ACI 318-19 Isolated Footing Design in RFEM 6
A complete walkthrough of designing isolated footings in RFEM 6 with the Concrete Foundations add-on. Starting from a steel frame that is already modelled, the session covers how foundations are attached to the structure, how the footing geometry, reinforcement, and surrounding soil are defined, and how loads reach the foundation. The design results are then reviewed side by side — the concrete checks required by ACI 318-19 and the geotechnical checks drawn from the IBC — before the footing is handed to the Steel Joints add-on for a matching base plate design, without ever leaving the model.
Presented by
Webinar language
English (US)Recommended skill level
Skills you will gain
- Attach isolated footings to an existing structural model through its nodal supports
- Define the footing geometry and reinforcement, then describe the soil layers around it
- Set the geotechnical parameters and code safety factors that drive the soil checks
- Map factored and unfactored combinations to the right limit states and read the design ratios
- Carry a finished footing into a base plate design and feed its stiffness back to the model
This webinar includes
Webinar content
An overview of what the Concrete Foundations add-on does and where it fits. Amy Heilig explains how footing geometry, reinforcement and soil definitions feed both the concrete design checks required by ACI 318-19 and the geotechnical checks for overturning, sliding, uplift, and bearing pressure — all inside one model, with nothing exported to a separate program.
A tour of the example model before any foundation work begins: how the base data is set up, which add-ons and design standards are switched on, and what the pre-modelled steel frame is made of. Covers the member types used for the frame, the bracing, and the purlins, and why each was chosen.
The core setup. Foundations are attached to the model through its nodal supports, then the footing is dimensioned and given its concrete, reinforcement, and cover. The surrounding soil is described layer by layer, and the geotechnical settings — allowable bearing, friction, and the code safety factors — are entered.
How load reaches the foundation. The load cases are reviewed and the combination wizard builds the factored and unfactored combinations automatically. Foundation self-weight and earth covering are switched on, and a load applied directly to the footing shows how support orientation determines where it lands.
Reading the output. Each design situation is mapped to its limit state, then the results are explored graphically and in tables — the soil checks on one side, the concrete bending and shear checks on the other. Required reinforcement is compared against what was provided, and individual checks expand to show the formulas behind them.
Connecting the two add-ons. With Steel Joints activated, the base plate picks up its geometry directly from the finished foundation. Anchor bolts, welds, and the concrete block are defined and checked against the relevant standards, and the resulting connection stiffness is fed back into the structural model as a member hinge.
A summary of what the add-on covers today and what is planned — further foundation types, additional codes, and better optimisation of geometry and reinforcement. Closes with where to find the trial version, the upcoming webinar schedule, and how PDH certificates are issued.
Who this webinar is for
- Engineers who export RFEM support reactions to a standalone or third-party program to design the footings separately
- RFEM 6 users who have a steel frame on hinged nodal supports and now need ACI 318-19 footings under the same columns
- Structural engineers who must document bearing, sliding, overturning, and uplift checks alongside ACI 318-19 shear and flexure results
Application areas:
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Webinars review
I would like to thank you for the webinar on "Torsional Warping (7 DOF)". It was one of the best webinars I have ever seen. Thanks to your clear explanations and illustrative examples, I finally understood several things that I had not fully understood before.
Ing. Aleš Kupča
Statika KUPAL s.r.o.
I really enjoyed the coaching course on dynamic analysis. … It was a good introduction to the seismic design. A particularly positive feature is the option to use the various tools used in the training by downloading a demo version during the training—that was a really good addition.
Karen L.
TÜV NORD Ensys GmbH & Co. KG
I am a student at the Technical University in Nuremberg and am currently working on my master's thesis using Dlubal Software (RSTAB). The coaching course on dynamics (EC 8) was very helpful for me. The course was conducted in an extremely professional manner.
Gleb Chernyshev
Germany
The Concrete Structures EC2 with RFEM 6 course content was very satisfactory and well-structured, making it easy to follow. … In short, the course is interesting and introductory—a perfect introduction to the topic.
M.Sc. V. Zinkevych
Obermeyer Holding GmbH
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to try out RFEM 6. … I would like to mention that I'm excited about how much information and webinars you share.
