Desenvolvimento de um programa para o dimensionamento de blocos de coroamento rígidos sob múltiplas combinações de esforços

Abstract

The structural design of pile caps is a fundamental stage in Civil Engineering, the complexity of which increases with the verticalization of buildings and the magnitude of applied loads. The current calculation process presents a dichotomy: high-cost commercial software and accessible spreadsheets, which require manual data entry and are susceptible to errors, especially in the analysis of multiple load combinations. Therefore, a gap was observed in the availability of automated, accessible, and transparent tools to optimize this workflow. Given this, this work aimed to develop a program in Python, with an intuitive graphical interface, for the automated design of rigid pile caps. The tool was developed to be capable of processing combinations of normal force and bending moments, identifying the critical situation for the design. Based on calculation models such as the Strut-and-Tie Model, the program enabled the determination of the minimum height of the cap and the necessary reinforcement. The proposal filled the existing gap, offering an efficient, reliable, and free solution that contributed to the democratization of access to calculation tools, increased productivity, and reduced design errors, serving also as a valuable operational and educational resource.