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Grading Methodologies for small sites

16 REPLIES 16
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Message 1 of 17
civman_daar
755 Views, 16 Replies

Grading Methodologies for small sites

What are the best practices for grading small commercial sites?  Is it a combination of corridors, gradings and featurelines?  If so, what aspects of the site are represented by these objects.  I know how to create these objects, I'm trying to establish a work flow, as well as, trying to keep the site(s) as dynamic as possible.

16 REPLIES 16
Message 2 of 17
Ed.McGriskin
in reply to: civman_daar

I think it comes down more to personal preference and what you are comfortable with.

 

Personally I use featurelines primarily with the odd grading for matching to existing ground where needed. Gives me the most flexibility. 

Ed McGriskin, P.Eng.
Project Engineer @ HUSSON
Remember to accept the solution so others can find the solution also.
Message 3 of 17
jmayo-EE
in reply to: civman_daar

I use a bit of everything.

 

For smaller sites I almost always start with F-Lines. I may use a corridor for large or tiered walls. I may use a grading to find a particular daylight line, construct a pond or project a plane but I never leave gradings in a file.

 

For access aisles and parking lots I may use a number of corridors to rough out the bottom of curb/eop. I extract F-Lines from the corridor and add F-Lines for top of curb. I'll use F-Lines for buildings.

 

If I have a new road or rehab it will be almost always be corridor work. These are probably the only projects I do a complete corridor model on.

 

Aside from the comfort level you have with these options the output you need on your plans may also help you choose the tools you use. I wouldn't want to create a corridor if I had no need to print the profiles or sections...

 

All of the tools have pros and cons in certain situations. The more you use them the easier it is to see methods benefit you best.

 

 

John Mayo

EESignature

Message 4 of 17
troma
in reply to: jmayo-EE

Can you delete the grading and keep the daylight F-line (or other generated F-line)?

Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

Message 5 of 17
jmayo-EE
in reply to: troma

Yes. Now sometimes this will crash c3d on me but,

 

1. Create Grading

 

2. Save your file(s) because c3d may crash. More often than not there is no issue just save. It may save you some marbles later. 😉

 

3. Use Copybase/Copy With Base Point command, select feature line(s) in interest and use 0,0 as a basepoint.

 

4. Delete Grading.

 

5. Paste Fline back into drawing with a base point of 0,0.

 

6. Move feature line to correct Site as the paste operation will create a new site if the name exists.

 

7. Save again. 😉

John Mayo

EESignature

Message 6 of 17
KirkNoonan
in reply to: jmayo-EE

You can also select the daylight line of the grading object and explode it. That will get rid of the grading object and leave you with a 3d poly line to convert into a feature line.

Message 7 of 17
Joe-Bouza
in reply to: civman_daar

I'm a big fan of all the tools. I often use a general surface as described by Eric Chappel in AU 2011 "Islands in Asphalt". this gives me the greatest flexability to update to grading schem changes.

Call me a glutten for punishment but I've been keeping my gradings and have gone as far as using them with relative elevation at 1:1 for the top of curb and I dont have to think about updating two sets of FL
Thank you

Joseph D. Bouza, P.E. (one of 'THOSE' People)

HP Z210 Workstation
Intel Xeon CPU E31240 @ 3.30 Hz
12 GB Ram


Note: Its all Resistentialism, so keep calm and carry on

64 Bit Win10 OS
Message 8 of 17
sboon
in reply to: jmayo-EE

An alternative to this method is to select the featurelines, right-click and use the Copy to Site option.  Once that is done you can delete the source featureline and grading, then move the new featurelines back to the original site if you wish.

 

Steve
Please use the Accept as Solution or Kudo buttons when appropriate

Steve
Expert Elite Alumnus
Message 9 of 17
CADmgrMike
in reply to: civman_daar

Not sure if this is the right thread for this question, but it is directly related.

How many of you use your feature lines and gradings in a plan set?

Or are they only to create a finish surface model with underlying 2D line work?

 

Typically what I've done is do all my grading in a seperate drawing, using xrefed 2D linework as a reference, then creating a data shortcut of my finish surface for the plan set.

 

I'm thinking maybe I should be utilizing feature lines and grading in the plan set and not have a duplicate set of 2D line work.

I'm curious what others are using for workflow.

Mike Porter
https://provostandpritchard.com/
Message 10 of 17
Joe-Bouza
in reply to: CADmgrMike

Personally I would find it very difficult if not impossible to desgn a job vertically without a predefined horizontal representation. Some can but I couldn't and wouldn't try
Thank you

Joseph D. Bouza, P.E. (one of 'THOSE' People)

HP Z210 Workstation
Intel Xeon CPU E31240 @ 3.30 Hz
12 GB Ram


Note: Its all Resistentialism, so keep calm and carry on

64 Bit Win10 OS
Message 11 of 17
KirkNoonan
in reply to: CADmgrMike

I always use the feature lines as "real" lines. Having lines on top of lines makes my brain hurt. Gradings are usually a means of obtaining a feature line for me.

 

Inevitably, one set of lines doesn't get updated. The surveyors can also use the feature lines to generate stakeout points without having to do a lot of offsetting and calculating.

 

It is a good question. It will be interesting to read how others are waorking.

Message 12 of 17
troma
in reply to: CADmgrMike

We've never used feature lines for plotting, generally due to their inability to show linetypes. We may have to reinvestigate that now, but it can be hard to turn a ship around, so to speak.
We start with linework and end with linework, and may use gradings as a tool on the way. I've been half-heartedly following the advice to erase all gradings to avoid corruption.

Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

Message 13 of 17
jmayo-EE
in reply to: civman_daar

I try to plot them but it doesn't always work out with LTGen. Most of my smaller site plans have FL elevation labels which all print on sheets through xref with the FLine layer set to no plot. I almost always have a 2d plan laid out for bulk zoning, parking, surface cover calcs, etc.

John Mayo

EESignature

Message 14 of 17
jmayo-EE
in reply to: civman_daar

I do think the process could be improved so we don't need to reinvet the wheel for 2d and 3d.

John Mayo

EESignature

Message 15 of 17
Neilw_05
in reply to: jmayo-EE

I've always struggled with the mixed 2D and 3D environment we have in Autocad. Not only are linetypes a problem but hatching and line labels as well. Also in my experience, building models often requires extending or breaking linework in ways that are not condusive to plan production. Too, a base drawing often is needed for exhibits and other roles that only require a plan view of the site. It is much easier for those consumers to work in 2D.

Neil Wilson (a.k.a. neilw)
AEC Collection/C3D 2024, LDT 2004, Power Civil v8i SS1
WIN 10 64 PRO

http://www.sec-landmgt.com
Message 16 of 17
CADmgrMike
in reply to: Neilw_05

Looks like the majority opinion is that most of us still live with underlying 2D line work as much as we would like to do differently.

Maybe someday we'll get there, but meanwhile back at the ranch....

 

Thanks for the input.Smiley Happy

Mike Porter
https://provostandpritchard.com/
Message 17 of 17
shunter62
in reply to: civman_daar

@Joe Bouza

 

When using Eric Chappell's island grading method, do you make one island at a time or incorporate multiple islands into your surface? Thanks,

Susan H

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