Modeling in STAAD Foundation Advanced
QUESTION: Can you model a mat foundation directly in STAAD Foundation Advanced?
ANSWER: YES. To model a mat foundation directly in STAAD Foundation Advanced, without importing an analyzed superstructure, click on the Blank Model option in the Start Page.
Learn how to create a Blank Model in STAAD Foundation Advanced:
Importing from STAAD.Pro
QUESTION: Can you import a STAAD.Pro superstructure model into STAAD Foundation Advanced?
ANSWER: YES. To import a STAAD.Pro superstructure into STAAD Foundation Advanced, click on the Import STAAD.Pro Model option in the Start Page.
The Import STAAD.Pro Model command will allow you to create a new STAAD Foundation Advanced model using the following information from STAAD.Pro:
- Supports: The superstructure, including all supports, can be imported into STAAD Foundation Advanced allowing you to model mat foundations accurately with respect to the superstructure.
- Loads: All load cases, load combinations, repeat loads, and reference loads can be imported from STAAD.Pro to STAAD Foundation Advanced.
- Mat Foundations: Analytical models of mat foundations created in STAAD.Pro, along with any supported superstructure elements can be imported into STAAD Foundation Advanced. Mat foundations can also be modeled directly in STAAD Foundation Advanced after the superstructure is imported from STAAD.Pro.
Learn how to import a STAAD.Pro model into STAAD Foundation Advanced:
Importing from STAAD Foundation Advanced version 9
QUESTION: Can you import an SFA v9 model into STAAD Foundation Advanced?
ANSWER: YES. To import an SFA v9 model into STAAD Foundation Advanced, click on the Import SFAv9 Model option in the Start Page.
The data that SFA 2023 imports from an SFA V9 model falls into 2 categories:
Data automatically imported:
- The column positions and column cross section sizes
- If pedestals are present in the SFA V9 model, their sizes too are imported. The Y coordinate of the column (as mentioned in the SFA V9 model) is treated as the Y coordinate of the bottom of the pedestal once the data comes into STAAD Foundation Advanced, and the bottom of the column is reset to start at the top of the pedestal. In other words, the bottom of the column is treated as having a Y coordinate equal to the top of the pedestal and hence, equal to the height of the pedestal + the coordinate of the bottom of the pedestal).
- The column reaction loads for all the load cases contained in the SFA V9 model.
- Some of the loads applied directly on the mat foundation like quadrilateral area loads.
- The load combinations (service, ultimate and primary) contained in the SFA V9 model.
Data that can be imported manually through Copy-Paste:
- The coordinates of the vertices of the mat foundation. This has to be Copied from the Mat vertices table of SFA V9 and pasted inside STAAD Foundation Advanced (see the attached video for the process)
- The coordinates of the top of piles that are specified for the mat. This too has to be Copied from the Pile coordinates table of SFA V9 and pasted inside STAAD Foundation Advanced (see the attached video for the process)
What is not imported at present:
- The details of any foundation job present in the SFA V9 file. In other words, STAAD Foundation Advanced cannot import the details of isolated footings or combined footings, pilecaps, etc contained in the SFA V9 file. For mat foundations too, while the mat vertices can be brought in through the Copy-Paste method, other data like soil supports, concrete design parameters, etc. are not imported.
- Some of the loads applied directly on the mat foundation like circular area loads and circular perimeter loads. Warning messages are displayed inside STAAD Foundation Advanced for loads that fail to get imported.
Learn how to import a SFA v9 model into STAAD Foundation Advanced:
Geometry
QUESTION: How are mat foundations modeled in STAAD Foundation Advanced?
ANSWER: STAAD Foundation Advanced provides are variety of tools to allow you to model and edit mat foundations accurately, including graphical tools, custom grid lines and coordinate tables.
Supports
QUESTION: Can you analyze and design soil-supported mat foundations in STAAD Foundation Advanced? Can you analyze and design pile-supported mat foundations in STAAD Foundation Advanced?
ANSWER: YES. Soil-supported and pile-supported mat foundations can be analyzed and designed in STAAD Foundation Advanced.
Learn how to assign supports to a mat foundation in STAAD Foundation Advanced: