Trimble Business Center

Is there a quick or easy way to create many sanitary sewer laterals (pipe runs) for a subdivision? Or is there a way to create one, then copy and edit for all? Or do nodes need to be created at each bend for each individual lateral?

All the laterals (96) will be 6' below the final grade surface at the face of curb with the standard minimum slope (2%) to the easement and (-2%) towards the first bend to the mainline and then the 30° angle down to the bend and mainline. 

See attached for layout and detail.

Eric

This looks like it could be somewhat automated - something like as follows

1) Select all of the CAD Lines that represent the Laterals (the elevation required at the Invert in the Manhole / connection to the main line will need to be known) it could be computed from the Mainline(s) if they are also a selection

1A) Select the Mainlines (it appears that the laterals just connect where the centerline of the lateral intersects the centerline of the main line - is that correct or are these defined at specific elevations?

2) Select the Design Surface or the linework that represents Face of Curb (Is that Top Face of Curb or Flow Line that you are referring to

3) Select the Easement Lines or the 6' Offset from Easement Lines

4) Select the Type of Lateral (A,B,C - I am not sure how common these are across municipalities - so maybe we wither would need to create a file (like MSI Manager) of "Standards" that could be edited to get the slopes and the angles and depths of cover defined that can then simply be selected here

Go

It now created the bend locations, the connection to the Main Line and using slope of 2% computes the termination at the Easement Line or 6' Offset to the Easement. 

If Each Lateral CAD Line has a unique Name it would use that to create the Runs for each Lateral. If the CAD Lines are unnamed it could ask for the name of the lateral Type (e.g. Sanitary Lateral ) and then add 001,002 etc to the name in order to create the naming.

If you could do this in an automated way - how much time do you think that this would save? I can imagine but would like to know how long it would take you today vs a few seconds in this method.

I am not promising anything here - but have captured the requirement at least and it seems viable to do it more quickly than the manual method.

Alan

To manually elevate each line, i would think a couple minutes currently for each one.

Can a "fitting" be a node in a "gravity utility type"?

It appears that you can only use a "headwall, junction box or manhole" as the node type in "Create Utility Line" command with a gravity network? Ideally would be a fitting at the mainline and a cap on the other end near the easement.

I've elevated some of the lines and know trying to create utility lines out of them but having an issue with the node type that can be selected.

Thanks!

You can create a Headwall Object called Gravity Joint or similar - use the

Sphere symbol for it in Plan, Profile and 3D Views and it will get counted

- at the end of the day this is an estimating tool, not a real BIM

Visualization Tool and you really only want to count objects and their Name

and Quantity and optional cost is what comes out on the Reports. While

users do get "Hung Up" on not being able to add a fitting to a Gravity

Sewer, using the Headwall Objects to do this works from a Takeoff

perspective.

If this data was all intelligently flowing out to the field systems and had

real downstream use, that would be a different issue, but as it is right

now this approach works.

There is a request in the system to be able to have Fittings on a Gravity

Sewer - it has not yet been implemented and I am not personally sure where

it is on the RoadMap.

Hope that this helos

Alan

On Wed, Dec 5, 2018 at 2:04 PM erics@rotschyinc.com <trimble@jiveon.com>

Thanks Alan!

Is there a better or faster way to elevate the lines for the sewer/storm laterals? 

Looks like a cool model - assume that you are still looking to speed up this process - or are you good with this as is now?

Alan

Thanks for the reply Alan. Speeding up the process would be nice but mainly wondering if I'm over looking a quicker or more efficient way to elevate the lines? Both ends have known elevations (IE at Pipe & end shown on plans) and bend is created by the 45° on one side and the 2% on the other. 

Thanks!

I did not see any shortfalls in your current process - looks like you have it "nailed" with current tools

Alan

Sent from my iPhone

Ok, thanks Alan!

Everything with regard to Utilities can be changed via Properties.  Subsequently, fittings can be assigned to Gravity lines if you change the node's properties after its creation.  Hope this helps!

Workflow:

1.) Insert any allowable node in the place of your fitting.

2.) Select the node and go to "Properties".

3.) Change the node from the originally allowable selection to a fitting of your choice.

Thanks for the input Benjamin.