SkyCiv Foundation provides a user-friendly interface paired with powerful design to easily model isolated foundations. In the recently released Version 3.0, the Isolated Foundation user-interface is divided into 2 containers, the left containing 4 tabs which includes Details, Foundations, Input and Results, and the right containing the 3D renderer.
I. Details
Once the user has chosen a design code, the user can update the fields on the “Details” tab as shown on the left side below. The units will be set automatically based on the design code chosen.
Figure 1. Project Details tab
The user can fill the information for the project details, such as
- A Project Name
- A Project ID
- Your Company Name
- The Designer
- The Client
- Project Notes (open ended notes)
This information will be inserted into the generated design report.
II. Foundations
Figure 2. Foundation tab details
Summary of inputs on the “Foundation” tab:
- Foundation ID – assign numerical identification to each foundation.
- Type – select “Isolated Foundation” from the drop-down menu.
- SW – self-weight factor
- Edit – click this to start inputting data and edit your foundation
- Delete – to delete the foundation
III. Input
Figure 3. Selecting the Isolated Footing on the drop-down menu.
Users can establish the type of foundation as shown in Figure 3, select “Isolated Footing” to bring up this view.
Figure 4. Foundation Tab
The “Input” tab separates different input categories such including: Geometry, Soil Configuration, Materials, Loads, Reinforcement and Design Parameters. These inputs will automatically update the 3D graphics on the right tab of the screen. The right container will be discussed on the last part of this documentation.
Lets go over the different input categories in a little more detail:
Geometry
Figure 5. Geometry at the left tab.
See Figure 6 and 7 for the nomenclature of the foundation and column dimensions:
Figure 6. Foundation with designation
Figure 7. Elevation view of the Foundation
Soil Configuration
Figure 8. Soil Configuration at the left tab.
Note:
*Soil values are usually found in the Geotechnical Report.
*Tick the “Ground Water Table” box to define the ground water height.
Materials
Figure 9. Materials button at the left tab.
Loads
Figure 10. Loads button at the left tab.
Reinforcement
Typical isolated footing includes bottom reinforcements only, though an option for top reinforcements can be accessed by clicking the corresponding button. Updating the reinforcements is easy, just select the bar size on the dropdown list and input the necessary spacing.
Figure 11. Reinforcement button at the left tab.
Figure 12details the direction nomenclature for the X and Z reinforcement
Figure 12. Details of Reinforcement.
Rebar Code Reference:
- ASTM615 – American Society for Testing and Materials 615 : Standard Specification for Deformed and Plain Carbon-Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement
- N – Australian Rebar Class N
- PNS49 – Philippines National Standard 49 : Steel bars for concrete reinforcement – Specification.
- E2 – Eurocode Rebar P
Design Parameters
Figure 13. Design Parameters button at the left tab.
IV. Results
After clicking the Run Design Check button, your design will produce the results table. Each column, except for the last two, represents a design check completed by the Foundation module. The values are represented as unity ratios, where anything equal or under 1.0 is a PASS, and anything over 1.0 is a FAIL. The last two columns contains the color coded status and the option to access or download the report.
Figure 14. Results Output at the left tab.
Summary of column representations:
- Soil Pressure
Ratio of soil pressure from experienced loads over allowable soil pressure. - Uplift
Determines if uplift exists on the loading - Overturning
Ratio of overturning moment experienced over allowable overturning moment. - Sliding
Ratio of sliding force experienced over sliding resistance. - One-Way Shear
Ratio of ONE-way shear demand over capacity. - Two-Way Shear
Ratio of TWO-way shear demand over capacity. - Flexure
Ratio of flexural demand over flexural capacity. - Load Transfer
Ratio of nominal over actual bearing strength. - Development Length
Ratio of nominal over actual development length. - Status
Indicates that the foundation design is PASS or FAIL - Report
Click to see detailed calculation of the foundation design.
V. Renderer
Lastly, located at the right part of the screen is the 3D renderer to help users visualize the inputs as well as the soil pressure, which will appear once the design has been run. On the upper left corner is the model summary data containing basic information of the foundation, and on the opposite corner contains the visibility settings. Users can select objects they want to show or hide, and also choose the graphics orientation they wish to see.
Figure 15. 3D Renderer at the right tab.
Want to try SkyCiv’s Foundation Design software? Our tool allows users to perform Foundation Design calculations without any download or installation!
Reference:
- Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-14) Commentary on Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318R-14). American Concrete Institute, 2014.
- Taylor, Andrew, et al. The Reinforced Concrete Design Handbook: a Companion to ACI-318-14. American Concrete Institute, 2015.
