RISAFoundation Specifications

Modeling Features

  • Foundation systems can be any combination of mat slabs, grade beams, piles and pile caps, retaining walls, spread footings and combined footings
  • Slabs can be any arbitrary shape with varying thickness and can include openings and discontinuities
  • Pedestals can be added to spread footings and slabs
  • Model and design grade beams: between slabs, on slab perimeters, between spread footings and independent
  • Variable soil properties possible throughout the foundation system
  • Impose point supports anywhere in the model. Supports can be rigid, tension only, compression only or tension-compression spring
  • Automatic generation of circular mat slabs
  • Comprehensive CAD-like graphic drawing/editing capabilities that let you draw and modify as well as snap, copy, scale, delete, move, etc.
  • Versatile drawing grids (orthogonal, radial, skewed, DXF underlay)
  • Universal snaps allow drawing without grids
  • Powerful graphic select/unselect tools including box, line, polygon, invert, criteria, spreadsheet based, with locking
  • True spreadsheet editing with cut, paste, fill, math, sort, find, etc.
  • Unlimited undo/redo capability and automatic timed backup
  • Dynamic synchronization between spreadsheets and graphics
  • Constant in-stream error checking and data validation
  • Support for all units systems & conversions at any time

Design Features

  • Calculation of rebar requirements using design strips
  • Design strips/cuts are easily drawn anywhere on slab
  • Design for bending and shear at all design cuts
  • Design pedestals on mat slabs or spread footings
  • Design and optimization of isolated spread footings
  • Grade beams are automatically designed and detailed
  • Retaining wall design
  • Pile supported slabs
  • Axial pile design for hot rolled, concrete and wood piles
  • Pile cap reinforcement design & shear checks
  • Automatic enveloping and rebar calculation
  • Consider cracked concrete sections by introducing a cracked factor, Icr
  • Concrete Design Codes: ACI 318-19/14/11/08/05/02/99, CSA A23.3-14/04, NTC-DF 2004, BS EN 1992-1-1: 2004+A1: 2014, SBC 304-2007
  • Automatic code based (ASCE, IBC, ACI, International) load combination generation as well as user specified combinations
  • Automatic punching shear check performed for mat slabs per ACI
  • Masonry Design Codes: TMS 402-16: ASD & Strength, ACI 530-13: ASD & Strength
  • Steel Pile Design Codes: AISC 360-10/05: ASD & LRFD, AISC 2nd & 3rd: LRFD, AISC 9th: ASD, CSA S16-14/09/05/01/CSA-S16.1-94
  • Wood Pile Design Codes: AWC NDS-15/12: ASD, AF&PA NDS-08/05/01/97/91: ASD, CSA 086-14/09 Ultimate
  • Seismic loading on retaining walls per the Mononobe-Okabe formulation

Analysis Features

  • Automatic meshing of slabs into well formed quadrilateral elements (NO triangular elements are created by the mesher). This is all done “behind the scenes” without any user interaction necessary, though user may optionally control the size of the mesh
  • Physical member used for grade beams, automatic inclusion of internally generated mesh points
  • Soil spring stiffness automatically calculated based on soil subgrade modulus and slab tributary area
  • Ability to include passive pressure and soil overburden in slab analysis
  • Self weight of slabs and beams is automatically calculated and may be optionally excluded in the analysis
  • Point loads, point moments, line loads and area/patch loads can be applied anywhere on the slab
  • Include Response Spectra Analysis results from RISA-3D model

Result Features

  • Color contouring of the slabs based on: Transverse shears, Bending moments, Displacements, and Soil pressure
  • Tabular and graphical display of design results
  • Slab deflected shape plotting and animation
  • Line cut tool shows the distribution of moments and shears in the slab at any location, in any direction, simply by drawing a line
  • Comprehensive grade beam detail reports with force and detail design calculations and expanded diagrams
  • Ability to exclude results based on selection
  • Rebar detailing for slab and beam design
  • Graphical display of total moments/shears for a design strip
  • Spreadsheet results with sorting and filtering of all output
  • Rebar schedule and DXF export
  • Increased solution speed utilizing multithreading

Graphics Features

  • Unlimited simultaneous model view windows
  • “True to scale” rendering with translucency, even when drawing
  • High-speed redraw algorithm for instant refreshing
  • Dynamically zoom, pan, rotate, scroll, snap views
  • Font and color control
  • Saved views to quickly restore frequent or desired views
  • Saved selections to quickly recall desired selection states
  • Rendered or wire-frame animations of deflected model
  • Distance tool for measuring between points

Integrated Structural Design

  • RISAFoundation is a complete foundation solution and operates independently or fully integrated with RISA-3D and RISAFloor.
  • RISA-3D, RISAFloor and RISAFoundation are so tightly integrated that they operate as one program on the same building model. Optimize the gravity system in RISAFloor, the lateral system in RISA-3D and the foundation system in RISAFoundation, with a complete flow of information both ways.
  • Integration support for the following versions: RISA-3D v22, RISAFloor v18, RISAFoundation v16 and RISAConnection v14
  • All reactions are automatically imported into RISAFoundation for design and detailing of the complete foundation system.
  • View RISAFoundation footings in an integrated RISA-3D model

General Features

  • Compatible with Windows 8.1/10 (64-bit Windows)
  • Extensive customization options & user defaults
  • Comprehensive printed reference manual & tutorials
  • Program technical support provided by Professional Engineers