VectorExpertCivilSurvey Expert takes an irrigation canal from the surveyed level book to printed sections and a volume abstract. Bed cut and each bank are separate layers with their own cut and fill, the bed is placed by gradient from the head, and the toe points are found at every chainage. CAD is built in, so no AutoCAD is needed.
Typical section
The typical canal section
Draw it once in the Template Designer, or import the department's .dwg. Each part below is its own layer, so each gets its own quantity.
Schematic, not to scale.
- Natural surface (NSL)
- The ground, from the level book at every chainage.
- Bed cut
- The channel: bed width and side slopes, cut below the ground.
- Left and right bank
- Fill above the ground, each with its own top width, slopes and toe point.
- Side slopes
- Named slope sets as 1 V : x H, changed at any chainage where the soil changes.
The job, start to finish
A canal job in six stages
The same six stages as every CivilSurvey Expert project. Each links to the full details and a live demo.
- 01
Book the levels
Type or import the level book for every chainage along the canal. R.L.s are worked out by the height-of-instrument method and checked arithmetically.
- 02
Generate the sections
Place the canal template on every chainage from the design sheet: give the bed level and the gradient, and the level at each chainage follows. Side slopes run out to the ground and the toe points are found for you.
- 03
Adjust by hand
Where a reach needs it, drag points or raise a bank by a set amount in the built-in CAD. Cut, fill and toe points update as you work.
- 04
Adjust to a target
When a section has to carry a given cut or fill area, Dynamic Area Adjustment moves the layer in small steps until the area is reached.
- 05
Reverse field book
Back-calculate a level book, B.S., I.S. and F.S., that matches the final levels, with change points added at staff limits.
- 06
Deliver
Print every section with its datum band and area table, the long section, and the volume abstract for the bed cut and each bank.
What you hand over
From one project file
| Output | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Cross-section sheets | Every chainage on A0 to A5 or Letter, with the datum band and the area table for bed cut and banks. |
| Long section | The centre-line level of the ground, the bed and the banks along the whole canal. |
| Volume abstract | Cut and fill for each layer by average end area, written to Excel with the project description. |
| Level book | A field book that matches the final, adjusted levels, ready to check against. |
| DWG drawings | Any section exported to DWG when a consultant asks for it. |
Common questions about canals
Can the bed cut and the two banks have separate quantities?
Yes. Each is its own layer with its own cut and fill area at every chainage, and the volume abstract is produced for any layer.
How is the bed level set along the canal?
On the design sheet. Give the centre level and the gradient, choose the template, and Apply places it at every chainage with the level worked out from the gradient.
Can the side slope change where the soil changes?
Yes. Keep several named slope sets and apply a different one to any chainage from the section screen.
Can I start from the department's AutoCAD typical section?
Yes. The Template Designer imports a .dwg and converts it into a template you can save and place on any project.
How are the canal quantities calculated?
By average end area: the mean of two consecutive section areas multiplied by the distance between them, for cut and fill separately, written to Excel.
Is there a sample canal to learn on?
Yes. A 7.7 km irrigation canal with 257 sections comes with the trial, so you can try every stage before entering your own survey.