aci 318 appendix d software

huangyhg

aci 318 appendix d software
anyone run across any good software to help with the mind-numbing calculations of appendix d?
thanks
hilti has something called "profis".  you can download it from there site.  
profis is very limited.  try this for a more robust general implementation:
simpson has a nice little program on their website
are you suggesting that cast-in-place and post installed anchors are boring?!?!
you're right.  they are a good way to induce moderate depression.
pca design handbook has some pretty good worked-out examples of embed plates.  their procedures are similar to aci app d.
we have been using dsanhcor for over 18 months and we are quite happy with its capabilities.
it is a crying shame that we have to revert to a computer program to design these blasted things when we did not have to for many many decades.
the appendix as written is a poor excuse to a code which we are required to use.  the rumor i keep hearing is that it is due to a total re-write because of the shear equations being so limited.
it will cost us all over 100 bucks to see that latest revisions.
minorchord:
i totally agree!! the really aggravating thing about 318 appendix d is nobody can really point to a problem it was meant to correct.
i went to a seminar a year or two ago where a rep from aci presented appendix d. he was asked in the question and answer session if aci was aware of systematic problems with post-installed anchors installed prior to appendix d comming out. his response was 'no'.
seems like another case of the acedemics dreaming up another way to make the practicing engineer's life a little harder for no apperant purpose.
i'll stop ranting now.
hear! hear!
besides all the extra chores that this appendix requires the engineer to do, it requires that the manufacturer's perform special testing (which very few have have done to date) for post installed anchors.  you can either specify the anchors that have the testing and no equals or allow other anchors and violate the code.
i agree with the replies above that appendix d is a solution in search of a problem. it encourages engineers to violate the code.
appendix d is based on a lot of good research from europe.but maybe usa concrete is different?
it may be based on "good research" but the unintended consequences of its publication are staggering.  just look at the comments made in this forum and the extra effort being made by hilti, and simpson in trying to get their anchors "blessed".  
the code in its present state is unweildly, unnerving, fraught never ending complexity, and just plain poorly written and documented.  
i feel that there must be a better way to design anchors than to use this code.  there is a marked rebellion among structural engineers in my town and i am sure that we are not alone.  this is akin to the rebellion that we all saw when the ibc 2000 wind code was published.  we all said, "what is the hell is this?"  in articles i have read from ghosh, there are rumblings about going back to the ubc 97 wind code or at least re-publishing the wind code provisions so people can understand it without the use of a computer program.
the same thing has happened with this abortion known as appendix d.
we had an aci rep talk to our sea luncheon and he was peppered with loud and raucous rants from structural engineers.  he did the best he could but he know the gig was up.  he made no headway in trying to convince the skeptical and unbelievers.
i know some of you will berate me for this post, but i venture to say that my view is more prevalent.  if you use appendix d and like it, have at it.  for our design office, we have scrapped its use as being time wasteful and we are not going to buy some bs computer program either.
for me, i will use the pci handbook until the aci code is fixed.
i will step down from the soap box now.
thank you and goodnight.