Foundation design setting is the base setting for foundation of each project which can be set prior modelling and designing. 

If the model were created, by adjusting parameters in foundation setting will not affect the elements that has already created (unless the foundation elements has been redesigned in its properties settings). After the parameter is adjusted in general setting, new member modelled will follows the new parameters.

To access the Foundation Design Setting, user can go to "Building Setout" tab > "Settings Center" > "Foundation".

General

The General foundation settings affects the analysis, design and detailing of pad footing, strip footing, raft foundation & piled raft foundations. 

1. Soil Unit Weight : To insert the the unit weight of the fill material. The surcharge will be calculated based on multiplication of "Soil Unit Weight" and fill height.
2. Soil Vertical Subgrade Coefficient : To enter or select Soil Subgrade Coefficient from the given list based on different type of soil. This coefficient will be used in running FE raft foundation analysis.
3. Horizontal Subgrade Coefficient : To enter horizontal soil subgrade coefficient. It is useful when have stepped foundations under vertical and lateral loads. It is defined as a percentage of vertical springs. 
   

It is recommended to use the "Merged Foundation Model" in Building Analysis when consider horizontal springs in the foundation. 

4. Pile Safe Working Load Factor :  This factor will be applied to safe working load of pile of raft foundation during design to vertical combinations. Does not apply to pile cap which has its own setting. 
   
5. Ignore Soil Bearing Capacity for Piled Foundations (Raft)
   
1. Unchecked : Raft foundation is non-suspended and hence is supported by both piles and soil, i.e. resultant pile forces will be lower as loads are shared with idealized soil "springs". 
   
2. Checked : Raft foundation is fully suspended and supported by piles only, i.e. resultant pile forces will be higher. 
   
6. Release Column Top Node in X and Y Direction for F.E. Foundation Model :  
1. Controls the degree of freedom of the column top node and transfer of moments from column stump to raft
2. This option sets the default same setting in FE Foundation Analysis form, read this article for detail explanation : Finite Elements Raft Foundation Analysis
7. Lean Concrete Thickness : To preset lean concrete thickness. This parameter will be showed in elevation drawing.
   
8. Lean Concrete Extension : To preset the extension length of lean concrete from footing/pile cap edge.  
   
9. Display Lean Concrete Ends as straight : To draw the lean concrete ends as straight in elevation drawing (as below)

1. Strip Footing Cantilever Length : To modify the default strip footing cantilever length when new footing is created.
   
2. Show Grouped/Typical Column Labels : 
   
1. Checked :  Similar Footing or Pilecap drawing label will list out all columns which are grouped for design (total length of label will be long)
   
2. Unchecked : Similar Footing / Pilecap drawing label will only show the master column label (total length of label is short)
   
3. Show Plan Bars as Top View : 
   
1. Checked : Main rebars will be drawn in simplified straight bars without bending of bar & segment lengths (less drawing objects & tidier)
   
2. Unchecked : Main rebars will be drawn with exact bending of bar & segments lengths (more drawing objects & may be messy)
   

1. Show Top Bars inside Plan View
   
1. Checked : Top main bars will be shown on top of default bottom main bars (more drawing objects & may be messy)
   
2. Unchecked : Top main bars will be hidden. Only bottom main bars is drawn (less drawing objects & tidier)
2. Allowable Stress Soil : To input the allowable stresses used for pad footing & strip footing design. Ultimate Strength Factor will be multiplied with this value to compute ultimate bearing capacity of soil. 
   
3. Allowable Soil Stress Ultimate Strength Factor :  Ultimate Strength Factor will be multiplied with this value to compute ultimate bearing capacity of soil.  Footing will always be designed to factored load combinations, hence factored soil capacity will be used. 

Design 

Design 

1. Default Pad Footing Form : Select the default shape of pad footing form when new footing is created, i.e. rectangular or square. 
   
2. Min. Footing Width : To set the minimum width for pad footing design.
   
3. Min. Pad Base Depth : To set the minimum depth of pad footing. 
   
4. Size Increment Step : To determine the number of increment (step) when changing the size of foundation in the properties with using the up down button .
   
5. Depth Increment Step : To determine the number of increment (step) when changing the depth of foundation in the properties with using the up down button.
   
6. Pad Bases - Concrete Cover : To determine the concrete cover for pad footing.
   

Analysis Source

Pad footing design can use 2 analysis source : 

1. FE Floor Model :  FE Foundation Analysis result
   
2. Building Analysis Model : Building analysis results 

Min. Moment Coefficients 

1. Span 1/_ : To set the minimum moment coefficient to calculate distribution of moment at span. Default value is specified as (1/16).
   
