Foundation system for collapsible soils

A foundation system for collapsible soils, comprising:

• a below-ground rigid raft foundation to bear a load for an above-ground structure;
• a plurality of granular cushions below the below-ground rigid raft foundation wherein the granular cushions are configured for uniform load distribution of the below-ground rigid raft foundation;
• a plurality of piles formed below the raft foundation, wherein the plurality of piles is configured to bear a load of the above-ground structure and the below-ground rigid raft foundation;
• and
• a plurality of below-ground stone columns configured to stabilize the below-ground rigid raft foundation wherein the below-ground stone columns are encapsulated with a non-woven geofabric;
• wherein the below-ground raft foundation is adjacent and above the below-ground stone columns, the granular cushions are present between neighboring below-ground stone columns, and the granular cushions are present between the below-ground stone columns and the piles;
• and
• the below-ground stone columns have a cementing agent for stabilization;
• wherein the plurality of below-ground stone columns has reinforcing bars, wherein the reinforcing bars have a length of 1.5-2 times an average width of the stone column;
• and
• wherein the reinforcing bars are angled to form a plurality of tiers of conical structures arranged in nested form wherein an upper conical structure and a lower conical structure are disposed such that the upper conical structure penetrates the lower conical structure by no more than 0.5 times the height of the lower conical structure.