Overview

Introduction

Novapoint Alignment Design is one of the most central and comprehensive functions within the digital design of road and railway alignments. Several flexible functions of the module Alignment Design give the user full freedom to find the optimal horizontal and vertical geometry. With this module, a road or railway is placed according to the terrain and at the same time, different requirements for technical as well as the community are considered.

Novapoint Alignment Design is based on the calculation routine NADB. Within this calculation routine, there are a number of functions that make the design of primary lines, edge lines, tracks, etc., more effective and easier.

In Novapoint Alignment Design, horizontal and vertical alignments are designed using the same method, program, and calculations. The program allows the user to work on:

• Both horizontal alignment (Plan View) and vertical alignment (Profile View) simultaneously.

• Different alignment alternatives in the design phase.

• Adding reference points.

• Working from dialog box Alignment Design Professional as well as graphical (CAD).

• Transition Curves - For transition curves, only clothoids can be used.

• Summit/Valley Curves - Alignment Design Railway can support Parabolic and Simple curves for vertical alignment.

  • By default, simple curves will be used for vertical alignment.

  • Activating parabolic curves.

• In addition to the menu and toolbar, Object Menu (NCO) can also be used to start the function Alignment Design. Activate the function Object Menu (NCO) and select either an existing alignment or a line or polyline from the plan drawing. From the pop-up menu select Alignment Design.

All the above option plus a number of other functionality makes the alignment design efficient and provides designing with ease.

User Interface

From the main dialog box Alignment Design; all the functions for designing the horizontal and vertical geometry of the alignment can be accessed.

• Designing/editing of alignments can be performed from the dialog box as well as from the design line (alignment in the drawing) in the horizontal and vertical drawing.

Overview

When a horizontal alignment is initiated, the alignment's data is displayed in the dialog box on the tab Input H.

• There are many tabs in the main dialog which display respective details of the alignment.

  • There are a set of tables for horizontal and vertical geometry, as well as general tables for history/alternatives and reference points.

• Customize the user interface by minimizing the number of tabs (Input H/V, Result H/V, Errors H/V, etc.) to be displayed in the user interface using the dialog Options.

  • Double-click any tab (Input H/V, Result H/V, Errors H/V, Ref. Points, History, etc.) of the user interface to open the dialog Options.

• Customize the tabs Input H and Input V by turning off any of the columns Parameter, End Radius, all the columns of Coordinates in Input H (E1, N1, E2, and N2), and all the columns of Coordinates in Input V (Chainage1, Level1, Chainage2, and Level2) using the dialog Options.

  • Double-click any column heading of the tab Input H or Input V of the user interface to open the dialog Options.

• The respective tables/list functionality is described at respective functions in help, but the following general principles are applicable:

  • White cells are editable, grey cells are not editable.

  • Colors are used for:

    1. Give visual relation between elements in the graphic and table.

    2. Indicate incorrectness.

  • Editing the table will result in an update on the construction line and its fixed points.

• Double-click the status bar field to toggle the respective fields.

Horizontal and Vertical Drawing

• Horizontal alignment design is performed from the current drawing file as well as from the dialog box Alignment Design.

• Once the user activates the Vertical Alignment, a temporary drawing file will be opened in which the profile of the alignment is designed.

• The longitudinal profile in the vertical drawing can be either from the terrain model or from the road model based on the setting defined in Terrain Setup.

  • The vertical drawing also displays the existing objects, wireframes, other alignments, etc. that are available in the active terrain model.

• Vertical Alignment Design/Editing can also be performed from the dialog box Alignment Design.

• You can work on both the drawings (horizontal and vertical) simultaneously.

• Both the drawings, horizontal and vertical, are tiled horizontally.

• If the horizontal alignment is being edited, the vertical alignment will be updated automatically with the related changes.

• Similarly, if vertical alignment is being edited, the horizontal alignment will be updated automatically with related changes.

• Both these drawings, horizontal and vertical, contain elements which represent respective alignments.

• The vertical drawing, temporarily created, will be closed when the Alignment Design function is closed.

Customizing the User Interface

Customize the user interface by minimizing the number of tabs (Input H/V, Result H/V, Errors H/V, etc.) to be displayed in the user interface using the dialog Options.

• Double-click any tab (Input H/V, Result H/V, Errors H/V, Ref. Points, History, etc.) of the user interface to open the dialog Options.

