Foundation Design Software for Safe, Optimized Foundation Design
OPTIFOUND by VAVETEK AI uses structural-design inputs to generate optimized foundation designs that satisfy applicable design-code requirements. From the inputs: forces, moments, material properties, and soil parameters, OPTIFOUND evaluates design alternatives and determines an efficient foundation configuration while performing analysis, design and checking stability. It also provides the checks at the end of design.
What is OPTIFOUND?
OPTIFOUND is Automated Foundation Design Optimization software developed by VAVETEK AI for foundation design, optimization and safety checking. Instead of requiring engineers to repeatedly modify foundation dimensions, reinforcement, and other design parameters manually, OPTIFOUND uses inputs from the super structure design (reactions) to evaluate foundation alternatives and determine an optimized solution for given soil parameters. The generated foundation is checked against the applicable design requirements so that optimization does not come at the expense of structural safety and code compliance. OPTIFOUND currently supports optimization for: - Isolated Footings - Combined Footings -Strip Footings - Raft Foundations. The objective is simple: Generate a safe, code-compliant and optimized foundation for given structural-design inputs.
From Structural Design Inputs to an Optimized Foundation
Structural-analysis and design models already contain much of the information required to begin foundation design.
OPTIFOUND uses relevant design inputs such as:
- forces and moments
- load cases and load combinations
- material properties
- soil properties
- column and support information
- applicable foundation-design parameters
How OPTIFOUND Works:
OPTIFOUND is an advanced Foundation Design Software that requires foundation design inputs, including material and soil properties, forces, and moments for various load cases.
It performs a complete safety audit by evaluating the foundation design against critical structural and geotechnical safety parameters.
Import or Provide Structural Design Inputs
OPTIFOUND receives the structural and foundation-design information required for the project. This may include inputs derived from structural analysis and design software such as ETABS and STAAD, together with relevant soil and material properties.
Define the Foundation Design Requirements
The applicable foundation type, design criteria, materials, soil parameters, and optimization constraints are established. Depending on the project, OPTIFOUND can work with: Isolated Footings Combined Footings Raft Foundations
Generate and Evaluate Foundation Alternatives
The optimization engine evaluates alternative foundation configurations rather than stopping at the first design that passes. Depending on the foundation type and design constraints, variables can include appropriate foundation geometry, dimensions, thickness, and reinforcement requirements.
Generate the Optimized Foundation
From the valid alternatives, OPTIFOUND generates an optimized foundation configuration that satisfies the defined structural, soil, detailing, and design-code requirements. The result is not simply a smaller foundation. It is a foundation optimized within the required engineering constraints.
Perform Foundation Design Checks
Each candidate foundation is evaluated against the required engineering checks. Only alternatives satisfying the applicable design requirements remain valid candidates for optimization.
Identify Governing Design Conditions
OPTIFOUND evaluates the applicable load combinations and identifies the governing conditions affecting the foundation design. The current system already evaluates load combinations and reports governing cases and utilization metrics during design checking. This helps determine why a particular foundation dimension or design requirement is controlling the solution.
Foundation Types Supported by OPTIFOUND
Isolated Footing Design
OPTIFOUND can design and optimize isolated footings supporting individual columns or structural supports.
The optimization process evaluates applicable foundation dimensions, structural checks, soil conditions, and reinforcement requirements to determine an efficient compliant solution.
Combined Footing Design
OPTIFOUND supports combined footing design and optimization where two or more columns are supported by a common foundation.
The optimization process considers the interaction of structural loads, foundation geometry, soil response, and applicable design checks when evaluating candidate solutions.
Raft Foundation Design
OPTIFOUND’s optimization engine also supports raft foundation design, allowing foundation alternatives to be evaluated for systems supporting multiple columns or structural elements through a common foundation system.
This expands OPTIFOUND beyond individual footing optimization into larger foundation-design problems.
Foundation Design Checks in OPTIFOUND
OPTIFOUND evaluates the engineering requirements needed to determine whether a proposed foundation design is acceptable.
The current product already groups its checking workflow into soil stability, structural, design-validation, and detailing checks.
Soil and Stability Checks
These can include checks such as:
Bearing Pressure
Evaluates the pressure transferred from the foundation to the supporting soil against the applicable bearing criteria.
Sliding
Evaluates whether the foundation has adequate resistance against horizontal movement under the applicable load conditions.
Overturning
Evaluates foundation stability against overturning effects caused by applicable moments and lateral loads.
Structural Design Checks
OPTIFOUND also evaluates structural requirements including:
Flexure
Checks whether the foundation has adequate bending capacity under the applicable design actions.
Shear
Evaluates relevant shear requirements that can influence foundation dimensions and thickness.
Where applicable to the foundation type, this can include checks such as one-way shear and punching shear.
Foundation Design Validation
OPTIFOUND evaluates design requirements associated with the complete foundation rather than looking only at foundation geometry.
Reinforcement and Detailing Checks
An optimized foundation must also remain practical and compliant from a detailing perspective.
OPTIFOUND evaluates relevant detailing conditions including:
- foundation thickness
- reinforcement bar size
- reinforcement spacing
- concrete cover
Identify Foundation Overdesign
A foundation can pass every required check and still contain significant unused capacity.
