Development of an Android Based Mobile Application for Design and Detailing of Pad Foundations to BS8110

Abstract

Many innovative computer software have been developed to perform the task of designing and detailing structural elements such as beams, columns, slabs and foundations. This design and detailing can be done using mobile devices but software developed to operate on such devices have not been fully developed. However, this research is aimed at developing an android based mobile application for the design of pad foundations to Bs8110. The mobile application developed designs isolated axially loaded-only; axially loaded with moment pad footings as well as combined pad footings. The mobile application developed was tested using three typical test parameters and results compared to the manual computations. There was no significant variation in the steel sections required and provided for the manual design and that generated by the mobile application. The steel required by manual design for the axially loaded pad footing was 835mm2/m and that generated by the application was 837.2mm2/m. That of the axially loaded with moment gave required steel section as 1019mm2/m using manual design. This android-based mobile application would thus give the structural engineer the leverage to design pad footings anywhere and anytime.