Autodesk Conceptual Design Tools 2014

By Michelle Rasmussen

I am extremely excited to bring to you the first ever Autodesk Official Training Guide (AOTG) addressing an Autodesk Design Suite. This training guide introduces a seamless workflow for designing roads and highways, as shown below. It uses multiple products found in Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate 2014 to design a new transportation corridor for a growing city.

Workflow
Starting in the Autodesk InfraWorks software for the project planning phase, users of this training guide establish existing conditions by compiling existing GIS data for the area, such as existing roads, aerial photographs, utilities, etc. Conceptual designs are created and then analyzed to determine the best route, taking into consideration budget, environmental impact, and stakeholder's needs. After selecting the best conceptual design, design constraints are added to the transportation model inside the Autodesk InfraWorks software. Using design roads, the design speed, curve/spiral radius, and tangent lengths are defined to ensure public safety once the road has been built. A vertical optimization is also performed to help balance the cut/fill material required to build the new transportation corridor. The vertical optimization takes advantage of tools in the Autodesk InfraWorks software as well as Autodesk InfraWorks 360. Once complete, the optimized road is imported back into the software for viewing and analysis purposes.

When the preliminary design is complete, the design is imported into the AutoCAD Civil 3D software for the detailed design phase. A detailed field survey is done to update the existing conditions and capture accurate elevation data for the project. The survey data is used to create an existing ground surface, which acts as a target for the daylight points of the corridor model. Assemblies are created that represent typical cross-sections of the existing roads and proposed roads. Then intersection models are created to detail how the new road will connect to existing roads. Quantities are calculated from the corridor's top and datum surfaces for cut and fill as well
as materials for the new road.

The Autodesk Navisworks Manage software is used to validate the design and ensure that design team members using the Autodesk Revit Structure software are communicating properly with team members using the AutoCAD Civil 3D software. Both models are brought into the Autodesk Navisworks Manage software, and a clash detection is run to identify potential problems. Further design validation and communication are done by taking the design into the Autodesk InfraWorks software in which renderings, storyboards, and scenarios are created to share with stakeholders. When of the modifications and approvals have been completed, construction documents are created using the plan production tool in the AutoCAD Civil 3D software.

This training guide is a first step in preparing for the new Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite: Roads and Highways Workflow Certification Exam. Key symbols (shown below) help users quickly find important information throughout the training guide that will help them prepare for and pass the exam.

Objectives
On Thursday, May 16, 2014, I will be hosting an ASCENT webcast to present an overview of this new training guide. Click here to register. This session will be informative for anyone considering the use of Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite 2014: BIM Workflow for Roads and Highways.