Ing. Ida Grünwaldová
Czech Republic
Was an excellent Webinar | 2018 NDS CLT Design in RFEM 6! Thank you.
Juan Alberto Tello Fuente
CUMBRA INGENIERIA
Due to your webinars and test versions, I started a new job as structural engineer on January 1, 2023. For this, I would like to thank you and your team.
Dipl.-Ing. Ayman Al Shouha
Germany
Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to follow the live webinar, but due to your recording, which I've watched, I am very excited about the current possibilities of RFEM 6. … I was particularly impressed by the speaker!
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Henning Lungershausen
University of Applied Sciences, Trier
Thank you, the webinar "The Most Common User Errors with RFEM and RSTAB" was very informative!
Dipl.-Ing. Adam Balogh
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG
I would like to thank you again for the very good webinar "Stability Analysis in Steel Structures with RFEM and RSTAB". In some points, I was able to get clarity and it helped me a lot. I will probably use this more often in the future.
Dipl.-Ing. Johann Mair
MÜHLBERG Beratende Ingenieure GmbH, Mühlberg + Mair Beratende Ingenieure GmbH
The "Soil-Structure Interaction in RFEM" webinar presentation was excellent and the topic was very interesting.
Prof. Lazaros Vasiliadis
Democritus Univestity of Thrace (DUTH)
The webinar "Design Cold-Formed Steel Sections According to EC3" was great. It was my first webinar and I would like to follow more in the future. Especially for new users/students like me and if too fast, it is very good that it is recorded and you can watch it again.
Veronika Klöck
Germany
Thank you for the webinar "Design Cold-Formed Steel Sections According to Eurocode 3." I really liked it. The webinar recordings are a real plus point. Continue to do so!
Bernd Jäckel
Gesellschaft für Planung und Vermessung mbH
I really enjoy watching the webinars you showcase on YouTube. They helped me to convince my client to recently purchase RFEM. They provide a wealth of information.
William Lefort, P.Eng.
Danwill Canada
I have watched the webinar recording "Design of Cross-Laminated Timber Panels (CLT) According to Eurocode 5" on YouTube, and I am impressed by the program and the very good presentation.
Dipl.-Ing. Lothar Reichle
Ingenieurbüro für Statik und Baukonstruktion
The webinar about RWIND Simulation was very successful! From now on, it is possible to analyze wind forces on geometries of objects that are not regulated in the standard. The wind force assumption according to the standard was often a more or less good estimate.
DI Dr. techn. Wolfgang Billensteiner
Civil Engineering Office DI Dr. Tech. Wolfgang Billensteiner
Your webinar on RWIND Simulation was very impressive. Like the speakers at the info days, the speaker confidently described the performance of the new program.
Ing. Johann Tauß
Austria
RSTAB is a software program that I recently discovered and which is very helpful for the calculation of steel structures. With the webinars available on the Dlubal website, I have familiarized myself with the various functions of the program.
Daisy Amila
Algeria
I watched the webinar "Dlubal Information Day Online 2014 – Part 2: RFEM 5 – Structural Analysis with Finite Elements for Concrete and Steel Structures" from 2014. It is a good and powerful video!
Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Steinkühler
Bojda Planungsgruppe
I've attended the webinar on glass design. Excellent explanation. I don't design glass structures; however, it was very interesting to explore the potential of the software.
Ing. Simone Luca Tanghetti
Studio Tanghetti
I've been using Dlubal's programs for most of my university studies. In the beginning, RFEM was far from being a mainstream software, so I didn't have many colleagues to advise me, but thanks to the well-designed controls and webinars, I quickly learned how to work with it.
Ing. Martin Závacký
Brno University of Technology
The webinar Timber Connection Design in RFEM and RSTAB was very successful! I am particularly pleased that you explained how to select the SFS intec dowel system WS-T. Thank you very much!
Caroline Göttlein
SFS intec
Instructors
Amy Heilig, PE
CEO – USA Subsidiary
Amy is the CEO of the U.S. subsidiary and is responsible for sales and continued program development for the North American market.
Alex Bacon, EIT
Support Engineer
Alex handles customer training and technical support for the North American market and works on continued program development.
Cisca Tjoa, PE
Senior Support Engineer
Cisca is the senior support engineer for the North American market, covering customer training, technical support, and program development.
