Civil Engineering and Architecture 12(3A): 2279-2288, 2024 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/cea.2024.121324 Enhancing Geotechnical Performance: A Comparative Study of Pile Raft and Pile Bent Solutions for Soil Improvement I Gede Mahardika Susila 1,* , Riza Suwondo 1 , Tri Cahyo Adi Saputra 2 1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, Indonesia 2 Geotechnical Engineering, PT. Multi Phi Beta, Indonesia Received January 21, 2024; Revised March 7, 2024; Accepted April 22, 2024 Cite This Paper in the Following Citation Styles (a): [1] I Gede Mahardika Susila, Riza Suwondo, Tri Cahyo Adi Saputra , "Enhancing Geotechnical Performance: A Comparative Study of Pile Raft and Pile Bent Solutions for Soil Improvement," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 12, No. 3A, pp. 2279 - 2288, 2024. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2024.121324. (b): I Gede Mahardika Susila, Riza Suwondo, Tri Cahyo Adi Saputra (2024). Enhancing Geotechnical Performance: A Comparative Study of Pile Raft and Pile Bent Solutions for Soil Improvement. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 12(3A), 2279 - 2288. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2024.121324. Copyright©2024 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract To address the challenges posed by weak subsoil conditions in infrastructure development, this study systematically compared the efficacy of two prominent soil improvement methodologies, Pile Raft and Pile Bent, within the context of a highway project. With settlements, stability, and structural integrity at the forefront, this study pursues insights into the short-term and long-term performance, construction timelines, and environmental considerations associated with each method. Employing a robust methodology, soil characterization based on borehole results informs finite element modelling using the Plaxis 2D software. Pile Raft, utilizing a 12-meter mini pile length, demonstrates commendable short-term and long-term safety factors of 1.94 and 1.91, respectively, with associated settlements. Pile Bent, featuring a longer 30-meter pile length, boasts a notably shorter construction time of 60 days, presenting a time-saving advantage. Despite a lower short-term safety factor of 1.32, the pile bent exhibits controlled settlements in both the short and long terms. Environmental constraints such as landslides and tool stability underscore the unique challenges associated with each method. These findings provide crucial insights for geotechnical engineers, enabling informed decision making based on project-specific priorities and constraints. This research contributes to the continuous refinement of soil improvement practices in highway projects, advocating further exploration and field validation. Keywords Pile Raft, Soil Improvement, Pile Bent, Soil Consolidation 1. Introduction Prior to the initiation of any engineering project, a thorough assessment of the project area or ground is imperative to determine its capacity to withstand the structural load imposed by buildings or other structures. The susceptibility of structures, such as buildings and roads, to failure often stems from consolidation settlement in foundations constructed on weak soil. To address or alleviate the repercussions of suboptimal subsoil conditions in response to structural load challenges and foundation failures, various methods of soil improvement have been developed [1]. Rather than a dearth of viable engineering solutions, the devastation caused by weak soil results from an initial failure to accurately gauge the magnitude of the soil settlement or expansion during the design phase [2]. Consequently, the improvement of soft soil is imperative for construction and development in a viable manner [3], [4]. Soil improvement endeavors to augment strength, bearing capacity, load resistance, stability, and concurrently diminish permeability, compaction