VectorExpertDraw the formation and the ballast once, place them along the route by gradient, and CivilSurvey Expert gives the cut and fill for the formation and the quantity of ballast at every chainage, with the long section at its own scale. Long routes are handled the same way as short ones: step through the chainages, print them all at once, and take the volume abstract to Excel. CAD is built in, so no AutoCAD is needed.
Typical section
The typical railway section
Draw the formation and the ballast in the Template Designer, or import a .dwg. Each is its own layer with its own quantity; a blanket or sub-ballast course can be another layer.
Schematic, not to scale.
- Natural surface (NSL)
- The ground, from the level book at every chainage.
- Formation
- The embankment or cutting up to formation level, with side slopes run out to the ground.
- Ballast
- The ballast section on the formation, quantified as its own layer.
- More layers
- A section holds the ground plus up to four layers, so a blanket or sub-ballast course can have its own quantity too.
The job, start to finish
A railway 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 route. R.L.s are worked out by the height-of-instrument method and checked arithmetically; sections can be interpolated at a regular interval.
- 02
Generate the sections
Place the formation and ballast templates on every chainage from the design sheet: give the level and the gradient in percent (1 in 200 is 0.5 %), 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
Ease a slope, change the slope set through a cutting, or move points 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 at its own scale, and the volume abstract for the formation and the ballast.
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 each layer. |
| Long section | The ground, formation and ballast along the whole route, at its own horizontal and vertical scale. |
| Volume abstract | Cut and fill for the formation and the ballast quantity by average end area, written to Excel. |
| 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 railways
Can I get the ballast quantity separately from the earthwork?
Yes. The ballast is its own layer with its own area against the formation, so the volume abstract gives it separately from the formation cut and fill.
How do I enter a gradient of 1 in 200?
The design sheet takes the gradient in percent, so 1 in 200 is 0.5 %. Give the level and the gradient, choose the template, and Apply places it at every chainage.
Can the long section use a different scale from the cross-sections?
Yes. Cross and long sections have separate scales: 1:100 × 1:100 and 1:1000 × 1:100 by default, both changeable.
Does it handle long routes with many sections?
Yes. Every chainage is in one project file; step through them with the navigator, print the whole route from the print wizard, and take the volume abstract to Excel in one go.
Can I add a blanket or sub-ballast layer?
Yes. A section holds the ground plus up to four layers, each with its own template and quantity.
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.