Documentation: Helpful watch and learn videos on the CSI website of exporting to SAFE.

Help menu and manuals provide detailed information on process as well. Steps ETABS to SAFE: 1. When exporting from ETABS for mat design (as opposed to elevated slab), use the export floor loads and loads from above option with the BASE Story to export selected. Notes: Model must be analyzed and locked to export. The export floor loads only option is for individual floor plate design. The export floor loads plus Column and Wall Distortions is necessary only when displacement compatibility could govern and needs to be checked floor slab design. (Effects punching shear and flexural reinforcement design) 2. Import .f2k file to SAFE 3. Assign Soil Supports to Raft Slab Notes: Recommend not drawing slab at BASE level in ETABS, but draw in SAFE after columns and walls have already been imported from .f2k file. As the soil engineer recommends different stiffness values, different mats will need to be drawn with appropriate soil support. Soil pressure is commonly different under different portions of the structure. The soil support value is additive- mat properties in SAFE cannot overlap. Better to keep this level of modelling to SAFE rather than adding to run time of ETABS models. Also, SAFE and ETABS currently mesh differently. ETABS is more tedious with non orthogonal grid conditions as shell elements must be manually meshed to columns. SAFE will automatically to columns. 4. Assign foundation area loads. 5. Assign appropriate design code. (Most current ACI option) 6. Run model. Check for deflected shape and soil pressure distribution. After it is concluded model imported correctly. Proceed to more intricate SAFE Analysis such as adding column strips and middle strips, checking uplift, one way shear under cores, punching shear at columns, and reinforcement in addition to the code minimum mesh specification.