CivilTech Studio

Foundation Design Calculator

Pad, sloped, stepped, combined and pile footings — designed in your browser to IS 456, ACI 318 and Eurocode 2.

  • 5 footing types in one tool
  • IntelliCascade™ optimisation
  • FEM verification built-in
  • Reports and BBS in one click
Foundation Design in CivilTech Studio, showing a worked example with its results
  • IS 456:2000
  • ACI 318-19
  • Eurocode 2 (EN 1992-1-1)

What it does

Everything the check needs, in one pass

A free online foundation design calculator built for practising structural engineers. Enter column loads and soil bearing capacity; IntelliCascade™ progressively tries five footing types and returns a code-compliant design with reinforcement schedule, FEM verification and a downloadable report.

  • 5 footing types in one tool

    Pad, sloped, stepped, combined and pile cap — switch with a click instead of running five spreadsheets.

  • IntelliCascade™ optimisation

    Patent-pending engine that tries simpler footing types first and only escalates if checks fail. Saves concrete and rebar without compromising safety.

  • FEM verification built-in

    Mindlin plate elements verify base pressure and bending — no separate software needed.

  • Reports and BBS in one click

    Generate a stamped PDF report and Bar Bending Schedule that match your project numbering convention.

How it works

From inputs to a signed-off result

  1. Step 1

    Enter loads & soil parameters

    Axial load, moments, soil safe bearing capacity and material grades. Imperial or metric — toggle anytime.

  2. Step 2

    IntelliCascade™ runs the cascade

    The engine attempts pad first, escalates to sloped/stepped/combined/pile only when checks fail. Returns the most economical compliant design.

  3. Step 3

    Review checks & 3D view

    Inspect bearing pressure, settlement, one-way and two-way shear, flexure and crack-width checks with a side-by-side 3D footing view.

  4. Step 4

    Export PDF report & BBS

    Download a code-referenced PDF report and a bar bending schedule ready for your contractor.

Standards

Checked against the code, clause by clause

Every result cites the clause it came from, so a reviewer can follow the same path you did.

  • IS 456:2000

    Indian standard for plain & reinforced concrete

  • ACI 318-19

    American building code for structural concrete

  • Eurocode 2 (EN 1992-1-1)

    European concrete design code

Who it’s for

Where engineers reach for it

  • G+4 residential building footings

    Quickly size pad footings for the typical 200–600 kN column loads in low-rise residential work.

  • Industrial column with eccentric load

    Combined footings that share two adjacent columns when boundary lines force a constraint.

  • Pile cap design on weak soil

    When SBC < 100 kN/m², escalate straight to a pile group with the appropriate cap.

  • Retrofit and extension projects

    Stepped or sloped footings under existing structures where headroom is tight.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Something else? Open Foundation Design and try it with your own numbers.

Is this foundation design calculator free?

Yes. The core calculator — including all five footing types and code-compliant checks — is free with no credit card required. Optional upgrades cover advanced exports, FEM reports and team collaboration.

Which design codes does it support?

IS 456:2000, ACI 318-19 and Eurocode 2 (EN 1992-1-1). Code-specific load factors, partial safety factors and detailing rules apply automatically based on the code you select.

What is IntelliCascade™?

IntelliCascade™ is our patent-pending optimisation engine that tries the simplest footing type first and progressively escalates (sloped → stepped → combined → pile) only when code checks fail, finding the most economical compliant design without manual iteration.

Does the tool run in the browser or upload my data?

It runs in the browser. Your inputs go over an encrypted connection to our calculation engine, which returns the design and keeps no copy. The design is stored in your CivilTech Studio account only if you save it.

Can I export reports and a Bar Bending Schedule?

Yes. Both a code-referenced PDF report and a Bar Bending Schedule (BBS) are generated from the same model, so quantities and reinforcement always match.

Does it support pile foundations?

Yes — pile group capacity, group-effect reductions and pile cap design are part of the same workflow. Choose pile in the cascade or let IntelliCascade™ escalate to it automatically.

Open Foundation Design and run your numbers

Pad, sloped, stepped, combined and pile footings — designed in your browser to IS 456, ACI 318 and Eurocode 2.

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