Divide Volume Surface in Equal/Unequal Portions

[Anonymous]

Is there any way to divide a volume surface into different portions? For example the attached DWG file is a stockpile and the volume is almost 61,000 cubic yard. First I need to divide this stockpile into two portions of 30,000 cy and 31,000 cy.  (Almost divide in half where the west side must be 31,000). Then I must divide the 30,000 portion of the stockpile into 20 smaller sections and each section must be 1,500 cubic yard. 

Then I will need to find the coordinates of the center point of each portion and give it to surveyors to take soil sample for each area. 

[rl_jackson]

I'm not completely certain of your end goal based on your description but it sounds like you might want to look at Mass Haul Diagrams.

[Anonymous]

@rl_jackson 

The total volume of the stockpile is 61,000 cubic yard. I must take 23 soil samples (test pits) from 23 points (if you look at it from top/plan view). The first 20 sections/areas must cover 1500 cubic yard each

area we see from plan view X depth underneath the area = 1500 CY 

and the last 3 sections/areas must cover 10,000 cubic yard each.

[rl_jackson]

So I downloaded and looked at your drawing and I think that the first issue that needs to be solved is the tie-in between the EG surface and the Stockpile, in some cases along the perimeter your Stockpile is floating above the EG, was the Stockpile data the limit of your data? (Note: this means you current volume would not be accurate.)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for looking at the file and noticing the tie in problem! but how am I gonna tie the stockpile to EG? 

And yes, the limit of stockpile would the limit of data. I mean the boundary of stockpile surface will the area of work.

[rl_jackson]

Attached is a modified file these were my steps to tie the EG to the Stockpile.

1. Select Stockpile Surface and on the Surface Ribbon select Extract From Surface.

2. Offset the resulting Extracted Border, I used 3' for a 3:1 slope based on the overall average across the stockpile.

3. Covnvert offset line to a Feature line by using Create Featureline from Object.

4. Select resulting FL - Right-click and open Elevation Editor then selected for FL to get elevation from the EG surface.

5. Select FL - Right Click and Add surface to Stockpile Surface as Breakline.

Have a look at the attached file, feel free to try it yourself.

[rl_jackson]

Attached is your drawing with the command using the Earthwork Plan Production command with default values of a 20x20 grid. While this doesn't get you to an exact # like your looking for it will give you a close approximation of the locations you need to place your test pits. (Note: number in light blue with a box is the volume of the 20x20 box)

[jroot · Accepted solution]

You could trial-and-error it fairly quickly.

Set you surfaces to rebuild automatically and keep the Volume Dashboard open so you can see the changes as they happen.

Draw a closed polyline around the east half of the pile and add this as a "hide" boundary to you Stockpile surface.  Note the Fill after you add it, then keep dragging the polyline nodes around till you get to 31,000.  That's where to divide the the pile the first time.  Now you'll have to keep making copies of your Stockpile surface and whittle it down by adding hide boundaries.  Or do a Cropped Surface out to a new DWG each time to break the larger surface down by the 1500 cy chunks.

[Anonymous]

@jroot 

That's how I actually ended up doing. It took me almost 3 hours to finish all the sections. It's a fairly good and easy way to go.

[Anonymous]

@rl_jackson 

Thank you very much for taking the time and explaining all these methods. I looked at the Earthwork Plan Production and it's really neat and interesting. But it does not quite fit my planning procedure. I think what @jroot  proposed is the way to go in this situation as I can manipulate each closed polyline very easily to get to the exact volume. Cheers!

[Anonymous]

I think that the easy way is:

1-create the parcels/portions that you need (Home/parcel/create parcel by layout or object): 1 for the 31,000 cy area and another 20 parcels for the 30,000 cy area.

2-calculate the volume surface : analyze/volume/surface to surface

3-toolbox/reports manager/parcel volume report  you'll get a excel file with the volumes for each parcel

and you can explode and export as 2d poly the parcels for the surveyors setting out the points.

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous 

Thanks for your suggestion. But how can I know the volume of the parcel before create a report for it? How can I make one of the parcel's volume exactly 31,000 CY? and same for other parcels?