When doing terrain modelling of a proposed design in inroads, is it common practice to model all material layers below the final grade? Or you just model the final grade? What I am actually doing depends on the complexity of the model.
For example, for straight corridors with a simple cut and fill situation, I run a complete template with all materials below the final grade. But for complicated ones like intersections and varying cut/fill situations and material layers, I just model final grade, cut sections then draw the sublayers and do end-area calculations.
Is what I am doing a common practice among inroads users? I am contemplating on doing a complete 3D feature based inroads terrain model because of the amount of time I will spend on creating templates, setting up all the corridor model parameters in roadway designer plus the quick turnaround of design changes versus getting quantities from cut sections.
I'd like to hear what you have been doing. Thanks.
I always try to use a full depth design, since earthwork volumes will require this. Hopefully, the effort is less work than manually adding sublayers.
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration