Platform Edge Design

Designing the platform edge

The Platform Edge Design tool calculates and presents the edge of the specified railway platforms or ramps. By entering the key parameters and referring to the reference track, you will get the calculated platform edge based on predefined design standards.

Ideally all platforms are to be located on straight track sections, with no curves for the horizontal or the vertical alignments. Then the height difference and the horizontal offset between the rail and the edge of the platform construction are defined by the design standards. But as soon as a platform has to be designed in other parts of the track than the ideal, the manual calculation of the required platform edge is a time-consuming process.

The Platform Edge Design tool seeks to ease the process to find the correct edge of platforms, whether the platform is located:

• • On a straight section

  • Partly or completely in a horizontal curve

  • With transitions combined with straight and/or curve

  • With switches influencing the platform edge

  • At a section with cant/super-elevation

Based on the current geometric situation the platform edge will be calculated against the actual requirements.

Input parameters

Reference

Select reference track and eventually which switch is to be influencing the platform edge.

Select reference track object

• • From Quadri: All the Novapoint objects available in the active database will be listed in the pull down menu. Select the reference track from the list.

  • From drawing: Use the button 'Pick Track <' to select the reference track from the active drawing.

If switch in platform area; select departing track object

• • From drawing: Mark the check box 'Switch' and select the reference switch using the button 'Pick Switch <'.

Platform Edge Geometry Rule

• Start Station: Enter the platform start station number along the reference track.

• Platform length <m>: Enter platform length in meter.

• Platform height (Hp) <m>: Enter Platform design height from reference track in meter.

• Edge offset distance (Ao) <m>: Enter offset of Platform from reference track in meter.

• Linear increment <m>: Calculation interval on sections in meter.

• Nonlinear increment <m>: Calculation interval on non-linear sections in meter.

• Platform placing: Select the platform side from the pull down menu, left or right side, read in direction of the increasing station number.

Presentation of calculated result

The calculated result can be presented in the current drawing as a 2D or 3D polyline. The result will also be presented in a spreadsheet when calculating the platform edge.

Drawing presentation

If required the calculated edge of the platform can be drawn in the current drawing as a polyline with the following options:

• • In 2D or 3D: Mark the desired radio button.

  • User-definition of layer and colour.

    • Select from the pull down list.

    • For layer, user can select from the pull down list or define new layer name at the field 'Layer'.

Report

The calculated result will be presented in a spreadsheet format.

When pressing the button 'Calculate', a preview of the result is presented in the drawing. The calculated data are also presented in a XLS report, with a column for the following data, presenting the results for all calculated increments:

Reference track data:

• • Element information: Refer the topic Calculation Parameters and Formulas.

  • Station number

  • North and East coordinates

  • Elevation

  • Radius in meter

  • Cant, or superelevation data in mm

Calculated platform edge data:

• • Horizontal distance from reference track

  • Vertical distance from reference track

  • North and East coordinates from platform edge

  • Elevation from platform edge

When the design is completed, press the button 'Draw' to add the polyline to the current drawing. Cancel ends the session, but exported files are not removed.

Use the button 'Edit existing platform edge <' to modify a platform edge.

Tip: Use the tool 'Setting out -from drawing' tool from Novapoint Base (Refer 'Novapoint Base' to export the 3D polyline data to different file formats.

Tip: Copy the calculated result from the spreadsheet and paste to the current drawing for documentation of platform edge data.

Calculation parameters and formulas

Refer the topic Calculation Parameters and Formulas for the abbreviations and the formulas used.