For the problems of existing container yard rail foundation design method in soft soil area including large differential settlement，high cost and long construction period，we introduce the collaborative design concept，which regards the handling equipment，rail and foundation as a system. Through improving the adaptability of equipment to tolerance and adding the facilities for settlement adjustment，we can extend the system’s range of adaptation to settlement，and thus achieve the goal of eliminating the pile foundation. Taking a container yard project as an example，we study crucial factors including settlement prediction，adaptability of equipment to tolerances，technique of rail adjustment，as well as the adaptability of foundation to settlement. It is concluded that the collaborative design method can adapt to larger post-construction settlement and achieve better economic benefits，thus it is worthy of popularizing.