how to use special ditch grades in open roads

Question

Making the transition from using criteria to develop cross-section to using openroads SS4. During the design phase I would allow the criteria to define the ditch sections. Those sections would be given to the drainage engineer who would develop special ditch grades to control the flowlines. I would then allow the special ditch grades to control the flowlines. I am having a difficult time finding the best way to do this in openroads. I found a video where the ditch was controlled by an alignment and profile but I want the frontslope to control the horizontal location and the profile to control the vertical. Is there an efficient way to do this in open roads? Thanks for your input. Brian

Beebe Ray · Answer

You can set a vertical only point control for the ditch frontslope. That way it uses your special ditch profile but horizontal is still controlled by the slope.

Derek Schmidt · Answer

Point control would certainly work, but my habit is to have an end condition in the template that looks for the vertical aspect of a feature definition. Do you have any advice on whether one is superior, or if there's any difference in processing speed?

Chris Key · Answer

It depends on the complexity of the model. I would lean toward a point control because as you add more and more end conditions, it is having to target and solve that end condition, then target and solve the backslope. This would probably be just fine in a ditch condition but in other situations where components are based on these end conditions, it may take a little more to process. In general they are doing the same thing.

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