Briefs and Pile Head Dimensions

The briefs and pile head dimensions tab allow for the definition of the column cross section or baseplate size, the pile cap depth and the position of the column within the pile cap. There are also options to set the design and rebar detailing codes.

Additionally, there are functions within the Briefs and Pile Head Dimensions for adding design briefs as well as selecting the design brief to view.

The layout of the Briefs and Pile Head Dimensions tab is shown below:

Column/baseplate width (mm) and Column/baseplate length (mm)

Change column base width. Used in Design for the point of bending and shear.
Change column base length. Used in Design for the point of bending and shear.

These inputs define the plan dimensions of the column or baseplate that is being supported by the pile cap.

Pile cap o/a depth

Change overall depth of pile cap (1.5 x pile diameter).

This represents the overall depth (total thickness) of the reinforced concrete pile cap, expressed in millimetres.

Offset X (mm) and Offset Y (mm)

These parameters are used to define the position of the column centroid relative to the geometric centre of the pile cap. This allows for the design of eccentric pile caps where the load is not perfectly centred.

Square Piles

Use Square instead of round piles.

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Note: The overhang past the edge of the pile will be increased by 0.207 times the pile width to allow for roation of the pile.

This option allows the user to specify the use of square piles instead of circular ones. When selected, the "Pile Diameter" input changes to represent the pile width. The software also adjusts edge distance requirements to account for rotation tolerances specific to square piles.

Design Code

This identifies the specific structural standard used for the analysis and design of the pile cap. Supported codes include BS 8110 (1985 or 1997), Eurocode 2 (EC2) (2004), or the South African SABS 0100 (1984 or 1994).

Scheduling Code

This refers to the standard used for the automatic generation of bar reinforcement schedules, such as BS 8666 or BS 4466.

Drawing Locations - Top Margin

Change additional left margin as ratio of the pile cap width.

This relates to the graphical output and automatic detailing features. It defines the layout and spacing of detailed drawings and schedules on the exported or printed sheet.

Brief 1 of 3

This indicates the current design brief being viewed out of the total number of briefs in the file. The software allows multiple unique pile cap designs (briefs) to be managed, detailed, and scheduled within a single project file.

- Add New Brief

- Delete Current Brief

- Sort Current Brief

Old Manual

Input Parameters

The input parameters are:

Column/baseplate width (mm) – column width in the x-direction
Column/baseplate length (mm) – column width in the y-direction
Pile cap o/a depth – the depth of the pile cap in millimetres
Offset X (mm) – position of column centroid from the centre of the pile cap in the x-direction
Offset Y (mm) – position of column centroid from the centre of the pile cap in the y-direction

For the purposes of design, the column is assumed to be square/rectangular in cross section. The is no option to input a circular column.

The default setting for pile cross sections is circular. Where piles are to be square, this can be set by selecting the Square Piles option.

Design Code

The design code is set from the Design Code drop down. The available options are:

BS 8110:1985
BS 8110:1997
SABS 0100:1984
EC 2:2004

The design code can also be set for the top menu, under the Design Codes item. The design code applies to all briefs in the file; it is not possible to use different design codes within a single file.

The scheduling code is set by selecting the desired option from the drop down.

Design Briefs

The bottom area of the Briefs and Pile Head Dimension tab allows for the input of a title for a design brief, along with options to add, delete and sort briefs. This area is displayed as:

The current brief and total number of briefs in the file is indicated. To modify the brief title, select the input area and amend the text as required. The input title will display at the top of the calculation area and will also be included as part of the design outputs.

A new brief can be added by clicking on the icon, while an existing design brief can be deleted by clicking on icon.

Selecting the sort icon brings up a list of all the design briefs in the current file. The screen layout changes from the pile cap interface. A typical layout is shown below:

In this screen, design briefs can be reordered by selecting a brief title and dragging it to a new location within the list. Design briefs can also be deleted here – by holding Ctrl and using the left mouse button, multiple design briefs can be selected and then deleted, allowing multiple briefs to be deleted in one go. To undo changes, select the icon. Once all changes are complete, these can be saved by clicking on the icon, which will save the changes and return to the main pile cap module screen. To exit without making changes, select from the top right-hand side of the screen.