Hard Landscape (Building Pads, Drives, Car Parks, etc.)

If you are following the 'Reduce Method' approach of defining the entire site in a 'Feature Surface' and then adjusting to a subgrade/formation level using the 'Reduce' element, then hard landscaping can be modelled with contour lines and break-lines. Points are not a good way of defining hard landscaping areas, as they are not necessarily joined in the way you would expect for hard edges (e.g. the edge of a building pad or car park).

Firstly, closed contour lines can be used to define building pads and other flat areas. Break-lines can be drawn around the perimeter of car parks etc., to add that detail. However, when modelling hard landscaping, the 'Offset Method' by which different areas of construction thickness are defined in different 'Feature Surfaces' tends to create accurate surfaces far more easilty than the 'Reduce Method'. With the 'Reduce Method', a lot of time is often spent on break-lines, contours, and points to get the same effect of a few elevation elements combined. This is because Kubla Cubed generates side slopes for all elements. However, when defining the whole site in one feature, all the side slopes of buildings, car parks, ramps etc. have to be defined with contours, etc.

As with all take-off work, there is no one correct way to define things; however, the following recommendations provide a good starting point when using the 'Offset Method' regarding which elements to use:

• Building Pads, Drives, Garages: For these, the 'Platform' element can be used. Different areas in the same Platform element can be defined with different outlines. However, all areas in a single 'Platform' will have the same elevation. If you have many pads with different elevations (such as in a housing project), a 'Feature Surface' will allow you to define different pads with the 'Fixed Level Outlines'. A unique 'Fixed Level Outline' for each pad.
• Car Parks: If the car park is a consistent slope or two consistent slopes, the 'Slope' element can be used. Frequently, though, a car park is defined on a plan with elevations along the perimeter. In this case, it is often easiest to use a 'Feature Surface' and a 'Varying Level Outline'. Break-lines or points can be used, to add extra elevations inside the car park for added details.
• Ramps: The 'Slope' element is useful for creating ramps. If the ramps are all on the same plane, multiple outlines within the same 'Slope' element can define them. However, if they are not, then multiple slope elements can be used.

When using the 'Offset Method' and splitting areas into different 'Feature Surfaces', some consideration needs to be made regarding the order of the elements. The elements lower in the calculation order will override the ones above. It is a good idea to put the more expansive areas at the top and the more detailed areas lower down. You don't need to carefully snap the boundaries between different areas together if you use the overriding behaviour strategically.