Labeling Design Surfaces

As you have done with every other type of design in this topic, you need to annotate your surface design. Like all annotation, the information you convey here is almost as important as the design itself, particularly with regard to grading.

From a strictly documentation standpoint, the primary final product of a grading design is a set of design contours. By themselves, the contours are not very useful for construction. Once they are labeled, however, they begin to show the contractor exactly how to shape the land to meet its desired function. In some areas, contours alone do not provide enough detail and must be supplemented with labels that call out specific elevations and slopes. Labels that refer to the elevation of a single point on a drawing are often referred to as spot elevations or spot grades.

Although it was some time ago, you already learned how to create contour, spot, and slope labels in "Modeling the Existing Terrain Using Surfaces". You will apply those skills once again, but this time you’ll label proposed elevations rather than existing elevations.

To use surface labeling to annotate your design, follow these steps:

The Exercise File can be downloaded at the end of the article  

1. Open the drawing named Labeling Design Surfaces.dwg located in the Chapter 18 class data folder. The upper-right viewport is zoomed in to the first few lots at the beginning of Jordan Court. You will be adding labels in this area to provide information about contour elevations, slopes, and spot elevations.

2. Click the Annotate tab of the ribbon, and then click Add Labels.
3. In the Add Labels dialog box, do the following:
   1. For Feature, select Surface.
   2. For Label Type, select Contour – Multiple.
   3. Click Add.
4. When you’re prompted to select a surface, click one of the red or blue contours in the drawing. You are then prompted to specify the first point.
5. Pick two points that draw a line through the contours in the front yard of lot 2 (see Figure 18.11).

   Figure 18.11  Contour labels in the front yard of lot 2.

6. In the Add Labels dialog box, change Label Type to Contour – Single. Click Add.
7. When you’re prompted to select a surface, click one of the red or blue contours in the drawing. You are then prompted to select a contour line.
8. Click several contours on the Jordan Court road surface.
9. In the Add Labels dialog box, change the label type to Slope. Click Add. You are prompted to select a surface.
10. Click one of the red or blue contours in the drawing to select the surface. You are prompted to choose between the One-Point and Two-Point labeling options.
11. Press Enter to select the One-Point option. Pick a point near the center of the front yard for lot 2. The slope label indicates that the grade here is greater than the allowable 10%. This is something you will address at the end of this exercise.
12. In the Add Labels dialog box, change the label type to Spot Elevation.
13. Click Add, and select a red or blue contour when you’re prompted to select a surface.
14. Using an Endpoint object snap, select the four corners of the lot 2 building pad. This will place a spot elevation label at each corner.

15. Press Esc to clear the previous command. Click the blue building pad feature line for lot 2. On the Edit Elevations panel of the ribbon, click Raise/Lower.

    Tips:If the Edit Elevations panel is not visible, click Edit Elevations.

16. When you’re prompted to specify the elevation difference, type -2 (-0.691) and press Enter. After a pause while the software rebuilds the surface, the contour labels, slope label, and spot elevation labels all update to reflect the change (see Figure 18.12). The slope in the front yard of lot 2 is now less than the maximum of 10%.

    Figure 18.12  The labels update, indicating that the maximum slope requirement is now met for lot 2.

The New Way to Build

Although contours are the most common final product of a design surface, there are other ways that your grading design can be used and one in particular that is becoming more popular every day: a machine model. Contractors are now able to use GPS-guided excavation machines that can synchronize their operation with a computer-generated model representing the design of a project. Where does this model come from? You guessed it: Civil 3D and other programs like it. Although the contractor often has your model checked and reworked before uploading it to a machine in the field, it all starts with your grading design in Civil 3D. A well-defined, accurate, finished ground surface translates directly to a well-built, well-functioning project.

Download Exercise File :

• C18 - Labeling Design Surfaces - Metric     --- ( 5.24 MB )
• C18 - Labeling Design Surfaces - Imperial  --- ( 4.75 MB )