Altair® S-FOUNDATION™

Regardless of drawing or model shape and size, users can model virtually any mat foundation quickly and easily with S-FOUNDATION. Analyze and design isolated footings, combined footings, continuous footings, wall footings, strap footings, and mat foundations; these foundations can include pedestals, walls, piles, steps, holes, and areas of increased or decreased thickness.

S-FOUNDATION automatically generates and maintains the underlying finite element mesh and leaves the mesh constraints fully adjustable by the user. Users can review code compliance checks to any level of detail, including intermediate calculations, formulas, and code clauses. Additionally, they can filter results on multiple criteria to pinpoint areas of interest and generate comprehensive, customizable reports.

Users can analyze with a linear or nonlinear analysis and design the substructure using the rigid or flexible (FEA) method. S-FOUNDATION’s automatic model management creates rigid zones under pedestal footprints, walls, and above piles to avoid load concentration and to ensure loading pressure is realistically transferred to the pad. Users can also determine structural demands by automatically generating strip integration lines, with exclusion areas, based on code requirements and pedestal locations.

Additionally, users can view and verify spring stiffness, pile head fixities, and tip support conditions to match desired analysis parameters. They can also visualize soil pressure contours to identify areas of uplift and to run an uplift code check.

With S-FOUNDATION, users can customize and automate any part of the process while maintaining complete control over geometry, material, reinforcing, and loading. With unlimited customization using Python scripting, automate any analysis or code check operation, or add a new feature functionality. Users can record, modify and save workflow actions into custom S-FOUNDATION Wizards; and users can share and reuse saved custom Wizards organization-wide, expanding S-FOUNDATION’s core functionality and increasing user efficiency.