Some tips: - Thickness T is determined from two-way shear (punching shear); - Typical mat thickness T: Stories <5 5 - 10 10 - 20 B=45'

24" 35" 59" B=90' 31" 47" 78" B=120' 39" 59" 98"

Another simple rule of thumb is: 80-100mm per story height. Example : for 10 story building-thickness of raft is 800mm to 1000mm. - Mats should not have L > 90 to 120' without construction joints; - The mat area should be regular, avoiding acute corners and narrow corridors. Keep the column spacing regular and loads within 50% of each other; -When the building. has very dissimilar loadings, use separate mats with joints; - Typical reinforcing is from 1.4 to 2; Use #4( 1/2"=12mmdia), spaced greater than 4 c-c; - Cast a 4" to 8" mud mat to lay out the steel in a level and clean environment; - Attempt a single pour for the entire mat to avoid joints, which have a low or zero

shear; the thicker T, the greater number of hydration cracks (must control the heat). In addition to the information furnished by Er.Vivek Abhyankar you should be knowing that there are various types of RAFT which are: 1.Raft slab only carrying the vertical columns. 2.Raft with the column pedestal +column. 3.Raft with the slab + thickened at the slab bottom directly under column location. 4.Raft with inverted beams in both directions. 6.Raft with the above with a top slab. 7.raft designed with pile supports. So in any one of them you have to consider the column footing (bottom) moment due to DL+LL in addition to the DL+LL or the critical one you get from analysis. What ever the forces there are two means to design- one is as a rigid and the another beams on elastic supports. If you are interested to learn more the following reference books may be useful. 1.RAFT FOUNDATIONS DESIGN & ANALYSIS WITH A PRACTICAL APPROACH by SHARAT CHANDRA GUPTA List Price: Rs. 500.00

2.DESIGN APPLICATION OF RAFT FOUNDATION BY J.A.HEMSLEY. T.Rangarajan