• Civil 3D

Design and edit a layout profile for a road

Create a surface profile from an alignment, sample existing offsets, create a profile view, and then draw and edit a layout profile for a road.


00:03

A Civil 3D profile enables you to view changes in elevation along a horizontal alignment.

00:09

Profiles allow designers to easily see and account for existing ground elevations

00:14

and required grades, especially when designing drainage solutions, vertical curves, and sight distances.

00:22

In addition to the centerline profile, you can create offset profiles for features such as road edges or ditches.

00:30

These profiles can then be visualized in the profile view of a surface

00:34

to use as a guide for creating the layout profile of a designed surface, such as a road.

00:41

To create a profile in Civil 3D, first, you must have a horizontal alignment designed and in the file.

00:49

Once you have an alignment and existing ground surface ready,

00:52

as in the drawing shown here, from the ribbon, Home tab, Create Design panel,

00:58

expand Profile, and select Create Surface Profile.

01:03

This will allow you to see existing ground conditions.

01:07

In the dialog, expand the Alignment drop-down and select the alignment.

01:13

From the Select surfaces group, select the surface to sample—in this case, EG, or existing ground.

01:21

Click Add to add that information to the profile list at the center line.

01:26

Next, sample existing profiles, such as where the edge of pavement begins and ends.

01:32

Enable Sample offsets.

01:35

Then, in the value field, enter a positive number, such as 12, for the right-side of the alignment.

01:42

Click Add to add the profile to the list.

01:45

Next, enter a negative number, such as -12, for the left side of the alignment, and then click Add.

01:53

Once a profile is listed, you can edit the style assigned.

01:57

From the profile list, choose one of the sample offset profiles

02:01

and select its assigned style from the Style column.

02:05

This opens the Pick profile style dialog.

02:08

Expand the drop-down and assign a different style to the profile.

02:13

In this example, the right-side profile is selected,

02:16

and the style is set to Right Sample Profile.

02:20

Click OK, then follow the same steps to rename the left side.

02:24

This makes it easier to identify each side of the road.

02:29

Next, click Draw in profile view to open the Create Profile View – General wizard.

02:35

For now, leave the settings as they are and click Create Profile View.

02:40

Since the insertion point of a profile view is the bottom left corner,

02:45

here, click to the right of your design to place the profile view.

02:49

Zoom in to review the profiles you created.

02:54

Now, you have plenty of room to design the vertical profile that you want the road to follow instead of the existing ground,

03:01

which has a lot of grade breaks.

03:04

To create a layout profile, from the ribbon, Home tab, Create Design panel,

03:10

expand Profile and select Profile Creation Tools.

03:15

When you are prompted, select the profile view.

03:19

The Create Profile – Draw New dialog opens.

03:23

The Alignment is already assigned,

03:25

since the previously created surface profile was associated with that alignment.

03:30

In the Name field, before the existing text, enter a descriptive name for the profile,

03:35

such as the name of the alignment.

03:38

The Profile Type here will be finished ground.

03:41

Adjust the Profile style and the Profile label set as needed, then click OK.

03:48

In the Profile Layout Tools that display, expand the Tangents drop-down.

03:54

For this example, Draw Tangents With Curves will be used,

03:57

so you need to click Curve Settings to set these first.

04:01

In the Vertical Curve Settings dialog, here, a Parabolic curve type is selected,

04:07

with the Length set to 150.

04:10

Click OK.

04:13

Back in the Tangents drop-down, select Draw Tangents With Curves,

04:17

which will automatically create curves as you draw straight segments.

04:22

You are prompted to specify a starting point for the profile.

04:27

It is best practice to start at an elevation and station that already exist.

04:32

In this case, the center line of the road is known to start at the end point of an existing road.

04:38

Right-click and select Endpoint,

04:40

then click the endpoint of the center line.

04:44

Now, you can either free flow design the road by drawing tangent lines and clicking to create each point of vertical intersection, or PVI,

04:53

or you can specify parameters.

