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TrainingRoads
DifficultyadvancedAdded2027.0Statusdraft

Long Road Project Workflow

The following workflow uses data shortcuts extensively. In some instances, Civil 3D is limited and does not display more than ten profiles for one alignment in the data shortcuts. This issue has been logged with Autodesk, but this workflow can be used as a workaround. If you expect to create more than ten profiles for one alignment (ETWs, guardrails, barrier lines, channel types etc.) in total, then you must create multiple Data Shortcut Project Folders for each corridor section 0-7 km, 7-end km (see the workflow for further details about the corridor sections):

  1. To switch between different data shortcut project folders, use the Set Data Shortcuts Project Folder command**:**

  2. Choose the desired folder (the Surface HA VA folder contains the NGL surface, horizontal and vertical alignments):

  3. Create the NGL surface drawing:

    • Create the NGL surface (survey)
    • Create a data shortcut project folder and name it, Surface HA VA
    • Create the data shortcut for:
      • NGL surface

  4. Create a drawing for the horizontal and vertical alignments (it is practical to have both alignments in one drawing to simplify the alignment optimisation):

    • Reference the following data shortcut:
      • NGL surface
    • Create the horizontal and vertical alignments (do not use any bands for the profile view to keep the drawing as light as possible)
    • Create the data shortcuts for:
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Vertical alignment

  5. Create the corridor drawings. The corridor length must be less than 7.5km. The example below shows the workflow for a road length of less than 15km.

    • Create a drawing: Corridor 0-7 km.dwg
    • Reference the following data shortcuts:
      • NGL surface
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Vertical alignment
    • Create:
      • Corridor 0-7
      • ETWL 0-7
      • ETWR 0-7
      • Top surface 0-7
      • Datum surface 0-7
    • Create a new data shortcuts project folder and name it 0-7 km
    • Create the data shortcuts for:
      • Corridor 0-7 (this is only possible in the Civil 2017 and newer versions, with older versions use the workflow where the corridors are XRefed)
      • ETWL 0-7
      • ETWR 0-7
      • Top surface 0-7
      • Datum surface 0-7
    • Create the drawing: Corridor 7-end km.dwg
    • Reference the following data shortcuts:
      • NGL surface
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Vertical alignment
    • Create:
      • Corridor 7-end
      • ETWL 7-end
      • ETWR 7-end
      • Top surface 7-end
      • Datum surface 7-end
    • Create a new data shortcuts project folder and name it 7-end km
    • Create the data shortcuts for:
      • Corridor 7-end (this is only possible in the Civil 2017 and newer versions, with older versions use the workflow where the corridors are XRefed)
      • ETWL 7-end
      • ETWR 7-end
      • Top surface 7-end
      • Datum surface 7-end

  6. Create a drawing for layer work quantities:

    • Reference the following data shortcuts:
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Corridors (in Civil 3D 2016 and older versions XRef the corridor drawings)
    • Create sample lines
    • Calculate the quantities

  7. Create a drawing for Cut-Fill quantities:

    • Reference following data shortcuts:
      • NGL surface
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Datum surfaces
    • Create a combined datum surface
    • Create the sample lines (sample lines can extend over the intersections if these quantities must be included)
    • Calculate the quantities

  8. Open the drawing containing the horizontal and vertical alignment:

    • Create view frames
    • Create the data shortcut for:
      • View frames

  9. Plan production sheets can be done in the corridor drawings or in new drawings. The workflow below describes the second option. Create drawings for plan production. To improve Civil 3D's performance, it is good practice to split these drawings into 7km sections as per the corridor drawings.

    • Create the drawing: Plan and profiles 0-7 km.dwg
    • Reference the following data shortcuts:
      • NGL surface
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Vertical alignment
      • Previous, current and following corridors (in Civil 3D 2016 and older versions XRef the corridor drawings)
      • View frames
      • ETWL for relevant section
      • ETWR for relevant section
      • Create sheets
    • Create the drawing: Plan and profiles 7-end km.dwg
    • Reference the following data shortcuts:
      • NGL surface
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Vertical alignment
      • Previous, current and following corridors (in Civil 3D 2016 and older versions XRef the corridor drawings)
      • View frames
      • ETWL for relevant section
      • ETWR for relevant section
      • Create sheets

  10. Create drawings for cross-sections. Each drawing shouldn't contain more than 250 cross-sections.

    • Create the drawing: Cross sections 0-xx km.dwg
    • Reference the following data shortcuts:
      • NGL surface (in Civil 3D 2016 and older versions there is no need to reference the NGL surface because it can be sampled from the XRefed corridor drawing)
      • Horizontal alignment
      • Corridor(s) (in Civil 3D 2016 and older versions xref corridor(s) drawings)
    • Create sample lines
    • Create plan production cross-sections
    • Create sheets

  11. Note the following:

    • Intersections need to be done in the Corridor drawing (Corridor 0-7 km.dwg; Corridor 7-end km.dwg)
    • The Devotech iDAS Intersection Wizard cannot be used on corridors referenced through data shortcuts
    • Do horizontal and vertical alignment of short (side) roads in the corridor drawing. It is easier to tie the side roads to the main road, and the Devotech iDAS Intersection Wizard can be used.
    • It is practical to create the intersection detail drawing with the setting out data table in a separate drawing to keep the corridor drawings as light as possible.