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Workflow Processes:

• Create Existing Surface(s)

  This Process includes common tasks that you can reference to create existing ground surfaces in Civil 3D. Surfaces can be created in a variety of ways and for many purposes. This tasks focuses strictly on the existing surface, both top surfaces and subsurfaces. Depending on how your Civil 3D project is setup and configured, you can create the Existing Ground surface in the Survey Base drawing or in a separate source drawing. For large projects/datasets or to better support multi-user projects, you will want to use a separate drawing file.
  Included are multiple tracts that you can follow depending on the type of data you are creating the existing surface from. Start with the correct task, then follow the tract outline in the workflow image.
  The most common tasks for creating existing surfaces include:
  Create Surface from Points and Breaklines.
  Create Surface from Survey Points and Figures
  Create Surface from a Point Cloud
  Create Surface from Contours

  REFERENCES:
  To help you understand these concepts better, view the how-to videos on:
  Surfaces Overview
  Surface Tips

• Establish Existing Objects

  This Process steps through the tasks to draft the existing condition features into your project base drawings. Existing features can be added into the Survey Base drawing or into separate base drawing files. Regardless of which where the existing features live, Data Shortcuts can be used to share the data with other project drawings. The existing features can be Data Referenced and/or File Referenced to appear in other drawing file.

• Create Design Geometry

  This Process steps through the tasks to layout and design the Parcels, Alignments, and Profiles for the project. The Alignments and Profiles can be managed in multiple drawings files, but will need to be Data Referenced into other project drawings. Follow the Project Guidelines for the alignment & profile source drawings.
  NOTES:
  Parcels cannot be Data Referenced into other drawings so Drawing File references will be needed to display the Parcels Base drawing in other project drawings.
  The Alignment and all of its associated profiles can separated and live in different drawings, but it is recommended to combine them into a single drawing file for easier editing.

• Create Standard Corridor(s)

  Corridors are complex Civil 3D objects that combine alignments, profiles, and assemblies into a single 3D model that can be used to calculate earthwork quantities, produced proposed grade surfaces, and create cross section sheets. The alignments, or horizontal baselines, and Profiles, or vertical baselines, control the path for the Assemblies. Target objects and CAD entities can be used to override dimensions of the assembly set the offset/width and slope/elevation of links in subassemblies. For complex corridors, multiple baselines and assemblies can be used to properly model intersections, which include T-intersections, 4-way intersections, and roundabouts. The corridor model is dynamic, and can be automatically updated with edits to the baselines and assemblies that are used in the corridor definition.

  Corridor Requirements:
  Horizontal Baseline: Defines horizontal path for Assemblies.
  Tip: This can be an Alignment or Feature Line

  Vertical Baseline: Defines vertical path for Assemblies
  Tip: This can be an Profile or Feature Line

  Assembly: Defines the typical section grading for a corridor model.
  Tip: One or more assemblies

  REFERENCES:
  Ideally, the Alignment, and its associated profiles, reside in the same drawing file for easier editing.
  Corridors Overview
  Assemblies Overview

• Create Intersection Corridor(s)

  This process outlines the task to design and grade a corridor intersection. The Intersection corridor can be created in a separate drawing file or can be to another corridor drawing. Follow the Project Guidelines to determine what drawing file the Intersection Model will be created in.

  When grading a corridor you first need to determine the prerequisites. In order to make this process simple, you’ll need to create all of the Assemblies that are need for the intersection regions. Once the Assemblies have been added into the drawing file, step through the intersection wizard to create the Intersection object and corridor. Once the Intersection object has been created, you can manipulate the offset and curb return alignments to change the geometry of the intersection. To change the grades, use the Lane Slope and Curb Return profiles.

  NOTES:
  To match the primary and secondary profile grades at the intersection, Civil 3D will attempt to adjust the Secondary alignment. In order to edit the secondary alignment it must live in the Intersection drawing file, or a copy used.

• Create Site Grading Surface(s)

  This Process steps through the tasks to create and aggregate proposed grade surfaces on a project. Using the corridor surfaces created in the previous process, you will merge and expand the site grading for the project. This process builds upon the corridor grading surfaces and models to include open space grading and refinements. Additional grading surfaces will be modeled and compiled into a final grade surface.

  Intermediate surfaces are leveraged to combine smaller individual surfaces into a more complete and all inclusive surface. This involves starting with the existing ground, merging into the corridor models, and grading the surrounding areas on the site that are not included in the corridor grading. To create these smaller and intermediate surfaces, Feature Lines and Gradings are used to shape the proposed terrain. This process can involve multiple surfaces and iterations.

  The composite surface is a roll-up of all the intermediate surfaces, and includes all proposed grade surfaces. These surfaces are layered, or pasted in a particular order, to merge all of the gradings into a single surface. The composite grade surface can then be used to get volume calculations, set rim elevations, and be used for construction staking and machine control grading.

