design software

huangyhg

design software
i'm looking for some software to help in designs of base plates, footings, some concrete, retaining walls.  i have an analysis program for my frames.  i'm looking for something to handle the ancillary components for our designs, like the base plates, footings, etc.  i'm currently looking at staad.etc, it seems to have everything i need.
anyone use this program?  how do you like it?  any comments on other packages that ya'll like to use?
thanks.  
staad.etc is quite good. their new wind load is only for asce 7-95 and not 98. that is the only problem i saw. they even have a small analysis package.
privateer,
stadd.etc is good to its capacity but consider risa-3d also. they have good set of ancillary components like base plates, foundation etc. i found it a good tool for finite element analysis.
my personal opinion - if i had to choose between paying for risa vs. using staad for free - i'd go with risa.
compared both risa and staad.  seems like you get more stuff with staad.  also, it looks like staad can do more.  for instance, staad can do combined footings, where risa only does singly loaded spread footings (?)
what do ya'll think?
check out these two threads on staad:
my $0.02, i only use general structural analysis programs for the purpose of indeterminate structural analysis and never use the associated ancillary design programs.  i use a combination of spreadsheet and mathematical programs which have been set up and updated by myself to the various codes used in my practice.
staad is a good software and can give what designers need most. however, try for robot millenium it has more features and output options than staad. it saves you from a lot of minor tedious work in presenting your calculation skecthes etc. you have more options is reinforcement selection and all dsign criteria paramaters. above all, it is very user friendly.
csi has also very good packages.
gt strudl, is in my opinion, the most well documented and tested design software available. also, it is the only structural software certified by the united states nuclear regulatory commission (which is a superior accomplishment).the documentation and tests required to keep this certification are amazing.

however,it is a pain to learn to use.

risa is easiest and fastest to me.
i find risa's base plate and footing design programs much easier to use than staad's.  
you may also want to look at enercalc.
v2 (visitor)12 may 02 16:13
staad.etc has a lot more modules than risa. and it is connected dierctly with their main program. both are good for base plates and footings. but staad also does spread footings, slab design ,shear walls, etc. i used enercalc but switched to stad.etc because it had more quality modules. they also provide step by step calculatins explaining every formula and intermediate value which risa does not provide (neither does enercalc).
haynewp, staad also says they are certified by nrc along with iso 9001??? anyway, let's not start another one of these staad vs. the world threads. it does not make sense. people will bash, people will support. let's answer the threads that have to do with real work rather than become the ralph nader of strucutrual softwware!