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:

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.

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.

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.