Define Road Templates

When you create a road template you can enter the following elements:

• Median

• Pavement

• Shoulder

• Ditch

• Safety Berm

• Subgrade

A template can be made up of any combination of these elements. The end conditions (cut and fill slopes) are defined in the Cost Parameters window (Global, Material, and Geology tabs). 

With the exception of Subgrade, the elements can be placed in any order with elements being omitted and repeated as required. Subgrade elements always run from the center out to the end of the last template element. Multiple subgrade elements can be used in a project however they are layered on top of one another rather than allowing for specific sections to have a subgrade.

Define a Road Template

1. Click on the template you want to define.

2.  Click insert, alternatively right click and select insert from the menu.

3. Select the element type you want to enter (Median, Pavement, Shoulder, Ditch).

The appropriate tab appears.

4. Enter the values for the road element (see below).

Median

The Median tab appears when the element type is median. 

Specify the following for the Median:

Normal Inputs

• Width m (ft) Enter the width of the left or right side of the median 

• Depth    m (ft) Enter the depth of the median 

• Base Width m (ft) Enter a base width to create a flat bottom drain 

The median is the area that separates the left and right carriageways of road projects. When a median width is entered for the right side of a template, the right edge of the element is locked to the pavement edge (0 in the vertical scale).

When a depth of +/-m (ft) is entered, the left edge of the median element for the right side of a template will move up or down the vertical scale by the number of units entered. This enables you to simulate the creation of drains in dual-carriageway projects.

When a base width is entered, a flat section of the width of the units entered is inserted at the centerline of the template. The depth entered is moved to the right end of the base width. The median is then constructed to the left side of the pavement for the right side of a template. The Base Width enables you to construct table/flat bottom drains in dual carriageway projects.

Structure override inputs

• Width m (ft) Enter the width of the left or right side of the structure median 

• Depth    m (ft) Enter the depth of the median 

• Base Width m (ft) Enter a base width to create a flat bottom drain 

The structure override input is only active after the check box has been selected.

When selected, the median width that is entered in the template editor will override the median width of zero, used only for bridges and tunnels that are set to “Single” in the cost parameters. See Structure Costs. The depth and base width entered apply to tunnels only.

Pavement

The Pavement tab appears when the element type is pavement. More than one pavement element type can be inserted into a template if required, and each can have independent constraints applied to them. 

The costing for pavement is defined in the Template Materials tab in the Cost Parameters window. 

Specify the following for the Pavement:

• Width m (ft) Enter the width of the left or right side of the pavement

• Thickness m (ft) Enter the thickness of the pavement

• Slope % Enter the slope of the pavement

• Super Elevation Check to apply superelevation to the pavement

The volume of pavement materials found in an alignment is shown on the Template Materials tab in the Cost Parameters window. For more information on the Template Materials tab in the Cost Parameters window, see Template Materials.

Shoulder

The Shoulder tab appears when the element type is shoulder.

Specify the following for the Shoulder:

• Width (cut) m (ft) Enter the width of the shoulder when the alignment is in cut.

• Slope (cut) % Enter the slope of the shoulder when the alignment is in cut.

• Superelevate (cut) Check to apply superelevation when the alignment is in cut.

• Width (fill) m (ft) Enter the width of the shoulder when the alignment is in fill.

• Slope (fill) % Enter the slope of the shoulder when the alignment is in fill.

• Superelevate (fill) Check to apply superelevation when the alignment is in fill.

Ditch

The Ditch tab appears when the element type is ditch.

Specify the following for the ditch:

• Inner Depth m (ft) Enter the inner depth of the ditch.

• Inner Slope % Enter the slope of the inner ditch side. 

• Base Width m (ft) Enter the  base width of the ditch.

• Cut Check to apply the ditch when the alignment is in cut.

• Fill Check to apply the ditch when the alignment is in fill.

• Outer Depth m (ft) Enter the outer depth of the ditch.

• Outer Slope % Enter the slope of the outer ditch side. 

• Symmetrical Check to have symmetrical depth and slope for both sides. 

Safety Berm

The Safety Berm tab appears when you select the element type of Safety Berm:

Specify the following for the Safety Berm element:

• Height m (ft) Enter the height of the safety berm. 

• Slope % Enter the slope of the ditch sides. 

• Top Width m (ft) Enter a top width to create the top of the safety berm. 

The height entered for the safety berm is the overall height that will be left for the safety berm when the alignment is in fill. If the alignment is in cut, no safety berm will be placed.

The slope (%) is applied to the sides of the safety berm and the system automatically calculates the lengths of the sides to be constructed based on the height of the safety berm.

If no top height is entered but a height and slope are entered, a pointed safety berm will be constructed based on the height and slope. If height and top width are entered, then a square safety berm will be created.

Subgrade

Subgrade parameters are inserted into templates to define the materials underneath the template footprint that the template is constructed above.

Single or multiple subgrade layers can be defined for any template. Within the Cost Parameters on the Template Materials tab you can define the material cost for each subgrade, the cost of each material is then included in the summary report.

Subgrades are defined by three elements:

• Drop   m (ft) The drop of the subgrade from the previous element.

• Slope   % The side slope of the subgrade. 

• Back Slope   % The slope of the base of the subgrade. 

• Superelevate Check to apply superelevation.

Next topic: Define Rail Templates