 6 mm
 They are generally constructed on a compacted hardcore base (100 mm thick).
 A layer of blinding concrete may then be laid to allow formation of the raft (typically 50 mm) with a waterproof membrane above o 16 dia
bars and 10 dia stirrups are used.

ONE WAY/ TWO WAY

 Raft mesh rings are placed in only one direction either horizontal or vertical, whereas in Double ring System, the rings are provided in
both the direction.

SPACING OF BARS - 300 center to center.

COVER - A minimum cover of 50 mm

The reinforcement of a solid raft foundation can be separated into three categories, as shown at the following figure :

(a) slabs’ reinforcement
(b) slabs’ free edges reinforcement
(c) punching shear reinforcement (when necessary) in the area surrounding
certain columns (in red colour) The column rebars are in grey colour.
R/F Details of Solid
Slab Raft
Foundations
 2. Slab beam Raft foundation
THICKNESS/ DEPTH

 A slab thickness of 8 " to 10" Is commonly taken up to column loads of 200 to 250 tons, and a minimum thickness of 6 " Is adopted for
heavy column loads.
 Rough approximate sections of beams are guessed, depth at 5% to 6% of total length of the beam, and width may be taken at 1/3 to 1/4
of depth.

MINIMUM REINFORCEMENT

 Slab steel Is generally restricted from 5 /8 “ to 1" diameter.

 For shear reinforcement a continuous stirrup system is adopted since at any point shear of either kind may occur due to uneven live
loading.
 1/2“ bar link should be not less than 4’ overall.
 5/8“ bar link should be not less than 5’ overall.
 3/4“ bar link should be not less than 6’ overall.

ONE WAY/ TWO WAY

 Raft mesh rings are placed in only one direction either horizontal or vertical, whereas in Double ring System, the rings are provided in
both the direction.

Min SPACING OF BARS - 300 center to center.

COVER - A minimum cover of 50 mm

3. Ribbed raft foundation

 As shown at the figure, the ribbed raft foundation
reinforcement can be separated into three
categories:

(a) slabs’ reinforcement (in yellow color)

(b) slabs’ free edges reinforcement (in blue color)

(c) beams’ reinforcement (in green color)

The column rebars are in grey color.

4. Raft foundation with hidden beams

The stirrups placed inside the hidden beams may be two-legged or

four-legged (as they are in this example). On other occasions, stirrups
with more than four legs can be used.

To conclude, mat is one of the most common and popular type

of foundation system due to its simple construction process and
its effectiveness where soil condition is poor at a shallow depth.
One must investigate the soil condition and analyze the loading
condition of the building for an optimum use of the foundation
and necessary precautions should be taken for a safe
construction.