Software that Designs Base Plates that are Supported on Leveling Nuts and not a Grout Pad

[GCP2]

I work in the Utility industry for a consulting engineering company. We are trying to find a software program that designs base plates that are supported on leveling nuts, not base plates that are supported on grout.

In the past we have always developed internal spreadsheets to run these calculations and they have worked fine. However, as codes change and the design equations need updating these spreadsheets require modifications. Again this is no big problem but when the engineer who built a number of these spreadsheet leaves the company it leaves the remaining engineers piecing through excel commands trying to determine the best way to update the spreadsheets. One work around would be to purchase a software program that can perform these calculation and the software company would be responsible to update the design equations for current codes. So that is what I am looking into

What we are hoping to find is a software package that can design the following with simple inputs from the user:

1) Designs a square base plate that typically supports a Square HSS section. This base plate will be supported on Leveling Nuts which are threaded onto anchor bolts cast into a drilled pier foundation.
2) Designs the weld between the square base plate and square HSS section, for the inputted loads.
3) Designs the required size of the supporting anchor bolts for the imputed loads.
3) Designs the required embedment depth for the anchor bolts

All of the steel calculations need to have the option of designing in ASD or LRFD.

Does anyone know of such a software program that does some if not all of the tasks listed above?

Thanks

 

[enginerding]

HILTI's PROFIS software (free) used to do this. I have an older version of their software so I am not sure if it still includes cast-in-place anchors. I believe the biggest restriction for the cast-in-place anchor depth is 25" maximum. It does not design the weld to the tube. That's easy to do.

 

[mike20793]

Profis only designs the anchors, nothing else. The OP is asking if there is software to design the baseplates as well. The only software I'v ever used assumed uniform or triangular distribution of bearing forces beneath the plate, so they could not analyze elevated base plates. I've only ever seen elevated base plates designed in in-house spreadsheets. Surely there is something out there though.

 

[KootK]

An alternative might be to develop solutions using something like MathCAD or TEDDS. Set up correctly, these tools can be used to create very transparent, easy to update spreadsheets. You can even set up the sheets to draw from background template sheets that can be used to isolate the code stuff that might need to be updated. If you know AutoCAD, think of it like XREF's

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.