Customize the tabs Input H and Input V by turning off any of the columns Parameter, End Radius, all the columns of Coordinates in Input H (E1, N1, E2, and N2), and all the columns of Coordinates in Input V (Chainage1, Level1, Chainage2, and Level2) using the dialog Options.

• • Double click any column heading of the tab Input H or Input V of the user interface to open the dialog Options.

Toggle Options in Status Bar

The status bar of the user interface displays the following information from left to right:

• The active element (element selected to modify/edit, etc.) and its information.

• The calculation is OK/NOT OK. Double click the field to know the errors in the tab Errors H/V.

• HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL - the active horizontal/vertical geometry projection. Toggle from Horizontal to Vertical and vice-versa by double-clicking the fields.

• TERRAIN - Automatic update of the terrain. Double-click the field to toggle.

• Fill/Cut - The fill/cut volumes are displayed (percentage). Double-click the field to toggle the fill and cut volume display.

• Chainage - Displays the section number of the mouse placement in the horizontal and vertical alignment. Double-click the field (Chainage, Z, Zv, Zt, or dZ) to toggle all of them.

• Z - Displays the elevation of the point, at which the mouse is pointing (current location of the cursor).

• Zv - Displays the elevation of the alignment at the chainage, at which the mouse is pointing (current location of the cursor).

• Zt - Displays the elevation of the terrain profiles at the point, at which the mouse is pointing (current location of the cursor).

• dZ - Displays the elevation (contour) difference between the alignment and the terrain profile at the chainage, at which the mouse is pointing (current location of the cursor).

Horizontal Alignment Design

Chainage

First Chainage: The first chainage is automatically put to 0.0 at the first element's fixed point. This can be changed with the function Start Chainage, which can be accessed from the menu Object.

Design: The linear chainage direction is marked on the drawing with an arrow at every element transition. The direction of the alignment can be changed with the function Turn, which can be accessed from the menu Modify.

Designing several Alignments simultaneously

Several sessions of alignment design can be done simultaneously by opening several alignment dialogs. This gives the option of editing individual alignments independently. This is useful when designing an intersection or roundabout.

Every main dialog refers to one single alignment, but by prompting another main dialog a different construction line from another main dialog can be the input data for the new main dialog. This is mainly applicable for horizontal alignment. The same method can be used for the vertical alignment but before this can be done the horizontal alignment must be designed before proceeding to the vertical alignment.

Offset - Horizontal Alignment Containing Clothoid

It is geometrically impossible to find an exact parallel copy of one clothoid.

The tolerance from a perfect parallel alignment becomes in the area of 0.01 - 0.5 meter

• The accuracy is affected by the clothoid's length – a longer clothoid results in less accuracy.

• Several consecutive clothoids give the poorest accuracy.

Accuracy with several consecutive clothoids

• The result will usually become poor in the clothoids, for example in the reverse transition (clothoid).

• The accuracy is dependent on the new clothoids parameters.

• The new parameters will have almost the same (mutual) relationship as between the parallel offset.

• In some situations, it is possible to manually optimize the clothoids after the offset function.

Method for offsetting a transition (clothoid) element

• Inserted transitions (clothoid) are treated as an unknown quantity until the adjacent elements are fixed.

• It is not necessary to try and optimize the transitions (clothoids) after the offset.

Method for offsetting a number of transitions (clothoid) for example reverse transitions (clothoid)

• A number of consecutive transitions (clothoid) are treated as unknown quantities. The parameter relationship is declared as accurate as possible prior to the offset function.

• Based on the fixed elements the new transition (clothoid) parameters are calculated with the aid of NADB.

• The calculated transition (clothoid) parameters are displayed as new transition (clothoid) parameters in the alignment design.

• The chainage division is adjusted according to the transition (clothoid) parameters.

• Lastly, one last calculation is done to get those results, which are displayed, in the main dialog box Alignment Design Professional.

Adjacent adjustments can be done to the alignment, where there are consecutive transitions (clothoid). Try and change the relationship between the transition (clothoid) parameters, but it is recommended that the elements be locked before and after the transition (clothoid) combination.

Tips:

• A reference point can be placed in the area where the distance needs to be checked while changing the transition (clothoid) parameters. Place the reference points on the source line.

