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Bunds and embankments, with the fill and toe points at every chainage.
Flood bunds, tank bunds and approach embankments all come down to the same question: how much fill, and where does it meet the ground? CivilSurvey Expert places the bund section on every chainage, runs the side slopes out to the surveyed ground on both sides, finds the toe points and gives the fill area, then prints the sections and the volume abstract. CAD is built in, so no AutoCAD is needed.
Typical section
The typical bund section
Draw the top width and side slopes once in the Template Designer, or import a .dwg. On sloping ground the toe points fall at different distances on each side, and they are found for you at every chainage.
Schematic, not to scale.
- Natural surface (NSL)
- The ground, from the level book at every chainage, however much it falls across the section.
- Bund fill
- The section from the ground up to the top level: top width and side slopes, quantified as fill.
- Side slopes
- Named slope sets as 1 V : x H, such as a flatter slope on the water side, changed at any chainage.
- Toe points
- Where each side slope meets the ground, worked out left and right on every section.
The job, start to finish
A bund or embankment 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 bund. R.L.s are worked out by the height-of-instrument method and checked arithmetically.
- 02
Generate the sections
Place the bund template on every chainage from the design sheet: give the top level and the gradient (0 for a level bund), 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
Raise a low reach, change the slope set where the soil or the water side needs it, or move points in the built-in CAD. 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 along the bund, and the volume abstract of the fill.
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, the toe points and the fill area. |
| Long section | The ground and the bund top along the whole length. |
| Volume abstract | Fill (and any cut) by average end area, written to Excel with the project description. |
| Level book | A field book that matches the final levels, ready to check against. |
| DWG drawings | Any section exported to DWG when a consultant asks for it. |
Common questions about bunds and embankments
How are the toe points found on sloping ground?
Each side slope is projected from the edge of the bund until it meets the ground, going down for fill or up for cut, separately on the left and the right. So a bund on a cross-fall gets a longer slope on the low side, and both toes are shown with their offsets and levels.
Can the water side have a flatter slope than the land side?
Yes. A slope set holds the left and right slopes separately as 1 V : x H, and you can keep several named sets and apply a different one at any chainage.
Can I design a level bund?
Yes. On the design sheet give the top level and a gradient of 0, and the same level is placed on every chainage. Use a gradient where the top has to fall.
How is the fill quantity calculated?
Each section's fill area is worked out toe to toe by trapezoidal strips; the volume between sections is by average end area, written to Excel.
Can I match a fill area given in the estimate?
Yes. Dynamic Area Adjustment moves the layer in small steps until the section carries the cut or fill area you enter, and points you mark Constant stay where they are.
Do I need AutoCAD to draw or print the sections?
No. Sections are drawn and printed in CivilSurvey Expert's built-in CAD. Export DWG only when someone else needs the drawings.