
Foundations form the interaction between an upper structure and the soil. Settlements depend on local soil conditions and on the construction method. Especially for pile-raft foundations there is an important interplay between the pile, the raft and the soil to support the forces from the upper structure. In this interplay deformations are a key factor. Such a situation can only be analysed effectively by means of three-dimensional finite element calculations in which proper models are incorporated to simulate soil behaviour and soil-structure interaction.
Plaxis 3D Foundation offers these facilities. A brief summary of important features of the program can be found on the 'Features' page.

* Pentium processor, 2.0 Ghz.
* 512 MB RAM (more is recommended)
* Free harddisk space 600 MB
* Screen resolution min. 1024x768
* Windows® NT 4.0; Windows® 2000; Windows® XP Professional