04:56

To set the exact grade and station for a tangent, from the Transparent Commands toolbar,

05:01

click Profile Grade Station.

05:05

Select the profile view, so that Civil 3D knows which vertical exaggeration to use.

05:11

Then, after selecting the starting point, enter a positive grade, such as 10,

05:17

to extend uphill from that point.

05:20

As you drag the mouse, the profile automatically follows that grade.

05:25

Now, either type in a station or click to place a station.

05:30

From here, you can continue drawing the profile with the specified grade,

05:35

or in this case, press ESC once to quit the transparent command.

05:40

Notice that as you drag the mouse, it automatically gives you a curve as the next entity,

05:45

as well as the tangent.

05:48

Pick another PVI, and then, coming down the next side, pick one more,

05:54

or as many as you need to complete your profile.

05:58

Before the last point, right-click and select Endpoint,

06:03

then click to specify the endpoint.

06:07

Press ENTER to finish the profile.

06:10

Automatically, labels are assigned to tangent lines, grade breaks,

06:15

and other vertical information,

06:17

based on the label set selected previously.

06:21

To move a label, select it, then click and drag it using the grip.

06:27

You can also use grips to make adjustments to the road.

06:32

For example, here, you may want to change the big cut at the top of the slope.

06:37

Select the vertical profile, then click the left triangle grip,

06:41

which extends the tangent to the right of the PVI.

06:45

Drag to adjust its length while maintaining the slope.

06:49

Click and drag the right triangle to keep the slope coming into the curve.

06:57

Notice that the curve updates as you move the triangles.

07:03

If you do not need to maintain either of the slopes,

07:06

you can also use the triangle at the center of the point of intersection and free-flow the design,

07:11

ensuring that you are maintaining design standards.

07:15

Now you know that designing a road profile in Civil 3D

07:19

involves understanding existing elevations, sampling existing offsets,

07:24

creating a profile view, and then drawing the vertical profile

07:28

by specifying the grades and points of vertical intersection.

Video transcript

00:03

A Civil 3D profile enables you to view changes in elevation along a horizontal alignment.

00:09

Profiles allow designers to easily see and account for existing ground elevations

00:14

and required grades, especially when designing drainage solutions, vertical curves, and sight distances.

00:22

In addition to the centerline profile, you can create offset profiles for features such as road edges or ditches.

00:30

These profiles can then be visualized in the profile view of a surface

00:34

to use as a guide for creating the layout profile of a designed surface, such as a road.

00:41

To create a profile in Civil 3D, first, you must have a horizontal alignment designed and in the file.

00:49

Once you have an alignment and existing ground surface ready,

00:52

as in the drawing shown here, from the ribbon, Home tab, Create Design panel,

00:58

expand Profile, and select Create Surface Profile.

01:03

This will allow you to see existing ground conditions.

01:07

In the dialog, expand the Alignment drop-down and select the alignment.

01:13

From the Select surfaces group, select the surface to sample—in this case, EG, or existing ground.

01:21

Click Add to add that information to the profile list at the center line.

01:26

Next, sample existing profiles, such as where the edge of pavement begins and ends.

01:32

Enable Sample offsets.

01:35

Then, in the value field, enter a positive number, such as 12, for the right-side of the alignment.

01:42

Click Add to add the profile to the list.

01:45

Next, enter a negative number, such as -12, for the left side of the alignment, and then click Add.

01:53

Once a profile is listed, you can edit the style assigned.

01:57

From the profile list, choose one of the sample offset profiles

02:01

and select its assigned style from the Style column.

02:05

This opens the Pick profile style dialog.

02:08

Expand the drop-down and assign a different style to the profile.

02:13

In this example, the right-side profile is selected,

02:16

and the style is set to Right Sample Profile.

02:20

Click OK, then follow the same steps to rename the left side.

02:24

This makes it easier to identify each side of the road.

