software for calculations for piles, caissons, for two story structures hillside Southern California

[beautifulhills]

As no doubt members of this forum know better than I, designing and making calculations for pier and caisson based foundations in southern California is quite the exercise. For us, it is bounded by the City of Los Angeles codes, that require a geotechnical report, and then calculations for the strength of the foundation, including as it relates to the soil (and of course design and calculations for the building/structure itself - outside the scope of what I m writing about here)

So far I have identified the following software

yakpol.net for reinforcement calcs
soilstructure.com - for foundation calculations
Ensoft L pile and Group Yes, BUT these seem to be used by primarily large companies here in So Cal, not small engineering construction firms like mine, at least not that they could reference
RISA - no, not for piles

Any knowledge of software packages for smaller companies like ours?

 

[BUGGAR]

I have designed hillside foundations in Oakland. I do it manually. I even do the old Swedish circle analysis by hand, with assistance from AutoCAD and a Basic Program I have from long ago. I hand draw all my soil pressure diagrams with geotech input just like in the old soil textbooks. I try to make my designs look like the examples in the USS Sheet Pile Design Manual. I analyze my piles with Risa - no magic, just elastic elements supported on soil springs, done conservatively; there are no minor foundation failures. I've used Lpile but prefer Risa which is better for my specific use. Building departments like Lpile, however.
In my experience, building departments in SoCal don't like computer mysteries. My simple stuff gets approved pretty quickly. I beat my competition because AHJ's like my work and don't bleed all over it.

Have you tried Civiltech? He writes (wrote) some good software.

 

[spats]

Check out the following link:

http://civiltech.com/software/all-pile.php

It's $950, but I'm sure it will quickly pay for itself.

 

[oldrunner]

I'm not sure that you should be tackling this project. This requires some experience of how the whole system will work before you even think programs. Most of this can be done manually and you should be intimately experienced in these types of foundations. The criteria such as geotechnical reports and other things are what you need before you even start. Try partnering with an experienced structural engineer who has done a lot of these. Do you have a geotechnical report for your project? Does it have recommendations? One thing about some structures is that you don't want it to shake in the wind. Seismic is another animal that you should be also very very cognizant. Understanding load paths is equally important. Are you a licensed civil engineer?

BUGGAR: I like the term "computer mysteries". Hadn't heard that before, but I really have problems with computer programs with input that I am unable to substantiate. I write my calcs on spreadsheets with no hidden numbers and RULES; use RISA sometimes and have documented pile routines that I've used for many caissons - a lot in Southern California for monopoles. I will not do a project without a soil report - I don't care where I am. Lots of times I have to go back for more information. Sometimes the geotech will not provide me where the passive will start - which has been as much as 10 feet down. Use the old NAVFAC DM 7 for many situations. I try to make my calcs as simple as possible even idiot style because they can be reviewed quicker.

I don't remember where I've done any pier and grade beams in the east bay but I've done all kinds on the Peninsula where there's all kinds of soil problems - from bay mud to expansive soils to slabs on sand fill with the water table at the surface. Every one of these are unique and always with a good geotech.

More and more I'm finding engineers just filling in numbers in a simple program that isn't even appropriate for the problem.

 

[beautifulhills]

Spat - thanks. We had started evaluating allpile, and you have provided a very useful reinforcement to that.

Buggar - thanks. I m sure you' re correct - lay it out in easy to understand manner. Avoid mysteries. One thing I m finding, not by choice but experience is that the young engineers coming into our organization their first question is where is the software, which software do you use. As oldrunner comments, maybe this isn't even appropriate in several cases - but it is the desire of folks that were raised with an iphone in their hand. For better or for worse.

oldrunner - point taken, we have a big say in our organization in our own employed engineering resources partly because of course engineers reserve the right not to bid nor to work on a job ~ but ~ we have a job to do. As you know just having a civil engineering license is only a part because this is a specialist part of engineering. Thanks for your various comments, and I must agree a soils report (with the relevant data) must be the starting point. I too have learned that - in my case the hard way. Our soil here on this project is decomposing granite so called, and only 3 feet down - we got lucky at least on that part.