Roadway and bridge modeling

Autodesk Support

Oct 31, 2022


The AEC collection includes a number of ways to quickly model and analyze roadway, highway, and bridge design. Here, you will leverage Autodesk Civil 3D and InfraWorks to begin designing roadways and bridges.

Part one includes: Creating alignments

Part two includes: Creating profiles

Part three includes: Structural engineering in 2-Points

Part four includes: Inserting a bridge in InfraWorks along a linked Civil 3D road corridor

 

Creating alignments

Alignments in Civil 3D can represent roads, pipelines, or other baselines. In this section, you’ll learn how to create and modify alignments using Autodesk Civil 3D.

Exercise files:

Creating Alignments.dwg

Estimated time to complete topic:

10 minutes

Topic steps:

8

1.  On the Home tab in the Create Design panel, click Alignment and select Alignment Creation Tools.

2. In the Create Alignment – Layout window, specify the name of the alignment as well as the Alignment style, layer, and label set.

 

3. To assign a design speed to check compliance using AASHTO standards, click on the Design Criteria tab and assign the desired speed, enable all the checkboxes, and click OK.

4. In the Alignment Layout Tools window, select the first button on the left and select straight – straight /tangent-tangent (with curves). This option will automatically create curves between click points. Click at desired points or enter required coordinates. Upon completion press ESC.

5. The warning symbols indicate that the alignment is not design-compliant for a speed of 60 kmh. This can be fixed or edited by adjusting the geometry of the road or using the Alignment Grid View option. When the design is compliant, the warning symbols will disappear.

6. Alignment points can be added or subtracted, and curves inserted using the Alignment Layout Tools.

7. The alignment can also be edited by using the blue grips displayed upon selecting the alignment in the model.

The square grips at the ends of tangents allow for editing the position of the tangent, with the square grip at the midpoint of tangents allowing you to move the entire tangent.

The triangle grip allows you to move the PI of the curve.

The circular grips at either end of a curve allow for sharpening or broadening a curve, thus increasing or decreasing its length, with the circular grip at the midpoint allowing for relative movement between these points.

8. Alignments can also be created using other methods such as from objects, best fit, from a corridor, from an existing alignment, etc. You can find more information about this process here.

 

Ready for more? Head to Roadway and bridge modeling part two for: Creating profiles

Or go back to the AEC Collection Quick Start Guide for Civil Engineers



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