  Intermediate and Composite surfaces can be created in multiple, separate source drawings files using Data Shortcuts and References, or can be added to the Grading Base drawing

• Layout Pressure Pipe Networks

  This Process steps through the tasks to Layout a Pressure Network. Laying out a pressure network involves locating all Pressure Pipes, Bends, Fittings, and Appurtenances for proposed Water distribution, and setting the depth for the pressure parts. To accurately model the Pressure Network, use the Parts List that includes all of the Pressure Parts for your project. When the Pressure Network layout is complete, you can identify and resolve conflicts and get Pressure Part quantities.
  REFERENCES:
  Ideally, the Alignment, and its associated profiles, reside in the same drawing file for easier editing.
  Pressure Networks Overview

• Layout Gravity Pipe Networks

  This Process steps through the tasks to layout a gravity network in Civil 3D. Pipe Networks are used for Gravity-based systems and use a Parts List to create parametric parts in the drawing file. Part Rules are used to set initial elevations and grades for structure and pipe parts. Analysis and Design can be performed using Storm & Sanitary Analysis, Hydraflow, or the Analyze Gravity Network tool.

• Final Plans Production and Reporting

  This process includes common tasks that are required on projects To create sheet layouts in Civil 3D you can use the Plan Production tools. If you have the Sheet Templates setup and the styles needed, you can quickly and easily create the Cross Section and Plan/Profile Sheets for your project. Plan Production tools leverages the Sheet Set Manager, where you can assembly and bring together the other sheets for your projects.

  Civil 3D includes a large library of “stock” reports that you can leverage from the Toolbox tab, in the Civil 3D Toolspace. The reports include custom settings for your projects, along with Style Sheets to produce good quality reports.

  Labeling and detailing can be done in Model views, or on sheet layouts. Labeling Civil 3D objects in the sheet layouts allow you to better control the label appearance and scale. Labels added to sheets can leverage the viewport scale to automatically adjust the text size as the scale changes.

• Project Planning & Setup

  This process outlines the tasks to complete the planning and setup for your Civil 3D project. Typical projects require many project drawing files, depending on the size, type, and detail that is required to produce the final plans. A small project can theoretically be completed with a single drawing file, however, that is not the norm for the vast majority of projects. Projects involving multiple team members and multiple drawing files should be planned out ahead of time to best manage the files and data over the duration of project. To prepare and plan for your Civil 3D projects, you should establish project standards and guidelines that yourself and team members can follow and adhere to. Not only does this make sharing and collaboration easier among the project team, but it also enhances the quality of the design by producing consistent deliverables.
  The Standards and Guidelines will lay the groundwork for creating the Data Shortcuts project, which is essential to share Civil 3D data between drawing files. Configuring the Data Shortcuts is not only important for interoperability between drawing files, but also allows team members to access the data in their own drawing files. Data Shortcuts are essential to projects and if not used properly, can create many headaches if not managed and/or utilized correctly. This is particularly important if users need to work offline at any point in time.
  Civil 3D projects will include many drawing files, including one or more base drawings, sources drawings, and sheet drawings. Each drawing has a very specific purpose in your project and in many cases will require a specific template and/or CAD standards. Assembling these templates ahead of time, and making them readily available for team members at the onset of the project will save precious time on the project, but helps to ensure consistency in the deliverables. There are many types of templates and customization files that you can assemble and make available prior, and over the course of your project design.
  BIM 360 is not required for Civil 3D, but is recommended if teammates require access to project drawings outside of the office or network. Alternatively, Civil 3D drawing files can be saved on local servers or in cloud servers such as OneDrive, DropBox, and Box.

• Establish Basemap from InfraWorks Model

  In the early stage of your project you can leverage InfraWorks to establish your Project Basemap. The InfraWorks Model Builder allows you to quickly and easily acquire elevation data for your project to use as an existing surface until the survey data is available. The elevation data that is acquired from InfraWorks comes from USGS data sources and is suitable for conceptual and preliminary designs. When the site survey data becomes available, you can replace the InfraWorks surface with the more accurate surveyed surface. In addition to obtaining the existing ground surface for your basemap, the imported InfraWorks surface will be geolocated so you can leverage Live Maps and gain context for your project.

• Import Survey Data

  This Process includes common tasks that you can reference to import existing survey data into your Civil 3D projects. Depending on data that is needed, select the appropriate task. The tasks provide the quick steps to assist you with the import, and include any relevant materials that will provide more instruction and guidance.
  COGO Points are imported directly into the drawing file and can be edited using the Point Contextual tools in Civil 3D.
  Survey Points are imported using the Survey Database. Survey Point coordinates and data can only be edited in the Survey Database unless unlocked in the host drawing. Point styles and labels styles, however, can be edited in the host drawing file.
  Survey Figures are imported using the Survey Database. Edits can be made to the Survey Figures in the Survey database or in the drawing file. Edits made in the drawing file will not change the survey figure in the Survey Database. Survey Figures can use many of the same Feature Line contextual tools that are available in Civil 3D.
  NOTES:
  Survey data cannot be Data Referenced into other project drawings. You can either use a Drawing Reference, or if using the Survey Database, you can import the Survey Points and Figures into another project drawing. This will duplicate the points if they were imported into another project drawing.