• Transitions (clothoids) are drawn in CAD as small circles. If the transition curves (clothoid) are not required and the parallel copy is to be as accurate as possible, use the CAD function Offset.

Vertical Alignment Design

Designing the vertical geometry can only be done on an existing horizontal alignment. Before creating the vertical alignment, the horizontal alignment is to be saved to the active database (Digital Terrain Model). Quadri model cannot handle "free" profiles (vertical alignments); they always are linked to a horizontal alignment in the database.

Run the function Vertical Drawing from the menu Window in the floating window Alignment Design Professional. It's a prerequisite that the Overview - Horizontal Geometry is already read.

When the vertical alignment design function, Vertical Drawing, is activated, a new temporary drawing file is created automatically to house the vertical alignment and the terrain profile. The terrain profile is calculated along the horizontal alignment. This drawing is a temporary drawing, reserved only for the current vertical alignment.

The scale of the vertical drawing file is in relation to the scale of the horizontal drawing file, determined through the function Scale of the menu Novapoint.

Longitudinal Terrain Profile Calculation

When the function Vertical Drawing is activated, the longitudinal profile is calculated automatically. The longitudinal profile is updated continuously if the horizontal alignment is edited.

The longitudinal profile is represented with pre-defined line types.

Longitudinal profile in the vertical drawing can be calculated either from terrain model or road model.

Terrain from Terrain Model:

• • The longitudinal profile in the vertical drawing is derived from the terrain model and the calculation is based on the setting defined in the function Terrain.

  • The calculation and presentation will also follow the setting of the terrain model and will be based on the data available in the terrain model.

  • Wireframe models and the actual terrain surface beneath the wireframe models in the longitudinal profile presentation can be viewed with a drawing setup.

  • Alignments, Reference lines, Alignments as Surface Edges will also be shown in the longitudinal profile with respective text labels (alignment name, elevations, and chainage).

  • The Terrain Model Properties (Groups, Feature Codes, and Profiles) can be used to administrate the data to be used/presented in the longitudinal profile.

Terrain from Road Model (when the current alignment is the active alignment of the road model):

• • The road model method is available only when the alignment is the active alignment of the road model.

  • The terrain is derived from the terrain model, but the calculation is limited to the option/settings described by the program Novapoint Road Design, for e.g., soil and mountain transitions are given chainage intervals.

Additional Features of Vertical Drawing:

• • Other alignments available in the active terrain model can be viewed.

  • Wireframe models available in the active terrain model can be viewed.

  • Existing objects available in the active terrain model can be viewed.

  • External Data: External alignments and surfaces can be viewed.

  • Terrain and all sub-surfaces can be viewed. For further details.

When the current line is a "free" line any of the abovementioned methods can be adopted.

Updating terrain profile

If the horizontal geometry is changed, modified, edited, then the new terrain profile along the horizontal alignment is calculated automatically. This can take a few seconds, so it is recommended that only small changes be done to the horizontal geometry when the vertical drawing is open.

To toggle the longitudinal terrain profile calculation and presentation in vertical drawing; double-click the field TERRAIN in the status bar of the user interface. Alternatively, run the function Display. You can also use normal CAD layer functions.

• When TERRAIN is indicated in black; the program calculates and displays the terrain profile.

• When TERRAIN is displayed with grey; the terrain profile/section will be neither calculated nor displayed.

Grid

Help lines in the grid are generated automatically. The X-axis is equivalent to the linear length in the grid. The Y-axis is equivalent to the absolute elevation in the grid.

The setting is done from the function Scale of the menu Novapoint (the scale in the vertical drawing is in relation to the scale in the horizontal drawing).

The program, depending on the zooming grade, updates the size on the grid, text automatically.

Signature in the grid

Chainage and elevation are displayed and updated by the program depending on the zooming grade.

Points of tangency – horizontal alignment

The horizontal alignments points of tangency are displayed in the grid of the vertical drawing. Whether element signature is to be displayed or not, can be controlled through CAD layer control. The element signature is drawn on the horizontal alignment layer.

The construction lines for the vertical alignment

The initial principal for designing the vertical geometry is identical to the design procedure of the horizontal geometry, but with the following additional comments:

• Clothoids cannot be used.

• Fixed points are automatically converted to angular points. For more information see the topic Angular Points below.