2. Support 1/_ : To set the minimum moment coefficient to calculate distribution of moment at support. Default value is specified as (1/12).
   

Beam span & support moment calculated by Winkler Method, will be compared with the product of q*L^2 and the coefficient specified here. Smaller values will not be used in the design. “q” represents the soil pressure under the column and “L” is the beam span length .

Steel Bar Selection 

1. Custom Pad Base Min. Steel Ratio : To set the minimum steel bar ratio for pad footing design.
   
2. Strip Footing Min. Steel Ratio : To set the minimum steel bar ratio for strip footing design.
   
3. Raft Foundation Min. Steel Ratio : To set the minimum steel bar ratio for foundation design. 
   
4. Piled Raft Foundation Min. Steel Ratio : To set the minimum steel bar ratio for piled raft foundation design. 

1. User Defined Rebar Min, Spacing : To set minimum spacing of main rebars
2. Max. Steel Bar Spacing : To set the maximum allowable rebar spacing for all foundation design.
   
3. Bar Spacing Step : To set bar spacing step in design
4. Footing Reinforcements (Bottom Bars) : To allow/disallow Bending of Bars (BOB) for the pad footing bottom rebar detailing.
   
5. Footing Reinforcements (Top Bars) : To allow/disallow Bending of Bars (BOB) for the pad footing top rebar detailing.
   
6. Min. Steel Bar Size : To set the minimum steel main bar size for all foundation design.
   
7. Distribution Bar Size : To set the minimum steel distribution/link bar size for all foundation design.
8. Use Top Bars : To apply top reinforcement bars in foundation by default.
   
1. Minimum Foundation Depth to Use Side Bars :  This option works similarly to the “Use Top Bars” option; if the pad footing or pile cap has a greater depth than the specified value, side bars will be provided automatically, vice versa.

Pile Caps

This tab controls the pile caps settings.

1. Pile : 
   
1. Shaft Type : To set default pile type.
   
2. Penetration : To set length of pile that embeds in pile cap.
   
3. Pile Size : To set the default pile dimeter / width of pile.
   
4. Ultimate Compression/Tension Capacity : To set the ultimate compression/tension capacity of the pile (Factored pile working load) .
   
5. Default Pile Length :  To set total length of the single pile.
   
2. Unit Cost : the software will automatically compute the total cost value for the pile designed in "Optimization" tab in Pile Caps properties.
   
1. Rebar Unit Cost : unit cost of rebar (by per ton).
   
2. Concrete Unit Cost : unit cost of concrete (by per m3).
   
3. Pile Unit Cost : unit cost of each pile (by per unit).
   
3. General : 
1. Spacing Multiplication Factor Between Piles (Short/Long Dir) : To set spacing multiplication factor between the pile in terms of number of diameter of pile. For example, if this is set to 2.5 and the pile diameter is 1000 mm, the spacing between the piles will be 2.5 * 1000 = 2500 mm 
2. Distance to Face (Short/Long Dir) : To set the minimum distance from the pile face to the cap edge for short and long direction.
   
3. Pile Cap Depth (Min./Max.) : To set the minimum/maximum pile cap depth for the pile cap auto design. 
4. No. of Pile (Min./Max.) : To set minimum and maximum number of piles can be provided in the pile cap. For example, if maximum is set to 100, the pile cap design will stop the design, if the 100 number of pile cap is still inadequate. The minimum number of pile cannot less than 2.
   
5. Footing Dimensions Rounding : To set the rounding step value to rounding up the pile cap size. 
   
6. Max. # Of Optimization Candidates : To allow number of design options in "Optimization" tab in Pile Caps properties for price comparison.
   
7. Top Concrete Cover : To allow user to enter top concrete cover value.
   
8. Bottom Concrete Cover : To allow user to enter bottom concrete cover value.
   
9. Side Concrete Cover : To allow user to enter side concrete cover value.
   
10. Show Original Pile Location : To have a indicative mark (green cross) on the original pile location after the pile has been offset.
    
4. Report : By Checking the given options, the corresponding information table will be added into the "Pad Base & Pile Cap Design" report.
   
5. Design : 
   
1. Include Effect of Column Dimensions : To include column dimension to take consideration in pile cap design.
   
2. Include Effect of Column Dimensions On Shear Span : To include column dimensions to take consideration in shear span design.
   
3. Include Bending Ratio (Affects Enhanced Shear Capacity) : To include Bending Ratio for pile cap design.