AFES Foundation 2026 – Comprehensive Foundation Engineering and Design Software for Plant and Infrastructure Projects

AFES (Automatic Foundation Engineering System) is a specialized foundation design software originally developed by GS Engineering & Construction of South Korea. It was widely used in the plant engineering industry for the analysis and design of equipment and steel structure foundations, particularly in refinery, petrochemical, and power plant projects.

The software provides a comprehensive one-stop solution for foundation engineering, covering the entire workflow from load import and soil data input through analysis, design, and automated drawing production. AFES supports both shallow foundations (spread footings, combined footings, strip footings) and deep foundations (pile caps with various pile configurations).

Important Note on Version and Availability: The latest version of AFES appears to be version 3.0, with development effectively stopping around 2009. The software was reportedly abandoned by its original owner, GS Engineering & Construction, making legitimate licensing difficult to obtain. The “2026” designation in this entry reflects the current year of inquiry rather than an official version release.

Primary Users

AFES Foundation 2026 is designed for structural engineers, civil engineers, and foundation design specialists working on industrial plant and infrastructure projects. It serves professionals who:

  • Design equipment foundations for vessels, tanks, towers, and pipe racks in refinery, petrochemical, and power plant projects

  • Analyze and design both shallow and deep foundations including spread footings, combined footings, and pile caps

  • Import load combinations from structural analysis programs such as SAP2000 for seamless workflow integration

  • Generate automated design drawings, 3D CAD models, and bills of materials for cost estimation and construction

  • Produce foundation design reports compliant with international design codes including ACI, AISC, and API standard

Key Features & Capabilities

Foundation Analysis and Design

  • Shallow Foundation Design: Spread footings, combined footings, strip footings, and mat foundations with automatic sizing based on soil bearing capacity

  • Deep Foundation Design: Pile caps with various pile configurations including vertical and battered piles

  • Load Combination Handling: Import and process load combinations from SAP2000 and other structural analysis programs

  • Soil-Structure Interaction: Consideration of soil properties and bearing capacity in foundation design

Automated Documentation

  • Design Drawings: Automatic generation of foundation plan and section drawings

  • 3D CAD Models: Three-dimensional representation of foundation geometry for visualization and coordination

  • Bill of Materials (BOM): Detailed material takeoffs with quantities, weights, and reinforcement schedules for cost estimation

  • Design Reports: Comprehensive calculation reports documenting design assumptions, code checks, and results

Supported Structures

  • Equipment Foundations: Vessels, vertical and horizontal tanks, heat exchangers, and reactors

  • Pipe Racks: Multi-level pipe rack structures with complex loading conditions

  • Towers and Stacks: Tall, slender structures with significant wind and seismic loads

  • Steel Structure Foundations: Column base plates and anchor bolt designs

Design Code Compliance

  • International Standards: Supports ACI, AISC, and API design codes commonly used in plant engineering

  • Korean Standards: Originally designed to comply with Korean industrial standards