A Study on piled raft foundations to propose an efficient foundation solution for high-rise buildings in urban areas of Vietnam

Abstract

This paper presents a study on the technical and economic efficiency of piled raft foundations (PRF) for high-rise buildings constructed on soft soil in Vietnam. The study reviews theoretical concepts, analyzes design methods ranging from
semi-empirical to numerical approaches and uses SAFE software to simulate three foundation types: pile foundation, raft foundation and piled raft foundation under typical soil conditions in Ho Chi Minh City. The results indicate that the PRF solution reduces settlement by up to 70% compared to raft foundations and saves 42.6% concrete and 16.7% steel compared to pile foundations. The PRF system also improves constructability in confined urban sites and minimizes the impact on adjacent structures. Based on these findings, the study proposes adopting PRF for urban high-rise buildings and recommends updating design standards to reflect Vietnam’s geotechnical conditions.

Keywords: Piled raft foundation; PRF; high-rise building; soft soil; SAFE software; numerical simulation; urban construction.