STAAD MAT Foundation Design using Finite

Element Analysis
DRAFT COPY

JP Bersamina, MSCE, RCE

April 2020
ii
Contents

1 Finite Element Modeling 1

1.1 STAAD Building Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Final Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3 Assigning Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4 Assigning Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2 Importing Forces and Load Application to STAAD 11

2.1 Import and Postprocessing Reactions to Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 Load Application in STAAD using STAAD Editor and Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3 Run Analysis and Viewing Result 21

3.1 Post Processing Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.2 Bearing Capacity Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.3 Maximum Bearing Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.4 Settlement Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4 Mat Foundation Design using SMATH 35

4.1 Max Moment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.2 SMATH code for Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
4.3 Global Moment Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

5 Sample Project and Typical Reinforcement Drawing 43

5.1 STAAD FEM Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.2 Viewing Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.3 Reinforcement Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

iii
iv CONTENTS
Chapter 1

Finite Element Modeling

From the current staad model of superstructure, we can model the finite element of our mat foundation
by deleting elements above the support and retaining the supports.

1.1 STAAD Building Model

Below is the isometric model of staad file with almost whole superstructure is deleted.

Figure 1.1

1
2 CHAPTER 1. FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

Figure 1.2

Proceed to front view to easily delete remaining superstructure elements like shearwall and columns.

Figure 1.3

This should be the final output once all superstructure elements are deleted.
1.1. STAAD BUILDING MODEL 3

Figure 1.4

1. Click on Geomety Parametric Modeling to generate automesh for the mat foundation.

Figure 1.5
4 CHAPTER 1. FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

2. Click Add.Fill in name for the mesh and click use nodes and beams that occur on or inside the
outer boundary.

Figure 1.6
1.1. STAAD BUILDING MODEL 5

3. Start your rectangular boundary at x=-3,y= -3 offset from the topleft most corner. Create your
boundary in counterclockwise direction.

Figure 1.7

4. Once you finished creating 4 node boundary, a dialog box will appear below. Follow parameters
shown below and staad will generate mesh for finite element model considering the internal nodes from
the supports.
6 CHAPTER 1. FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

Figure 1.8

1.2 Final Mesh

Observe that supports from original superstructure are still present in the model. We will delete this later.
This node support location will become location of loadings which are applied in our mat foundation.
1.3. ASSIGNING PROPERTY 7

Figure 1.9

1.3 Assigning Property

1. Click property and thickness button. Thickness of slab is 800mm.

Figure 1.10
8 CHAPTER 1. FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

Make sure to assign this property to your generated slab mesh.

1.4. ASSIGNING SUPPORT 9

1.4 Assigning Support

Subgrade modulus according to our geotech report is 18000 KN/m3 . Create foundation support shown
below.

Figure 1.11

Apply this to the plate model. Make sure cursor is Plates cursor to select the slab.
10 CHAPTER 1. FINITE ELEMENT MODELING

Figure 1.12
Chapter 2

Importing Forces and Load

Application to STAAD

2.1 Import and Postprocessing Reactions to Excel

Shown below is the reactions from our superstructure in STAAD. We will postprocess this to create new
set of forces to be applied in our mat foundation.

Figure 2.1

2. In the spreadsheet, fill up blank cells with node numbers corresponding to the node as shown. This
is important to quickly filter all load cases applied at each node support.

11
12 CHAPTER 2. IMPORTING FORCES AND LOAD APPLICATION TO STAAD

Figure 2.2

3. As shown below, apply the formula to create concatenated text of forces to be applied in each node
supports. Remember staad editor is like a notepad that can recognize text strings.

Figure 2.3
2.2. LOAD APPLICATION IN STAAD USING STAAD EDITOR AND EXCEL 13

2.2 Load Application in STAAD using STAAD Editor and Excel

1. Try adding joint load in the mat foundation to have initial load case.

Figure 2.4
14 CHAPTER 2. IMPORTING FORCES AND LOAD APPLICATION TO STAAD

Below is the staad editor of current file, notice the format of joint load we initially applied. This
should be the format of concatenated text you will create from the excel file.

