Properties
Surface Properties can be set to either individual surfaces or to a surface group.
Individual Surface Properties
General
This dialog box is activated from the shortcut menu of the surface in the tree structure of the dialog Road Surfaces and selecting Properties from the shortcut menu.
The tab General of the dialog box shows the information of the surface name, surface number, and descriptive text.
The information is that of the surface from where the shortcut menu is activated.
The surface name and the descriptive text can be modified.
Usage
This dialog box is activated from the shortcut menu of the surface in the tree structure of the dialog Road Surfaces and selecting Properties from the shortcut menu. The tab Usage of the dialog box is used for the following tasks:
Changing the reference surface.
Define the surface for superelevation description.
Define the surface for widening description.
If the surface, from which the dialog Surface Properties is activated, is to be used as the following references, mark the respective checkboxes.
Reference Surface for Vertical Alignment
All surfaces in the cross-section calculation of the road are calculated with respect to a reference surface.
The inside edge of the reference surface (the edge of a surface that is nearest to the alignment) follows and has the same elevation as the vertical alignment.
The default reference surface is 1.01.
If the surface -1.01 or +1.01 is the reference surface for a road without a median, then the horizontal and vertical alignment will coincide.
If there are road surfaces closer to the reference alignment then the reference surface for the alignment, then you may see that the reference alignment and the road surface that exists at the ref.alignment do not coinside. Examples of this are situations with kerbstones, embankments and ditches at the alignment, while the reference surface for the vertical alignment is at the traffic lane 1.01.
The horizontal alignment is always the divider between the lowest positive and negative road surfaces (+0.XX and -0.XX).
The reference surface of the road project will be displayed in bold letters in the tree structure of the dialog box Road Surfaces.
Superelevation, left/right side
If the surface describes the superelevation on the left/right side of the road, mark the respective check box and the description is used when drawing the superelevation diagram on longitudinal profile drawings.
Widening, left/right
If the surface describes the widening on the left/right side of the road, mark the respective checkbox and the description is used when drawing the road-widening diagram on longitudinal profile drawings.
Hovering over a surface
Inside the Road Surface dialog, when hovering over a surface it will show the 'Usage' if any of the above mentioned items are used on that road surface.
Surface Group Properties
Right-click on a surface type to access the properties. All properties for the surface types show a general descriptive text on the General tab.
Some surface types have multiple tabs in properties.
Embankment Ditch
In the properties of surface type Ditch, it is possible to apply a First and Last station for applying embankment ditches.
Embankment ditches are used for controlling surface drainage water to prevent it from running down fill slopes.
Embankment ditches can also be used in areas where the road model jumps in and out of cut/fills to get an undisrupted ditch in the model.
The description of the ditch is done in the normal description table cells.
An embankment ditch in the road model is attached in the same way as that of the normal ditch surfaces.
Rock Shelf
Rounding
Next topic: Pavement