Tutorial 4 - Slab Depressions for Slab-on-Grade Foundations (9:35 min.):



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/78b4b1c5-8ccd-4a35-a936-ff94dee23bc9/Tutorial-4-Slab-Depressions

I've fixed some additional bugs with this latest release, Version 1.3.1.  Let me know what you get.

Version 1.3.1 - 07.19.2019
- Added slab depressions for rectangular and polygon slab-on-grade foundations.
- Enabled editing, moving and deleting of slab depressions for all slab-on-grade foundations.
- When construction callouts and subbase material is enabled, the volume of the subbase material is displayed beneath the foundation label (currently only slab-on-grade foundation assemblies have this feature available).



The slab depression tool can also be used to cut thru holes into the slab, as shown.

Note that additional work still needs to be done to properly modify rebar and mesh for slab depressions.  Currently there is no logic in place to modify the perimeter or slab rebar when a slab depression is utilized within a slab-on-grade foundation. 

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/6881b3bf-3ecf-4d3a-9cee-f8dd1cc3c11d/Slab-Depression-Test-2

Version 1.3.0b - 07.16.2019
- Added the Slab Depression toolbar and icons.
- Enabled a 45 deg. miter option for the ends of interior footings.
- Fixed a bug with the initial positioning transforms for the interior footing draw tool.

The option for mitering is tucked into the start and end slope option.   Now in addition to the Yes/No options you also can have it miter left or right (45 deg only).



This is a critical update since the transform bug was a significant issue with Version 1.3.0.

The slab depression functions/tools are still under construction and currently not functional.

BUG REPORT:  I'm missing a transform in the "Add Interior Footing" tool, so if a foundation is created in a location other than the origin, it may produce an unexpected result (ie. shifted footing location).  I am working on the fix currently.  Funny that I never exposed this error in my testing or even in the tutorial video, it does take a special set of circumstances.

I've also identified another issue where two footings might be coincident at their ends (start or end) at a non-orthogonal angle, see image below:



In such a situation rather than sloping the ends of the footing towards each other I need to miter the ends so that they meet cleanly.  Just some additional code in the block of code that applies the slope to the footings.

If three footings or more footings were to meet at a single point then the boolean union of them would work out without a hitch, it is only when you join two footings at their ends that this scenario becomes an issue.

First look at the slab depression toolbar:



This toolbar will allow the user to add, delete, edit or modify slab depressions within slab-on-grade or slab foundations.

Tutorial 3 - Interior Footings for Slab-on-Grade Foundations (16:33 min.)



Interior footings for rectangular slab-on-grade foundations is identical to working with polygon shaped foundations.

After mauling this over a bit more I think I can deal with the concrete, slab insulation, interior footings and subbase fairly easily with a slab depression, however the slab reinforcement is a bit more challenging.  Even the footing top bars are a bit problematic ( they need to be dropped as well) as one can see in the image below:



At the moment I don't have a good answer for how to deal with slab depressions when combined with slab reinforcement.  If anyone has a good idea I'm open to suggestion.

This type of slab depression (4") is fairly typical for a garage that is attached to the main residence.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/8861a845-b5b3-4634-bc06-9edb4c62d449/Slab-Depression-Test-1

I've been considering the addition of a tool that adds in a depression to the slab-on-grade.  The user would create any polygon shape which would then be used to generate this depressed region on the slab. 

The actual modifications to the concrete slab would be fairly easy to accomplish with the API however a number of ripple effects would pose other problems.  The first problem would be slab reinforcement.  The depressed region would need to have its reinforcement translated down with the slab so it remains centered within the slab.

A similar problem exists for slab insulation and subbase material, these items would need to be moved down in the z direction as well.  This of course is assuming that the slab in the depressed region remains the same thickness as the rest of the slab, however this might not be the case.

One could assign the a zero thickness to the depressed region slab thickness which essentially cuts a hole in the slab if the depression is equal to the slab thickness.

Or one could specify a thicker slab in this depressed region.

Regardless slab depressions are quite interesting and introduce a number of complex problems when combined with other features like internal footings, slab insulation, subbase and slab reinforcement.

Version 1.3.0 - 07.14.2019
- Added interior footings for rectangular slab-on-grade foundations.
- Added interior footings for polygon slab-on-grade foundations.
- Enabled editing, moving and deleting of interior footings for all slab-on-grade foundations.



This is a substantial upgrade for slab-on-grade foundations.  I've completely removed the old interior footing code and replaced it with the new interior footing module.  The ability to add, move, edit and delete each interior footing on an unlimited basis is a breath of fresh air for this plugin. 

Now I just need to do something similar for stemwall foundations and slabs... there is always more to do.

Later today, after a small break, I will put out a tutorial video explaining the features of this new module and demonstrate its use.

As I've been putting the new interior footing module through its paces it occurred to me that the waffle type floor systems seen in large parking structures and in Australian residential construction will now be possible with this new feature.

I'm pretty excited to finally see this feature become a reality.  I should have made this happen a couple years ago, but in all truthfulness I probably did not possess the programming chops or experience to make it happen at the time. 

Fast forward a couple years, and I have much better handle of what I can and can't do with SketchUp's API.  I've also been able to lean on and gain advice from some of the SketchUp sages along the way. Thank-you for coming to my rescue, and being so generous with your advice and time, it has made all the difference.

Working in 3D is a bit different, and poses some additional challenges, when compared with designing in a 2D environment.

Slab-on-Grade interior footings are an excellent example of this type of problem.  In a 3D environment you are usually wanting to work on your model looking down at it rather than looking up at it.  Unless you have modified the transparency of concrete material you are typically unable to view the interior footings you have created.

To remedy this problem I have created a hidden layer (normally hidden) that is toggled on when you go to add, edit, delete or move an interior footing.  This layer not only contains the outline of each footing but also the label assigned to each by the plugin:



This layer can always be toggled manually by the user, but I have also setup the various tools to toggle it on and off during appropriate actions.

This image demonstrates the vertical drop option/parameter along with various rebar configurations:



The footing to the far right is a typical 12" deep shallow footing with two bars.

The two central footings are 18" deep (4" slab) with a 10" vertical drop.  When you specify a qty. of four or six bars the plugin will arrange the bars top and bottom as shown otherwise the bars will be positioned at the bottom of the footing (with a 3" ground clearance).

Note that all of the footings shown have a slope of 45 deg. however this can also be customized to any angle.

First look at a slab-on-grade (rectangular) foundation with multiple interior footings:





Note that this feature (interior footing module) allows for an unlimited amount of interior footings in any orientation and with each footing being customizable to its own specifications.

As shown in the image above this new feature also works with the subbase and slab insulation options.

Now I just need to work on the edit, move and delete functions for the interior footings.

Version 1.2.9 - 07.08.2019
- Added a Custom Material Library/Manager in the Materials tab of the Global Settings.
- Enabled custom materials for the subbase material in the HTML edit menus for slab-on-grade foundations.

I've had some conversations about providing formwork for the various foundations.  This is not a high priority right now but at some point I may decide to add in this advanced option.