We’re excited to introduce the uplift safety factor check in our Pier Footing, Spread Footing, and Wall Footing calculators! This feature helps you ensure that your foundations can safely resist upward forces. Here’s a quick look at what’s new:
New Vertical Restraint Options in Footing Properties
In the “Footing Properties” section, you’ll now see a new widget labeled “Vertical Restraints at Top of the Pile” with two options: “Unrestrained” and “Restrained”:
- Select “Unrestrained”
if your footing is free to move upward. This setting allows the calculator to check if your footing can resist uplift forces when they’re present. - Select “Restrained”
if there are structural elements above the pile that limit upward movement, potentially eliminating the need for an uplift check.
Uplift Safety Factor Table
If your footing is Unrestrained and uplift forces are detected, an Uplift Safety Factor table will appear in the results. This table lists load combinations that result in a negative factored axial load (upward load). This is then compared with the factored foundation weight to calculate the uplift safety factor.
Comparison with Minimum Uplift Safety Factor
The calculated uplift safety factor is then checked against the “Minimum Uplift Safety Factor” you set in the Design Criteria section.
Uplift Safety Factor Check Summary
Finally, in the summary section, you’ll see the calculated Uplift Safety Factor and the corresponding utilization check based on the minimum uplift safety factor needed for your project.
Enjoy the new uplift checks, and happy designing! 