Development of a Computational Tool for the Structural Design of Footings

The efficient and safe design of foundation elements is critical in structural engineering, requiring specialized computational support. To support this, several computational tools have been developed to facilitate project execution and organization. In structural design, for instance, it is often necessary to determine the dimensions of foundation elements. In this context, the present work proposes the development of a computational tool for the design of isolated footings, with a dual purpose: to serve as a didactic resource in undergraduate education and to assist designers who wish to carry out manual calculations. Developed entirely in Python, the tool’s primary value lies in generating reliable results directly comparable to those found in established reference literature, thus facilitating validation. The program generates a comprehensive calculation report, which transparently presents a step-by-step application of the design equations, including all partial intermediate results at each stage, thereby improving the user's understanding of the underlying design methodology. An accompanying user manual was developed and presented for the tool. The program's substantial pedagogical value is demonstrated by its intuitive visual representation of the footing geometry, which consequently streamlines the definition and input of critical design parameters, such as column dimensions, axial load, bending moments, material resistance properties, and concrete cover.