Optimization Criteria dialog Pile/Pile Cap tab
These options are used to define the criteria by which the pile cap dimensions will be optimized.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Spacing group | Spacing can be specified in two ways: edge of pile cap to center of pile, and center to center of piles. Both options allow you to specify the spacing as the maximum of the following: a factor multiplied by the pile diameter, an absolute distance measured from the center of the pile, or as an absolute distance measured from the edge of the pile. Any of the values may be zero, but there must be at least one value that is not zero in each category. |
| Thickness group | This is where the minimum footing thickness is defined for pile cap footings. The thickness increment here is used for optimization of pile cap footings. (The thickness for spread and continuous footings is defined on the Spread/Continuous tab.) |
Suggested Pile and Edge Spacing Values for ACI 318 Design
Edge to Center of Pile
- E = 15" for P ≤ 120 Kip
- E = 21" for 120 < P ≤ 240
- E = 27" for 240 < P ≤ 400
- E = 30" for P > 400 Kip
Center to Center of Piles
- Minimum pile center to center spacing = 3× pile diameter
- Minimum pile center to center spacing = 36"
- Minimum pile clear spacing = 24"