Foundation Design Software

[twinnell]

We are researching foundation design software and want to know any opinions you may have. We need the software to be able to handle mat foundations supported on piles and to be able to design round or obsucure shape mats. Also has to design by Canadian Code CSA A23.3-04.

We have looked at the following:

PCA-Mats - Not self meshing, does not check one way shear, does not design round mats.

SAFE by CSI - Don't know if it will do piles, don't know if it will do round foundations - waiting on a call back.

Ram Concept - Will not do piles directly but heard that you can design as a floor with long columns. Not ideal, but if you have very small deflections in your friction piles...might work. I have used this before for floor slabs and really like it. Does not do Canadian code right now.

Staad Pro - Does Canadian Code. Will do round foundations. Heard the results are not that great.

Any suggestions. Self meshing is a plus.

 

[connect2]

Try

http://www.elpa.com

a very good program with a large amount of modeling parameters and possibilities.

 

[JAE]

RISA Foundation:

http://www.risatech.com

 

[JAE]

Make sure you look at RISA Foundation
verses RISA Foot. Foot does individual footings while Foundation is a meshing/mat type program.

 

[twinnell]

elpa? I couldn't find the web page, is that the correct address?

Also would like the program to check punching and one-way shear. Risa Foundation doesn't check.

 

[connect2]

Sorry

http://www.elpla.com,

elastic plate. Does check punching and one way shear, additionally has a component on raft/pile foundations, the program is coming out of Germany where most of the raft/pile foundations have been built in the last decade. Does Euro-Code, Din, and ACI but not CSA, don't think this is a problem just and inconvienience. Lots of mesh generation possibilities. Springs and continium possibilities including iteration between the two. Multiple layers including borehole input. Requires good geotechnical input. It's as much a soils program as it is a structural element program which makes it a good one.
Originally found at Vulcanhammer as a demo and then bought it.

 

[NewImhotep]

I'm using CSI-SAFE from 5 yrs and quit happy with it, it can do foundation design model piles springs or surface spring if there is no piles, very useful if you r working with etabs so u can get the data easily.

A very enhanced version ( version 11) is comming very soon.