Extra Dimension Solutions

12d Model Course Notes

Alignment Design using

Super Alignments

FLOAT
FLOAT
FIXED

Extra Dimension Solutions

Alignment Design using Super Alignments

Table of Contents
1

WHY
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

ALIGNMENT STRINGS?
STRINGS? ................................................................
...............................................................................................
............................................................... 1
ALIGNMENT STRINGS ARE SPECIAL ........................................................................................... 1
TRADITIONAL ALIGNMENT DESIGN ........................................................................................... 1
ELEMENT BASED DESIGN (PARAMETRIC DESIGN)........................................................................... 1
SUPER ALIGNMENT ........................................................................................................... 1

ELEMENTS USED IN ELEMENT

ELEMENT BASED DESIGN ................................................................
........................................................................
........................................ 2
2.1
FIXED ELEMENTS .............................................................................................................. 2
2.2
FLOATING ELEMENTS ......................................................................................................... 2
2.3
FREE ELEMENTS............................................................................................................... 2

CREATING A SUPER ALIGNMENT

ALIGNMENT ................................................................
.........................................................................................
......................................................... 3
3.1
CREATE A NEW ALIGNMENT AND ADD PART 1 - A FIXED PART. ......................................................... 3
3.2
PART 2 - FLOAT AN ARC OFF THE STRAIGHT ............................................................................... 5
3.3
EXERCISE 1 EDIT THE ALIGNMENT ........................................................................................ 7
3.4
PART 3 FLOAT ANOTHER ARC. ............................................................................................ 8
3.5
CHANGING HOW THE PARTS ARE DEFINED .................................................................................. 9
3.6
DESIGN TRICKS FOR SUPER ALIGNMENTS ................................................................................ 12

THE DESIGN STYLE (HOW THE ALIGNMENT LOOKS) ...........................................................

........................................................... 13
4.2
EDITING THE DESIGN STYLE ................................................................................................ 15

SUPER ALIGNMENTS FOR SUBDIVISIONS & ESTATES

ESTATES .............................................................
............................................................. 16
5.1
USING THE SAME AS TOOL .............................................................................................. 16
5.2
EXERCISE MOVING THE FIXED ELEMENT................................................................................. 18
5.3
DESIGNING ROAD 2 USING THE SAME AS COMMAND................................................................. 19
5.4
A FLOATING STRAIGHT AT THE START OF ROAD 2....................................................................... 22
5.5
EXERCISE - FINISHING ROAD 2............................................................................................ 25
5.6
EXERCISE ROAD CENTRELINE FOR ROAD 1 ............................................................................ 26

VERTICAL DESIGN USING

USING ELEMENTS ................................................................
..................................................................................
.................................................. 27
6.1
VERTICAL DESIGN OF ROAD 1 ............................................................................................ 27
6.2
VERTICAL DESIGN EXERCISE FOR ROAD 1................................................................................ 28
6.3
VERTICAL DESIGN FOR ROAD 2 ........................................................................................... 29

VERTICAL DESIGN USING

USING INTERSECTION POINTS
POINTS ................................................................
..................................................................
.................................. 31
7.1
DESIGN GRADES FOR ROAD 2 ............................................................................................ 31
7.2
DESIGN VERTICAL CURVES FOR ROAD 2................................................................................. 36
7.3
EDIT THE VERTICAL DESIGN IN A TABLE ................................................................................... 37

COMPLEX HORIZONTAL DESIGN

DESIGN THE VISIBLE
VISIBLE TICKBOX.................................
TICKBOX. ......................................................
...................................................... 39

12d Model Course Notes

These notes were prepared by
Tony Ingold
These notes may be copied and distributed freely.
These notes may NOT be used as the basis for a course of formal instruction without written permission from Extra Dimension Solutions Pty Ltd
Extra Dimension Solutions is an authorised distributor of 12d Model in NSW the ACT and SA

Disclaimer
12d Model and are supplied without any express or implied warranties whatsoever.
No warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.
No liabilities in respect of engineering details and quantities produced by 12d Model are accepted.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the advice given in these notes and the programs 12d Model are correct, however, no warranty is
expressed or implied by 12D Solutions or by Extra Dimension Solutions.
Copyright Extra Dimension Solutions Pty Limited 2006
All rights reserved

12d Model
Civil and Surveying Software

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Alignment Design using Super Alignments

1 Why Alignment Strings?

1.1

Alignment strings are special

Alignment strings are usually used to design road centrelines.

Alignment strings are different from other types of strings:
The vertical geometry is independent from the horizontal geometry.
The plan position of the string does not alter the vertical design (for example you could
horizontal points and the vertical design would not change).
The horizontal design and the vertical design can be of different lengths.
You can drag the vertical design elements in the section view.
1.2

Traditional Alignment Design

When road centreline design was done by hand, the designer would use a long straight edge and a
pencil to draw the straight parts of the road onto a plot of the survey. The straights would run
between Horizontal Intersection Points or H.I.P.s
Curves would be drawn between the straights using Railway Curves. The points where the curve
touched the straight was called the tangent point (T.P.). At this point the curve and the straight are
tangential to each other, (they have the same bearing).
This traditional method of design using I.P.s has been available in 12d Model for many years.
1.3

Element Based Design (Parametric Design)

The drawback to using the I.P. method for alignment design is that the only way you can define a
curve (maybe a kerb return) is by using three I.P. points to create two straights, then to create a
curve between the straights. This works fine until the position of the curve needs to be edited. It is
easier to delete the curve and start again.
Element Based Design allows you to define the curve by (say) three points. Or by a centre, radius,
and the start and end points. There are no I.P.s
1.4 Super Alignment
12d Models Super Alignment allows you to use both Element Based design and I.P. based design
in the same alignment string. You can design the horizontal geometry using I.P.s then use elements
to design the vertical geometry.