As a starting point for the design, CAD lines, polylines, and arcs can be utilized to initiate vertical alignment, or lines and curves can be directly inserted through the table Input V in the main floating window Alignment Design Professional.

Angular Points

The construction method of calculating angular points is often used in vertical geometry, even though the methodology for constructing the vertical geometry is almost identical to the construction methodology of horizontal geometry.

The calculate angular point methodology is simulated by giving one element the following section classification:

1. Fixed Line

2. Arc as an approximate element

3. Fixed Line

The first element's second fixed point is placed on the third element's first fixed point. The common fixed point can be edited as an angular point.

There are different functions to create or remove angular points. These functions can be found in the Modify menu and through the shortcut menu in the drawing (right-click menu).

Toggle between horizontal and vertical drawing

It is possible to work alternately between the horizontal and vertical alignment.

One can change from a vertical to a horizontal drawing with the aid of alignment design functions or activating the drawings by pointing at the desired drawing. Change projection can be done by activating the respective Input table in the main floating window, which changes active drawing automatically.

Close the vertical construction drawing

The menu choice Close Vertical Drawing from the menu Window closes the vertical drawing window.

When Novapoint Alignment Design is closed, the vertical drawing is automatically closed as well and deleted from the hard drive. The drawing is only a temporary construction drawing.

When the program is terminated with the function Ok - Draw, the vertical geometry is saved on the horizontal alignment in the database as well as on the horizontal alignment in CAD. The temporary vertical drawing is not saved but terminates and gets deleted from the hard drive.

Novapoint Road Drawing Generation functions are used to create profile projections, drawings, etc. With the Alignment design, only the actual alignment is created not drawings.

Guidepost

The Novapoint Alignment Design is accessed from the following places inside Novapoint Road in the CAD environment:

MOUS_ICO Toolbar: Alignment Design

MOUS_ICO Menu: Road > Alignment Design

Notes:

• The function Object Menu (NCO) [Menu: Novapoint > Object menu (NCO); Toolbar: Novapoint > Object menu (NCO)] can also be used to start Alignment Design.

• Run the function Object Menu (NCO) and select an existing alignment or CAD's Line/Polyline/Arc from the plan drawing. From the pop-up menu select Alignment Design.

When the function Alignment Design is activated, the dialog box Alignment Design will pop up and be placed on top of CAD as a floating window. In the dialog box the menu Object unfolds several options of selecting the starting point/element of the alignment.

Novapoint Alignment Design contains functions to design a three-dimensional alignment. This is performed in traditional fashion by editing the alignment in the horizontal and vertical planes.

• The horizontal projection is called the horizontal alignment or the horizontal geometry.

• The vertical projection is called the vertical alignment or the vertical geometry.

Novapoint Alignment Design is comprised of the following parts:

1. Main dialog - User Interface of Alignment Design.

2. Horizontal Alignment drawing in AutoCAD (Design Line - Horizontal Geometry).

3. Vertical drawing of the vertical geometry in AutoCAD (Design Line - Vertical Geometry).

4. Terrain (for calculating the terrain data).

Design Standard

To define design standards, refer to the topic Design Standard.

To Start a new Alignment

To start a new alignment, refer to the following topics:

• Pick Angular Points

• From Drawing

• Insert Arc

• Insert Line

Save the Alignment

To save the alignment, refer to the following topics:

• OK - Draw - Alignment is drawn to the current drawing and the drawing will be the source of alignment.

• Name - Alignment is stored in the active terrain model and the active terrain model will be the source for alignment.

• Export to File - Alignment data is exported to TIT formats and the file will be the source for the alignment.

Retrieving the Alignment for further design

To retrieving the alignments, refer the following topics:

• From Drawing

• From File

• From Terrain Model

• Centreline from Road Model

Editing the Alignments

Refer to the topics of Edit from the table of contents.

Modify the Alignment

Refer to the topics of Modify from the table of contents.

Design Line View Options

Refer to the topic Display.

Calculation Options and Customizing the User-Interface

Refer to the topic Options.

Longitudinal profile calculation and presentation options refer to the topic Terrain.

Shortcut Menus

Refer to the topic Shortcut Menu.

The table of contents of this file follows the menu of the user interface.

There are many more advanced design options, which can be found in this help file by following the menu of the user interface.

Next topic: Supplementary Information