Placing Piles (Drilled Footings)

[axhake]

I have been using the "Drilled Footing" tool to place piles on a project I am working on at the moment.
The project requires straight piles (no bell end to them) so I have been setting the "Bell width" and "Bell height" to 0.
All displays correctly but when I checked the length and toe level they are not correct.

 

Example of 600mm pile with a toe level of -5000.
1. Create a new file
2. Select: Building Shell> Drilled Footing
3. Enter the following:

    x = 0
    y = 0
    z = 0

    Rotation = 0
    Diameter = 600
    Bell width = 0
    Bell height = 0
    Top datum = 0
    Bearing datum = -5000

 

Now check the top and bottom levels of the pile (drilled footing):
    Top level = 0
    Bottom level = -5300

 

    Measured length = 5300

 

The length should be 5000 but it has increased by 300

 

However if I set:
    Bell width = 600 (same diameter as the rest of the pile (drilled footing))
and
    Bell height = 0

the pile is now drawn and measures correctly.

 

Is this the only way to draw a pile without the bell end; should entering a bell height and width of 0 give the correct length?

It would useful if the ("z" /Top Datum) could be tied into the stories.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2018 by axhake