Fellow Engineers, Modelers, Bentley Operators, etc.
Last year in July 2017 at the 9th International Visualization In Transportation Symposium I presented an abstract detailed an alternative approach to working with Corridor/template design.
This approach is called "3D Linear Method". It is the complete opposite on what Bentley encourages in their teaching workshops, and consequently the opposite what is demonstrated by every major Department of Transport I have encountered. A brief outline on how it works:
Instead of single templates/corridors spanning the whole width of each roadway alignment, the corridors are broken up by element. 1 corridor per curb, lane, shoulder, guard rail, end condition, wall, barrier, etc. Each piece is connected to each other, eventually connecting directly or indirectly to control lines.
While this creates 100's of extra corridors, the advantages make this technique far superior to the designer, and end user (client of contractor) than the current approach for the following reasons:
1) Templates are simple, easy to create, and have no complex display rules so they are functional for the novice user
2) The same template can be re-used 1000's of times, across any project, making the data consistent 100% of the time, giving reliable consistent symbology when the data is visualized
3) The consistent nature of common templates used always simpler digital quantities to be extracted, as similar objects can be collected by symbology
4) Changes are more manageable - change only the parts you need to change, and the connectivity of all the other corridors will automatically be adjusted
5) More than 1 user can work on the same road in the same section at the same time as everything is broken into smaller pieces
6) Simpler to train - for those unfamiliar with a 3D environment, this 3D Linear Method is identical to criteria
7) Processing is substantially reduced - it is quicker to process 100's of small corridors with no complex rules than 1 or 2 massive corridors with lots of display rules by a factor of 10.
This technique has been implemented across every designer I have worked directly with in Illinois over the past 4 years, and there has been 3 distinct reactions:
a) Those with some 3D knowledge embraced it fully, recognizing that this is the ONLY way to utilize the software, no exceptions
b) Those with minimal or zero 3D knowledge dismissed it entirely, citing "This is not the way Bentley teaches it"
c) Those with medium experience recognize its power, and use a toned down version of 3D Linear method - they build templates that span all lanes, 1 for shoulders, then 1 for end conditions, for example.
Overall it has been received positively from those who understand the software's limitations, and widely used across Illinois Tollway I-294 project currently underway.
This modeling technique has caused quite a controversy here from the State Government in Illinois (IDOT) due to the radically different approach. So I wanted to hear from the greater community regarding this technique.
If you would like to contact me directly about this, feel free to do so:
Alexander Badaoui, PE: P 312.467.0123 | abadaoui@terraengineering.com
The presentation I made showing this in more detail is found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se8oQvVNw_w&feature=youtu.be
The attached PDF is a summary of the abstract presented.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7jwku3ns2cu7aql/Abstract%20-%20Developing%20Visualization%20Transportation%20Models%20-%203D%20Linear%20method.pdf?dl=0
This was geared towards a non-technical audience. The following power point below is more technically driven, detailing how the naming convention operates in Illinois:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dxq9nrm5z5vc63i/2018-03_AB%20to%20IBUG_May%202018%20-%20Part%201.pptx?dl=0
Thanks in advance for your feedback on this technique.
Mark/ Shawn:
This technique reminds me of the manner in which I used to "string" model in InRoads SS2. I used "Generate Longitudinal Feature" and Generate Transverse Feature" all the time in that package. In fact, I used very few- if any at all- templates. Instead, these strings were projections from other strings, etc. In this manner, I could produce truly detailed and accurate models which I could not do (or with too much pain) with templates alone. There is much talk about how ORD produces "true" 3D models; I had been doing that for decades with InRoads; these were finished grade and subgrade DTM's (additional lifts would have produced much pain as well).
ORD is better in that this manner of thinking can better produce pavement lifts, coatings, and additional materials, of course. Still, the overall idea is sound.
Best Regards,
Mark
Smart stuff here, y'all. Thanks for some additional ideas!
I've used a very similar logic Mark! I've had this anchor type of control in larger/wider projects... Really helps break out corridor "buckets" and processing within or outside the main corridor dgn. Typically utilize Corridor Reference Point Controls that are used to grab the edge of internal pav corr edges. I try not to place a hinged corridor or linear template directly to another corridor - there are always exceptions in the case of smaller range Linear Templates, but cause too many issues otherwise. Depending on the control needed, I use the same alignment for all respective hinged corridors (so they all use the same alignment when possible) and float the actual tie point (e.g. used for control) away from the template origin. When necessary the Secondary Alignment option for the Point Control can be toggled to have the external corridor's angle at a 90 degree from their tie point. [Example project: Multi-Lane project, 4 pav corridors (2 corridors ea. direction, split at crown point), 2 End Condition corridors for each direction.]
Bentley Accredited Road Designer | Bentley Accredited Road Modeler
colliersengineering.com
I am relatively new to Openroads and I have started using and advocated in my team this approach in modelling our corridors. The ability to change and apply different types template side grading situations is very simple, as opposed to building complicated templates with end conditions, display rules etc.
Coming from Inroads, I have created corridors built with templates that tries to capture all possible design situation that may occur on my design and it has always been a struggle for others to decode how I did my work, and vice versa. But is not the case in ORD using this method. With this methodology, I've also noticed that learning curve was faster because some of guys I've worked with have never used corridor modelling or templates in Inroads, tries to avoid it but suddenly, they were doing it in ORD. All they have to start is with base template and corridor, and attach the different side grading templates that have already been prepared.
btw i have the Model Container Idea here if you want to vote:
Introduce the concept of seperate | Bentley OpenCivil Ideas Portal (aha.io)
Regards,
OpenRoads Designer 2022 R3 (10.12) | Microstation 2023 | ProjectWise CE 3.4