Copy a Constriction Phsae

I can't find a quick way to do this; I've used the 'Feature Surface' option and inputted spot levels to establish the cut/fill needed to establish the formation level for the construction of a car park. I now want to calculate the fill required to bring the level up to underside of the asphalt. My idea was to use the 'Spread' option to do this because this fill is specified at a constant 6" thick. My issue is that this fill will cover the same area as the cut/fill calculation, but I can find no way of copying the boundary I created when using the 'Feature Surface' option. Obviously i can copy the 'Feature Surface' to a new Construction Phase; but I can't then edit it to use with the 'Spread' option.

Of course, the simple solution is simply to use a calculator to multiply the 2D area of the cut/fill by 6" to generate the volume of fill needed. But I was hoping to be able to show the client a 3D Kubla Cubed model which would show this fill

All answers on a post card please :-)

Thanks in advance

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to the forum!

No postcard I'm afraid, but hopefully this might help...

In our software you can copy and paste information between points' co-ordinate tables.  This is a somewhat hidden feature, and we're looking into ways to make the copy and paste options more obvious in the future.  

For now, this is how I would do this:

1. Go into the feature surface definition (feature surface -> edit) and then select the outline you want to copy.  It should expand in the sidebar and show you a table of the points' positions.  
   
2. If you click on the button on the top left of table (see attachment) then it will select everything in the table.  Press 'Ctrl' + 'C' to copy the co-ordinates in the table.  
   
3. Now go back into main window.  Create your 6" spread area and draw any old outline.  Just any three points.
   
4. Once you've finished it will show you the points table for the spread element in the side bar.  
   
5. Similar steps to paste as for copying.  Select everything in the table by clicking on the top left button.  This time 'Ctrl' + 'V' to paste the table data you just copied.
   

Hope that helps, but let me know if it's not clear.

By the way, I've assumed in this explanation that your outline only has X and Y positions defined, so both tables have the same number of columns and it's straightforward to copy between them.  If you are using the 'defined varying level' outline option (which is quite unusual) you will also have a Z value in the outline table.  In this case I would suggest you copy from the outline table into excel, then copy the first two columns from excel into the spread table.

I'm assuming you've already offset the feature surface you've defined to account for the construction depths?  Worth mentioning that most drawings show the finished level, so you need to drop the feature surface down to get to formation level when you're taking off.  Then you can build it up with spreads as you have worked out, if you want to display each of those levels.

Leo

I can't find a quick way to do this; I've used the 'Feature Surface' option and inputted spot levels to establish the cut/fill needed to establish the formation level for the construction of a car park. I now want to calculate the fill required to bring the level up to underside of the asphalt. My idea was to use the 'Spread' option to do this because this fill is specified at a constant 6" thick. My issue is that this fill will cover the same area as the cut/fill calculation, but I can find no way of copying the boundary I created when using the 'Feature Surface' option. Obviously i can copy the 'Feature Surface' to a new Construction Phase; but I can't then edit it to use with the 'Spread' option.

Of course, the simple solution is simply to use a calculator to multiply the 2D area of the cut/fill by 6" to generate the volume of fill needed. But I was hoping to be able to show the client a 3D Kubla Cubed model which would show this fill

All answers on a post card please :-)

Thanks in advance

Kevin

Just to add to what Leo said.  Your 'spread' element to calculate the volume between subgrade and FFL will need to be on another phase if you want it to be separate it  in the volume estimation report.  Earthworks elements on the same phase that intersect (as a spread on top of the feature surface would) will be merged and report as a single 'earthworks cluster'.

It sounds like you might have used formation level elevations in your surface which is fine.  However there are some advantages to doing what leo has suggested.  Enter FFL and then either :

A) Offset the surface in Z to accommodate for the construction thickness or
B) Layer strips over the top of the feature surface to accommodate for construction thickness.

Option B is necessary when you have different areas with different surface materials.  This is quite common.  You car park maybe be one material but the surrounding land may be soft landscaped.

Another thing to be aware of is that the areas of the strips can then be obtained in the "User Input Data" report so you might prefer to use that rather then define them all again as spreads in the another phase.  It is up to you.  I prefer actually defining with spreads to bring back up to FFL as then everything is organised in the report by phase e.g : 

Existing->Strip->Bulk Earthworks->Surface Materials

If you want more info on this get in touch and I can demonstrate.