Technical data

Chapter 1 Introduction
4
Developing a Proposed Grading Plan
Autodesk Civil Design offers a broad set of tools to assist you in the
design of a proposed grading plan. In some cases, the capabilities work
in a way that is very similar to manual methods that you may have
used in the past. Other options are highly automated, offering visual
and engineering results instantly as you fine tune your design.
Each grading plan will present different challenges. Based on the
different design techniques, existing conditions, and site limitations,
you can define a proposed grade using grading objects, design points,
contours, 3D polylines, and daylighting. In most cases, a combination
of these will be the most efficient way of completing your project.
There are various commands you can use from AutoCAD Land
Development Desktop menus to set points at a grade or slope, along
an entity, or based on interpolation between known elevations. Other
commands assist in altering pre-existing point elevations to match a
desired grade or slope. Contours can also be used in the development
of a proposed grading plan by using copy, offset, and editing
functions. In addition, you can use 3D polylines, which are single
entities with vertex elevations that can vary. These entities can then
be used with other design points, contours, or other 3D entities to
build a terrain model.
After a proposed surface is created, contours and other drafting can be
completed using the tools provided in either AutoCAD Land
Development Desktop or Autodesk Civil Design.