Potential indicators can include:
- low design utilization
- oversized footing dimensions
- excessive thickness
- reinforcement above the required level
- low bearing-pressure utilization
- significant capacity remaining across multiple checks
OPTIFOUND helps evaluate these conditions as part of the optimization process.
However, low utilization in one check alone does not mean a foundation is overdesigned. Another condition may be governing the design.
This is why OPTIFOUND evaluates foundation requirements together rather than optimizing one parameter in isolation.
Understand the Governing Design Check
Different foundation requirements can control different design variables.
For example:
Bearing Pressure may influence plan dimensions.
Punching Shear may influence thickness.
Flexure may influence reinforcement.
Sliding or Overturning may influence geometry and stability requirements.
OPTIFOUND evaluates the applicable design conditions and governing cases so that optimization is based on the actual engineering constraints of the foundation.
Optimize Within Design-Code Requirements
Foundation optimization should never mean removing the engineering margins required by the applicable design methodology.
OPTIFOUND evaluates candidate foundation designs against the selected design requirements and rejects alternatives that do not satisfy the applicable checks.
The optimization engine therefore searches for:
An efficient foundation that satisfies the defined design-code and project constraints.
Not simply:
The smallest possible foundation.
This is an important distinction to communicate throughout the page.
Why Use OPTIFOUND?
Reduce Repetitive Foundation Design Iterations
Automate repeated evaluation of foundation configurations instead of manually changing parameters and recalculating each alternative.
Identify Potential Overdesign
Review utilization and governing conditions to determine where foundation designs may contain optimization opportunities.
Evaluate More Design Alternatives
Use the optimization engine to systematically explore valid foundation alternatives.
Maintain Design-Code Compliance
Candidate designs are evaluated against the applicable foundation-design requirements before an optimized solution is selected.
Understand Why the Design Is Governed
Review governing load cases, utilization, and design checks rather than receiving only a simple pass/fail result.
Support Multiple Foundation Types
Use the same optimization approach across isolated footings, combined footings, and raft foundations.
A Foundation Optimization Workflow for Structural Engineers
OPTIFOUND fits after the structural design and analysis stage.
A simplified workflow is:
Structural Model
↓
Structural Analysis & Design
↓
Foundation Reactions / Loads
↓
OPTIFOUND
↓
Generate Foundation Alternatives
↓
Run Design-Code Checks
↓
Evaluate Utilization & Governing Conditions
↓
Optimize Foundation
↓
Verify Final Foundation Design
Built for Structural Design Optimization
OPTIFOUND is part of VAVETEK AI’s broader work in Structural Design Optimization.
The goal is to move engineering workflows beyond repetitive manual design iterations toward computational systems that can evaluate alternatives, understand engineering constraints, and identify more efficient compliant designs.
Foundation design is the first major application of this approach.
With the optimization engine now available for isolated footings, combined footings, and raft foundations, OPTIFOUND provides a growing platform for automated foundation-design optimization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OPTIFOUND?
OPTIFOUND is VAVETEK AI’s Foundation Design Software that uses structural-design inputs to evaluate foundation requirements and generate optimized foundation designs that satisfy the applicable design requirements.
What types of foundations does OPTIFOUND support?
OPTIFOUND’s optimization engine supports isolated footings, combined footings, and raft foundations.
What inputs does OPTIFOUND require?
OPTIFOUND uses relevant structural and foundation-design inputs including forces and moments, load cases and combinations, material properties, soil properties, and other design parameters required for foundation evaluation.
Does OPTIFOUND only audit existing foundations?
No. In addition to evaluating foundation safety and design checks, OPTIFOUND’s optimization engine evaluates alternative designs and generates an optimized foundation configuration.
Does OPTIFOUND perform foundation-design checks?
Yes. OPTIFOUND evaluates applicable soil/stability, structural, design-validation, and detailing requirements as part of the foundation-design process.
How does OPTIFOUND optimize a foundation?
OPTIFOUND evaluates alternative foundation configurations against the defined design requirements, identifies governing conditions and utilization, and searches for an efficient solution that continues to satisfy the required engineering constraints.
Does OPTIFOUND generate code-compliant foundation designs?
OPTIFOUND is designed to generate optimized foundations that satisfy the applicable design-code requirements configured for the design workflow. Final engineering outputs should be reviewed within the project’s applicable design and approval process.
Can OPTIFOUND use inputs from structural-design software?
Yes. OPTIFOUND uses foundation-design inputs derived from structural-design workflows. The current product page identifies ETABS and STAAD among the structural-design software sources from which relevant inputs can be obtained.
Does OPTIFOUND always generate the smallest possible foundation?
No. The objective is not simply to minimize foundation dimensions. OPTIFOUND seeks an optimized solution while satisfying the applicable structural, soil, stability, detailing, and design requirements.
Who is OPTIFOUND for?
OPTIFOUND is intended for structural engineers and engineering teams involved in foundation design, review, optimization, and structural-design automation.
Let's audit and optimization of foundation designs with OPTIFOUND.
