Foundation of High-Rise Buildings by Minimal Threshold Settlement Micropiles-Video

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Video Summary

The Alto Tower project in Paris’s La Défense district faced a challenge: its lightweight exterior structure, supported by micropiles, needed to settle in step with the much heavier tower core. Instead of minimizing settlement, engineers had to guarantee a controlled amount to prevent damaging differential movement. They developed a composite foundation combining standard micropiles with elastomer bearings, designed to provide most of the required settlement while reducing uncertainty. Load tests on both components helped verify the approach. The project demonstrates how combining established techniques can create an innovative solution and reduce geotechnical risk.

Keywords

Alto Tower

La Défense

micropiles

composite foundation

controlled settlement