Reclamation Design

[mason.prokop]

Can AutoCAD Civil 3D be efficiently used for site reclamation? Can it be used to create reclamation surfaces or gradings that balance cut/fill automatically through an algorithm or linear program? I recently attempted to create a surface grading to be applied into equipment as a design surface through C3D and also through a GEMCOM software called Minex (Spoil Regrade option). After a week or two of trying to determine which way is best, I have come to the conclusion that neither works that great. Maybe I am using them incorrectly, but if anyone knows of a better way to do this, please notify me.

All I want to do is take an existing topo surface, design a new reclamation design surface, and imput the design surface into equipment. The design step is frustrating me right now because I can't seem to build/design a proper surface in C3d that can balance cut and fill efficiently and MINEX (Gemcom) creates surfaces that are much too linear and jagged. Someone proposed using gradings or corridors to do this in C3D and I have yet to get that to work for what I want to do. If anyone knows a way to create nicely contoured design surfaces in either C3D or any other software, please help!

[troma]

If you want to avoid gradings, try this:
Do a volume surface between your existing and proposed surfaces in C3D. The net volume tells you how much difference there is between them.
Divide your net volume over the surface area, to find out how much depth that volume works out to be. Then adjust your proposed ground up or down by the depth, to get closer to a balance.

[Joe-Bouza]

Only projection gradings leverage the auto balance.

Smooth contours are a function of data in the model. You get what you give. As you are seeing with your experiments.

What is the difference between a surface and a reclamation-surface? I'm guessing nothing, All you need is a good topi patience and practice.

[mason.prokop]

I've tried this but my proposed surface is quite intricate, with proposed road ways, powerline corridors, different sloping for certain areas, etc. It isn't as simple as creating a flat or slightly sloped grading and moving it up and down. My best bet with C3D would be using a corridor but even then it would be quite difficult to emulate what I wish to achieve...

I can provide the existing surface, and the proposed corridors, for a visualisation.