Figure 2.5

5. Once done, you can now copy paste the concatenated text from excel directly to staad editor.
2.2. LOAD APPLICATION IN STAAD USING STAAD EDITOR AND EXCEL 15

Figure 2.6

Figure 2.7
16 CHAPTER 2. IMPORTING FORCES AND LOAD APPLICATION TO STAAD

Figure 2.8
2.2. LOAD APPLICATION IN STAAD USING STAAD EDITOR AND EXCEL 17

6. Take note, all reactions from superstructure should be in the opposite direction once applied to the
mat foundation. That is, the vertical reaction from support in superstructure is now downward applied
to the mat foundation. Thus, notice that for first row, Fy is -1749KN in the cell M5 while is is 1749KN
in cell F5.

Figure 2.9

7. To easily copy the concatenated text in excel, use data filter for each load case. Below shows
filtered result for Load case 302. Simply copy these set of forces and paste to our staad editor under Load
case 302.
18 CHAPTER 2. IMPORTING FORCES AND LOAD APPLICATION TO STAAD

Figure 2.10

8. Same process above applied to Load Case 303.

Figure 2.11

9. Paste the copied text in excel to the staad editor.

2.2. LOAD APPLICATION IN STAAD USING STAAD EDITOR AND EXCEL 19

Figure 2.12

Typical output after applying loads.

Figure 2.13
20 CHAPTER 2. IMPORTING FORCES AND LOAD APPLICATION TO STAAD
Chapter 3

Run Analysis and Viewing Result

1. After applying load forces edited in our excel spreadsheet, Click Perform Analysis and Add.
2. Run the STAAD.

Figure 3.1

21
22 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT

3.1 Post Processing Technique

Once you click on post processing tab, you can investigate the result according to the load case or member
number you wanted. To do this quickly, right click at the results window and click Result Setup shown
below and choose Load cases you wanted. Remember that for serviceability load case is needed to check
bearing capacity and settlement while ultimate load case is selected to design the mat foundation.

Figure 3.2

Choose load case that you want to investigate.

3.1. POST PROCESSING TECHNIQUE 23

Figure 3.3
24 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT

3.2 Bearing Capacity Check

1. Go to Post processing and Click Plate Results.

Figure 3.4

2. Base Pressure and Choose Load case you want to investigate.

3.2. BEARING CAPACITY CHECK 25

Figure 3.5

3. Notice that maximum base pressure is 141 Kpa. Thus, we did not exceed our maximum bearing
pressure of 300kpa.

Figure 3.6
26 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT

4. Do this investigation for each serviceability load case and make sure you did not exceed maximum
bearing pressure of 300 kpa.

Figure 3.7

Figure 3.8
3.2. BEARING CAPACITY CHECK 27

Figure 3.9

Figure 3.10
28 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT

Figure 3.11

Figure 3.12
3.2. BEARING CAPACITY CHECK 29

Figure 3.13
30 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT

3.3 Maximum Bearing Pressure

Summary Tab in the Results window shows maximum value according to selected load case you choose
discussed in 3.1 .

Figure 3.14
3.4. SETTLEMENT CHECK 31

3.4 Settlement Check

For settlement or displacement check, you will see below that at load case 401 maximum Y displacement
is 41.65mm which is below than our allowable settlement of 50mm typically. You may ignore excessive
horizontal displacement below, if you put in horizontal restraint on both ends of mat model.

Figure 3.15
32 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT

Figure 3.16

Choose load case that you want to investigate.

Figure 3.17
3.4. SETTLEMENT CHECK 33

Figure 3.18
34 CHAPTER 3. RUN ANALYSIS AND VIEWING RESULT
Chapter 4

Mat Foundation Design using

SMATH

After getting Mx and Mz moment from STAAD FEM analysis, prepare a program for mat foundation
using SMATH. It is a free software which is very similar to Mathcad.

4.1 Max/Min Mx and Mz Moment

1. To view maximum moment for design purpose, choose ultimate load combinations in the result setup.
Use Global Moment. Below shows result in Load case 401.

