Review the generated 3D model, then export the structural blueprints and calculation reports.
Some sources mention as a later rebranding, but the software remains largely unchanged. A company called Dimensional Solutions offers Foundation3D, Mat3D, and Shaft3D – modern successors with similar capabilities but completely new code. These are commercial, licensed products with free trials available.
AFES was developed by , but the last recorded update was around 2009 . For over a decade, the software has not been actively maintained or updated. The official website appears to be defunct, and attempts to purchase legitimate licenses have been unsuccessful. The copyright holder is GS E&C (GS Yeokjeon Tower, 537, Namdaemun‑Ro‑5Ga, Joong‑Gu, Seoul, Korea), but the company has effectively abandoned the product.
The Indonesian engineering blog highlights a serious bug: when analyzing pile foundations with a configuration of more than one pile aligned in a single row (e.g., only in the X‑direction or only in the Y‑direction), AFES ignores the moment in the perpendicular direction . The software assumes pinned pile heads (no moment transfer) and skips the stability check without any warning or error message, reporting “OK” in the output. This could lead to an unsafe design being accepted as valid. afes foundation design software free download
Download the official AFES demo – it often allows you to:
Comprehensive Guide to AFES Foundation Design Software and Free Alternatives
AFES is a comprehensive foundation design automation system developed to handle both shallow and deep foundations. Unlike general-purpose finite element analysis (FEA) software, AFES is custom-tailored specifically for foundations. It takes the superstructure analytical data (such as joint reactions and load combinations) and automatically designs the optimal substructure. Review the generated 3D model, then export the
The use of AFES foundation design software offers several benefits to engineers and architects, including:
If you require foundation design tools at no cost, consider these alternatives that offer official free editions: Afes foundation design
Are you using this for or a commercial project ? These are commercial, licensed products with free trials
Learning the workflow of commercial foundation design software. 4. Open-Source FEM Software (e.g., OpenSees)
For standard shallow foundations and pile caps, verified Excel sheets are the most popular free alternative used in the industry.
You are not sacrificing safety for price. AFES uses the same limit state design philosophy as expensive software. The only sacrifice is convenience (slightly clunky UI) and advanced FEM modeling.