Alignment Design using Super Alignments

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Alignment Design using Super Alignments

2 Elements used in Element Based Design

2.1 Fixed Elements
Fixed Elements are parts of the alignment that are locked in. A straight between two points and a
curve through three points are both Fixed Element. There is no debate about where they lie once
the points are chosen.
A Fixed Straight could also be defined by choosing a point and specifying a bearing. While the
length of the straight is unknown, there is no debate about where it lies.
TYPICAL FIXED ELEMENTS
Straights

Curves
- Three points
- Centre, radius, start & end points.

- Two points
- Point and bearing

2.2 Floating Elements

Floating elements are parts that need to join on to ONE fixed part of the alignment.
TYPICAL FLOATING ELEMENTS
Curves:
Straights:
- You choose one
12d Calculates
- You choose two
12d Calculates
point.
points.
ONE tangent
point The straight ONE tangent
points The curve
must pass through
point.
must pass through
point.
point The
point The curve
the point
straight passes
the two points.
passes through
through the T.P.
the T.P.
- You choose a
12d Calculates
- You choose one
12d Calculates
bearing.
ONE tangent
point and a radius.
ONE tangent
bearing
radius
point.
The curve must pass point.
point The
point The curve
straight passes
through the point
passes through
through the T.P. and have the radius
the T.P. and
and has the
you choose.
uses the point
bearing you
and radius that
chose.
you chose.
In all cases you do not provide enough information to accurately position the
straight or curve. 12d Model must calculate ONE tangent point,
point before the
curve or straight can be created.
2.3 Free Elements
Free elements are parts that need to join on to TWO fixed parts of the alignment.
Free Elements
Straights:
- No points

12d Calculates
TWO tangent
points.
point

Curves:
- One point

12d Calculates
TWO tangent
points.
point

- Centre, radius,
start & end points.
In all cases 12d Model must calculate TWO tangent
tangent point,
point before the curve or
straight can be created.
Alignment Design using Super Alignments
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Alignment Design using Super Alignments

3 Creating a Super Alignment

3.1

Create a new Alignment and add Part 1 - a Fixed Part.

Use Strings=>Create=>Alignment=>Super Alignment.

Fill out the panel, and press Create

to open the Alignment Editor.

Press the Properties button

(the fourth button)

Highlight
then press Insert.

Alignment Design using Super Alignments

Course Notes

Press the Type button and

choose Lines=>Fixed

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Alignment Design using Super Alignments

Enter the coordinates of the

Start & End of the line as
shown, then press Set.

The Part of the alignment is

created, and is displayed..

The grid can be displayed on the

view using toggle button.

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Alignment Design using Super Alignments

3.2

Part 2 - Float an Arc off the Straight

Highlight
then press Insert.

Enter the coordinates of the

two points on the arc as
shown, then press Set.
When you press Set 12d Model calculates
the tangent point of the curve that joins
Part 1 and passes through the two points.

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The arc goes through the two points that

you chose and through a third point that
12d Model has calculated to make the arc
tangential to the straight.

Notes:

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3.3

Exercise 1 Edit the Alignment

1.
Use the move button to move the points which define the alignment.

Control points on the Alignment can

be edited using the Move button.
2.

Move the mid point on the arc so that it is above the line as shown.

The alignment cannot be Solved

with the two curve points arranged
like this, and the X indicates that
the Alignment needs your attention!

3.

If youre not sure what this means, then try

sketching a curve which is tangential to the
straight, and which goes through the two points.
Use the Undo button the undo your changes.

Undo your Move commands with the

Undo button.
While you are editing the Alignment,
the Alignment Editor contains all of
the editing tools that you need.

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3.4

Part 3 Float another arc.

If you highlight Part 2, the new Part will be
inserted after Part 2. The new Part always goes
below the Part that you have highlighted.

Highlight
then press Insert.

Choose element type

Arc: Floating radius

Enter the coordinates of the

end of the arc and the
radius, then press Set.

FLOAT

FIXED

FLOAT

Note that Part 2 does not go through its

second point now. The point is still required
to define Part 2, and the shape of the
alignment will change if you move this point.

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3.5

Changing How the Parts are Defined

We want to change the radius of Part 2.
BUT THIS PART WAS NOT DEFINED BY RADIUS!
We will change Part 3 to a FIXED element, THEN
change Part 2 to an FREE Element.

Choose Part 3 of the

Alignment, and change it to
a Fixed element.
Part 3 was defined in 3.4 above as an arc
with a given that passes through a point.
Will change the definition so that it is a
FIXED arc with a known centre and radius,
and fixed start & end points.

Press the Same as button from

the bottom of the panel, and pick
Part 3 off the screen.

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Part 3 is now defined by

centre, radius, and the
start & end of the arc.

The Alignment looks good, but looks can be deceiving. All of the elements are
tangential, but this is simply good luck. If any of the points that define the alignment
change, then 12d Model cannot adjust the other parts to keep that tangency.
The alignment is too constrained, it does not have enough freedom.
You will see this if you use move the centre of the Part 3 arc.
You correct this we must make another Part more free.

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Alignment Design using Super Alignments

Define Part 2 as a FREE element,

with a given radius.
Use the same steps to change Part 2
so that it is defined as FREE RADIUS.

The key here is to use the Sameas button.

We can change Part 2 so that it is defined as
a Free element, and make it the Same as
itself when it is defined as a Floating element.

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3.6

Design Tricks for Super Alignments

You have used the two most common methods of design in Element Design.
You will find yourself using combination of fixed, floating and free elements in two main combinations:

FIXED

FIXED

FLOATING

FREE

FLOATING

FIXED

FLOATING

FREE

FIXED

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