02:29

Next, click Draw in profile view to open the Create Profile View – General wizard.

02:35

For now, leave the settings as they are and click Create Profile View.

02:40

Since the insertion point of a profile view is the bottom left corner,

02:45

here, click to the right of your design to place the profile view.

02:49

Zoom in to review the profiles you created.

02:54

Now, you have plenty of room to design the vertical profile that you want the road to follow instead of the existing ground,

03:01

which has a lot of grade breaks.

03:04

To create a layout profile, from the ribbon, Home tab, Create Design panel,

03:10

expand Profile and select Profile Creation Tools.

03:15

When you are prompted, select the profile view.

03:19

The Create Profile – Draw New dialog opens.

03:23

The Alignment is already assigned,

03:25

since the previously created surface profile was associated with that alignment.

03:30

In the Name field, before the existing text, enter a descriptive name for the profile,

03:35

such as the name of the alignment.

03:38

The Profile Type here will be finished ground.

03:41

Adjust the Profile style and the Profile label set as needed, then click OK.

03:48

In the Profile Layout Tools that display, expand the Tangents drop-down.

03:54

For this example, Draw Tangents With Curves will be used,

03:57

so you need to click Curve Settings to set these first.

04:01

In the Vertical Curve Settings dialog, here, a Parabolic curve type is selected,

04:07

with the Length set to 150.

04:10

Click OK.

04:13

Back in the Tangents drop-down, select Draw Tangents With Curves,

04:17

which will automatically create curves as you draw straight segments.

04:22

You are prompted to specify a starting point for the profile.

04:27

It is best practice to start at an elevation and station that already exist.

04:32

In this case, the center line of the road is known to start at the end point of an existing road.

04:38

Right-click and select Endpoint,

04:40

then click the endpoint of the center line.

04:44

Now, you can either free flow design the road by drawing tangent lines and clicking to create each point of vertical intersection, or PVI,

04:53

or you can specify parameters.

04:56

To set the exact grade and station for a tangent, from the Transparent Commands toolbar,

05:01

click Profile Grade Station.

05:05

Select the profile view, so that Civil 3D knows which vertical exaggeration to use.

05:11

Then, after selecting the starting point, enter a positive grade, such as 10,

05:17

to extend uphill from that point.

05:20

As you drag the mouse, the profile automatically follows that grade.

05:25

Now, either type in a station or click to place a station.

05:30

From here, you can continue drawing the profile with the specified grade,

05:35

or in this case, press ESC once to quit the transparent command.

05:40

Notice that as you drag the mouse, it automatically gives you a curve as the next entity,

05:45

as well as the tangent.

05:48

Pick another PVI, and then, coming down the next side, pick one more,

05:54

or as many as you need to complete your profile.

05:58

Before the last point, right-click and select Endpoint,

06:03

then click to specify the endpoint.

06:07

Press ENTER to finish the profile.

06:10

Automatically, labels are assigned to tangent lines, grade breaks,

06:15

and other vertical information,

06:17

based on the label set selected previously.

06:21

To move a label, select it, then click and drag it using the grip.

06:27

You can also use grips to make adjustments to the road.

06:32

For example, here, you may want to change the big cut at the top of the slope.

06:37

Select the vertical profile, then click the left triangle grip,

06:41

which extends the tangent to the right of the PVI.

06:45

Drag to adjust its length while maintaining the slope.

06:49

Click and drag the right triangle to keep the slope coming into the curve.

06:57

Notice that the curve updates as you move the triangles.

07:03

If you do not need to maintain either of the slopes,

07:06

you can also use the triangle at the center of the point of intersection and free-flow the design,

07:11

ensuring that you are maintaining design standards.

07:15

Now you know that designing a road profile in Civil 3D

07:19

involves understanding existing elevations, sampling existing offsets,

07:24

creating a profile view, and then drawing the vertical profile

07:28

by specifying the grades and points of vertical intersection.

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