A Powerful Tool for Structural Engineers and Contractors in Geotechnical Projects
Structural engineers play a vital role in designing safe and efficient foundations for buildings, bridges, and infrastructure. However, geotechnical engineering involves a different set of principles, requiring an in-depth understanding of soil behavior, foundation interactions, and geotechnical analysis methods. Structural engineering education and experience often do not cover these aspects in detail, yet structural engineers may find themselves involved in deep foundation design—whether for driven piles, drilled shafts, micropiles, helical piles, or other foundation elements.
This is where DeepFND comes in. DeepFND is a user-friendly, all-in-one foundation design software that bridges the gap between structural and geotechnical engineering. It equips structural engineers with the tools they need to accurately analyze and design deep foundations, even without an extensive geotechnical background.
Figure 1: Pile cap with concrete piles in DeepFND software
A Valuable Tool, Not a Replacement for Geotechnical Expertise
While DeepFND is an extremely powerful and intuitive software, it does not substitute the expertise of a geotechnical engineer. Complex geotechnical conditions, site-specific challenges, and critical foundation designs should always be reviewed and validated by an experienced geotechnical professional.
However, DeepFND provides structural engineers and contractors with the ability to bring geostructural engineering expertise into their designs. It helps them:
Be better prepared for initial project design.
Quickly evaluate and compare design alternatives before finalizing solutions.
Perform efficient preliminary checks to facilitate collaboration with geotechnical specialists.
By integrating geotechnical analysis into their workflow, engineers can reduce costly design iterations, make informed decisions early, and streamline the foundation design process.
How DeepFND Empowers Structural Engineers
1. Simplified Soil Property Estimation
One of the biggest challenges in geotechnical engineering is accurately estimating soil properties, which directly impact foundation performance. Structural engineers may not always have the expertise to interpret complex geotechnical site investigation reports. DeepFND provides a solution by offering built-in tools for estimating soil properties based on standard test data, including:
CPT (Cone Penetration Test) logs
SPT (Standard Penetration Test) records
Soil descriptions and common, published data
With these tools, engineers can make reasonable initial assumptions about soil properties, even without advanced geotechnical knowledge. This ensures a more informed and accurate foundation design process.
Figure 2: CPT log in DeepFND & exported stratigraphy
Figure 3: Soil properties estimation tools in DeepFND
5 Reasons to Choose DeepFND for Your Next Deep Foundation Project |
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2. Comprehensive Structural & Geotechnical Checks in One Software
Traditionally, analyzing deep foundation elements requires multiple software tools—one for structural checks, another for geotechnical analysis, and possibly a separate program for lateral pile behavior. DeepFND integrates all these functionalities into a single platform, allowing structural engineers to:
✔ Perform axial and lateral pile analysis within the same model.
✔ Evaluate pile cap performance alongside pile behavior.
✔ Run structural checks on both piles and pile caps, ensuring compliance with design codes.
DeepFND also provides:
Clear check ratios with color-coded warnings—critical failures appear in red, making it easy to identify overstressed elements.
Graphical lateral pile analysis results—pile moment, shear, and displacement diagrams are visually displayed directly on the model, helping engineers detect potential issues at a glance.
With DeepFND, engineers can confidently design deep foundations without switching between multiple software programs.
Figure 4: Helical pile axial and lateral pile analysis results in DeepFND
Figure 5: Pile cap reinforcement optimization in DeepFND
3. Automatic Optimization for Pile Depth & Load Combinations
Determining the required pile depth for a given soil profile and load conditions is often a complex task. DeepFND streamlines this process with automated depth optimization, ensuring piles are designed efficiently without excessive depth (which increases construction costs) or insufficient depth (which leads to failure risks).
Structural engineers can:
· Select the pile structural section (concrete, steel, timber, etc.).
· Choose the pile installation method (driven, drilled, helical, micropile, CFA, etc.).
· Define load combinations, and let the software automatically calculate geotechnical bearing capacities in compression and tension using standard geotechnical design methods.
· Receive optimized pile depth recommendations, helping engineers determine the most cost-effective and structurally sound design.
DeepFND ensures that all foundation elements meet both structural and geotechnical criteria, reducing the need for manual calculations and multiple iterations.
Figure 6: Optimized pile depth and geotechnical capacities (compression & tension) in DeepFND
Bridging the Gap Between Structural and Geotechnical Engineering
For structural engineers working on deep foundation projects, DeepFND is an essential tool that simplifies complex geotechnical processes. It provides:
· User-friendly tools for soil property estimation.
· Integrated structural and geotechnical checks for piles and pile caps.
· Automated pile depth optimization for efficient designs.
· Clear graphical outputs and intuitive analysis results.
By using DeepFND, structural engineers can confidently design safe, efficient, and cost-effective deep foundations—even without an extensive geotechnical background. Whether working on high-rise buildings, bridges, industrial facilities, or marine structures, DeepFND ensures that foundation design is accurate, optimized, and compliant with industry standards.
