Introduction

Base plates play a critical role in steel structures by providing a stable and reliable interface between steel columns and their supporting foundations. These structural members ensure the safe transfer of loads from the steel column to the concrete foundation, allowing for even distribution of forces while preventing local failure or excessive stress concentrations.

In ProtaStructure 2026, we have developed a Steel Base Plate Design Tool, a powerful addition to the structural design toolkit. This tool enables engineers to analyze the necessary failure modes for base plates, ensuring a safe and efficient connection between steel columns and foundations. The analysis is specifically tailored for cast-in anchors, with no anchor reinforcement considered for simplicity. Designed for flexibility, the tool allows users to perform calculations based on their preferred design standards, supporting Eurocode, Turkish Code, and American Code.

In the attached document, how base plates are inserted to the model, the features of the Base Plate Editor, and the design and analysis processes are explained in detail.