Efficient Way to Creat Cross sections

[JSiteDznr]

Hello,

When creating construction plans, drafting cross sections of the BMP seems to be one of the items that takes the longest to put together, specifically for bioretention ponds, which include a lot of hatching for each component, drawing the observation ports, geotextile fabric, under drain, etc. Not to mention the call outs for each component. Since we are not allowed to use a generic detail for BMP's, I would like to be able to create existing and proposed cross sections/profiles that would not only draw the existing/proposed grade but also include the bioretention media, mulch layer, stone layer, underdrains and whatever else they system had as if it were built into the tin. Is there a way to do this? I'm using autocad 2016 with a carlson civil suite plug in. Thanks so much!

 

[Ryan J. McGowan]

Save a typical section for each common profile and keep it in your templates or toolbar. Use closed polylines and associated hatching. If your sections are very similar and can be drawn by a well-defined set of variables (i.e., only varies by depth, width, layer depths, etc.) then you should use dynamic blocks.

To tailor it to each specific section, grab a notebook, and sketch each section out without regard to scale. Label the heights and horizontal locations of each element and grade break. I use a common station point on the left and measure everything from there. This is really fast and should only take a minute for each section.

Then place your template section in the drawing and modify it accordingly. No need to go back and forth between the plan view and section. Just use your notes. The most time is wasted going back and forth.

On very complex sections, it might be better to draw from the plan. You can xref the plan view in, xclip around your section cut, and draw vertical lines down to your section view.

Components of a section should be saved as dynamic blocks, in any scenario. If you're not comfortable with dynamic blocks in AutoCAD, stop what you're doing right now and play with it. It's a huge time saver.

 

[JSiteDznr]

Wow! Thank you for taking the time to spell all of that out for me. Super helpful!