Figure 4.1

35
36 CHAPTER 4. MAT FOUNDATION DESIGN USING SMATH

Figure 4.2

Notice that for LC 401= 1.4DL maximum negative moment occurs at the support and this is expected.
Green colors all the way to red colors indicate positive moment which occurs midway between supports
or columns.

Figure 4.3
4.1. MAX/MIN MX AND MZ MOMENT 37

Thus, we will design our mat slab for negative moment near support and positive moment between
the columns or supports.
38 CHAPTER 4. MAT FOUNDATION DESIGN USING SMATH

4.2 SMATH code for Design

1. Input in the smath code the corresponding moment you obtained from the result above. The code
simply follows the following design equations from RCD:
Obtain R value from Moment obtained in the result:
Mreq
Rµ = φbd2

After getting R value,find ρ required.

0
q
ρ = .85·f
fy
c
· (1 − 2·R
1 − .85·f 0c )

Normally, you will compare the ρ to the minimum ρ requirements.

1.4
ρmin = fy

After evaluating required ρ to use, find As required.

As := ρ · 1000 · d

Then get the spacing from the required As.

Abar
s := As · 1000

Figure 4.4
4.2. SMATH CODE FOR DESIGN 39

2. According below, spacing of 180mm is enough for slab thickness of 800mm with moment of 659Knm.

Figure 4.5

Figure 4.6
40 CHAPTER 4. MAT FOUNDATION DESIGN USING SMATH

4.3 Global Moment Check

Alternatively, you can extract the global moments result from the window below. Click on topleft of
window to select all table and copy.

Figure 4.7
4.3. GLOBAL MOMENT CHECK 41

After copying table above, paste to excel like below and by data filtering, you can get maximum
moment negative and positive for each load case.

Figure 4.8

Figure 4.9
42 CHAPTER 4. MAT FOUNDATION DESIGN USING SMATH

Figure 4.10
Chapter 5

Sample Project and Typical

Reinforcement Drawing

Shown below is a sample project I did with FEM model and corresponding results.

5.1 STAAD FEM Model

Model of pilecap using Parametric Modeling in STAAD.

Figure 5.1

43
44 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE PROJECT AND TYPICAL REINFORCEMENT DRAWING

STAAD Editor of support condition showing the spring assignment to the pile foundation location
and the rest of plates supported by soil.

Figure 5.2

Figure 5.3
5.2. VIEWING RESULT 45

5.2 Viewing Result

This picture below shows that Global Moment in the Postprocessing result will be equal to Local Moment
per plate if the global axis in STAAD coincides with the local axis of the plate element. The selected
plate below has color green gradient thus Global moment is around 200 KN*m.

Figure 5.4
46 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE PROJECT AND TYPICAL REINFORCEMENT DRAWING

And the local moment as shown below shows that it experiences 208KN*m consistent with the Global
Moment. This is because the selected plate element is quadrilateral whose axis coincides with the global
axis.

Figure 5.5

The spreadsheet here shows the result of each pilecap maximum Mx and Mz moment with corre-
sponding top and bottom bars calculation which is reflected in the shop drawing shown in 5.3 .
5.2. VIEWING RESULT 47

Figure 5.6
48 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE PROJECT AND TYPICAL REINFORCEMENT DRAWING

5.3 Reinforcement Drawing

Below shows reinforcement drawing as implemented on site.

Figure 5.7
5.3. REINFORCEMENT DRAWING 49

Pilecaps are seen below which is installed to improve soil condition and to support the superstructure.

Figure 5.8
50 CHAPTER 5. SAMPLE PROJECT AND TYPICAL REINFORCEMENT DRAWING

In this picture, I want you to recall the result of FEM we were looking at above in 5.1 . Notice the
color gradients near and at the support. In the actual condition, several rebars are installed at the column
region. Thus, it is customary to average the moments at the column location because FEM model has
tendency to give high stress concentration at support because we idealize the support as a single joint
only whereas in this picture below the support below may actually cover 2x2 mesh region.

Figure 5.9