Best Software for Full Concrete Building?

[grogannc]

Need to model a full concrete structure, concrete walls, mat foundations, floors, beams, ceilings, even a dome. Any suggestions on something other than ANSYS (which I've used for something similar albeit a much bigger structure.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

So, usually the structural model includes the superstructure and there is a separate model for the foundation. That's generally good practice in my opinion.

If you are not REALLY experienced in modeling concrete structures and foundations, I would strongly discourage you from including the foundation and the superstructure in the same model.

For structures with concrete walls, floors, beams and such, I'd suggest ETABS as an excellent tool. Obviously, there are other programs that compete with ETABS that may offer similar capabilities. I'm just not familiar with them.

Caveat, I work for the company that sells ETABS. So, I can be considered somewhat biased on this subject.

 

[KootK]

ETABS w/SAFE for me too. I like RAM ConcePT best for slab design but as a whole suite, it's the CSI stuff.

 

[grogannc]

Can you walk me through some of the advantages of decoupling the foundation. This is a multi domed full concrete structure and all foundations are on a mat/raft. It's European style design/contrstruction. In fact they are flying in a contractor from Greece to build it.

 

[milkshakelake]

I second using ETABS and SAFE. I'm not a fan of Bentley because of their predatory licensing, and I haven't used RISA.

I haven't ever modeled foundations together with a structure. I'm sure ETABS can do that with spring supports. But anyway, I'm guessing the main driver is speed. Mat foundation design is nonlinear by nature. Then the whole structure becomes a nonlinear analysis, which considerably increases the workers' time and computer time. It takes my very fast computer about 45 minutes to run nonlinear analysis on a relatively simple building, without having soil springs. And in this case, I simplified the load cases quite a bit. In higher seismic design categories, I'm sure it's more complicated.