Finite Element Analysis of Raft Foundation Using Soil–Structure Interaction

Rehan Raeesahmed Shaikh; P. P Tapkire

Finite Element Analysis of Raft Foundation Using Soil–Structure Interaction

Author(s)	Mr. Rehan Raeesahmed Shaikh, Prof. Dr. P. P Tapkire
Country	India
Abstract	Raft foundations are widely adopted for supporting multi-storey buildings constructed on weak and compressible soils because they distribute structural loads over a larger area and minimize differential settlement. Conventional foundation design generally assumes rigid supports, whereas the actual behaviour of foundations is significantly influenced by the interaction between the structure and the supporting soil. Neglecting Soil–Structure Interaction (SSI) may lead to inaccurate estimation of settlement, contact pressure and stress concentration within the foundation system. The present research investigates the behaviour of reinforced concrete raft foundations considering Soil–Structure Interaction through three-dimensional Finite Element Analysis. Twelve numerical case studies were developed by considering three building plan dimensions (15.24 m × 15.24 m, 21.34 m × 21.34 m and 27.43 m × 27.43 m) combined with four building heights (15, 18, 21 and 24 storeys). Structural modelling and load extraction were carried out using ETABS, whereas detailed finite element analysis was performed using ANSYS Workbench. Loose soil conditions having a Safe Bearing Capacity of 150 KN/m² were considered throughout the investigation. The behaviour of raft foundations was evaluated in terms of settlement, soil stress, raft stress and pressure distribution under both SSI and conventional fixed-support conditions. The numerical investigation indicates that the inclusion of Soil–Structure Interaction significantly reduces stress concentration within the raft foundation by allowing redistribution of structural loads through the supporting soil. The results demonstrate that finite element modelling considering SSI provides more realistic prediction of foundation behaviour than conventional rigid-support analysis and contributes towards safer and more economical foundation design.
Keywords	Raft Foundation, Soil–Structure Interaction, Finite Element Analysis, ETABS, ANSYS Workbench, Settlement Analysis, Foundation Engineering
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-05

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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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Finite Element Analysis of Raft Foundation Using Soil–Structure Interaction

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