Mat foundations are also called raft foundations. Today we will talk about what is mat foundation and what are its types.
One of the most common types of shallow foundations is a mat foundation. Also called a raft foundation, a mat foundation or mat footing is used underneath buildings, bridges, towers etc. Essentially a large, thick slab under the columns, mat foundations are popular where the soil is weak. Today, we will talk about what is mat foundation and its types.
What is a Mat Foundation
When the ground is rather soft, or the soil has tendency of settling, the area of the footing needs to be increased so as to distribute the load evenly on a larger portion of the ground. Or, there may be an abnormal amount of heavy axial loads in the structure. While we can enlarge the area per-footing, it isn?t safe ? one of the footing may settle causing strain in the whole structure. Also, at one point they will start to overlap.
In these types of cases, a mat foundation or a raft foundation is used. A mat foundation is a wide, large slab placed underneath all the columns of the building, effectively taking all the load of the building, and is at lease as large as the building?s full footprint.
The mat foundation is not always just a large flat slab ? there are variations in the design.
Also, mat or raft foundations are not good for too large buildings. You can support up to 10 floors of a medium-sized residential or commercial building, but no more.
Furthermore, the construction cost of raft or mat foundations is pretty high. It takes a lot of effort to cast a slab that big. Sometimes, the cost of a mat foundation can surpass that of constructing a standard pile foundation, even. So, there is not much use of mat foundations in general construction ? except in specialized cases.
Types of Mat Foundation
To improve the flexural stiffness in the slab, modifications are done while casting. Based upon what kind of structural differences are made in the slab, mat foundations can be categorized in the following manner.
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