Accident treatment of large differential settlement between rigid and flexible piles in the same building

The accident caused by large differential settlement between rigid and flexible piles in a grain bin is analyzed. A reinforcement scheme is proposed. The analyses show that in the site with a large depth of silt, the rigid and flexible piles should be embedded into the stiff bearing stratum with the same depth, and the rigid and flexible piles are not supposed to be drilled into the stiff bearing stratum and silt, respectively. It is concluded that bored piles and beam-slab raft foundations can be used to treat the accident of large differential settlement between rigid and flexible pile foundations. This reinforcement scheme can significantly reduce the settlement of ground and the differential settlement between ground and main body structure of the grain bin.