How to create pavement/sidewalk?

[raphael.dunbar]

Hi all,

Im wanted to know how to create my site in Revit, with pavements/sidewalks? Also my site has a very gentle slope and a road around 3 sides of it. How do I go about creating this in Revit?

I would like to achieve something like Paul Monsef's has done in his "vertically sloping bay window" project (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=13110&highlight=sloping+window)

Also how would I add those tree grates? and what if I wanted to add some steps along my site (outside of the building)? I can attach a small site plan/sketch if that would help explain what Im after if needed.

Thank you.

[raphael.dunbar]

Or could someone point me to a tutorial that explains this kind of thing? I just find the site tools in Revit a bit limiting or hard to grasp, I really would appreciate (please :) ) some tips as there is nothing in the help and tutorials of Revit.

Thanks

[archjake]

For sidewalk on a site plan I will typically use a floor. You can have them slope. Create multiple levels, etc. Steps can be multiple floors at different levels, or an in place family. I will even use floors for pavement. Just set it the thickness and materials as required.

[raphael.dunbar]

Thanks archjake. So does everyone here just use floors? How do you add say a curb to the floor? Im off to do some more experiments :)

[artitech]

I use a wall and make it the size and material of a concrete curb. Seems a bit unusual that we use walls and floors for curbs and sidewalks..... these commands should be included under the "Site" tools.

artitech

[Chad Smith]

You really don't get much in the way of site tools (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=2530). Workarounds are the only way :banghead: , but with limited results.

[patricks]

The best and easiest way to do curbs that I've found, if you're using floors for sidewalks and pavement, is to create a profile of the curb (and gutter if you want) and then make a slab edge using that profile. Then you can just pick your edges of the slab and it will sweep the profile along the edge, and you instantly have curbs with all the curves and radii that the floor (which is the sidewalk) has.

Of course I only use these for site plans and also for rendering if there isn't too much grade change.

[Joef]

Does this work on sloped edges of a floor? That would be very handy.

Joe

[patricks]

It should work anywhere a slab edge will work.

[BillyGrey]

Where does a slab edge work?

Hmmm.

I did a quick experiment (emphasize quick, so there maybe workabouts), and it seems slab edges in my experiment only stick to flat surfaces, or limited planes on a straight sloping run.
The third image shown illustrates that I could not get slab edges to stick to it's sides.
I could not make them work with curved sloping surfaces at all. Also, it seems that curved sloping surfaces tilt when modelled (curved slab w/ slope arrow).

See attached.

[patricks]

Well I only use them for site plans, which have all flat floors (site) anyway, or for renderings where there isn't much grade change, and so a flat site surface works fine for that.

[BillyGrey]

Good deal Patricks,

My little experiment was meant to highlight Revit's capabilities, rather than question anyone's
current use.

:beer:

Sooo, here's to a long standing wishlist item we hope will be resolved someday sooner than later.

:beer:

[knurrebusk]

What can I say!

I meet this challenge on most of my projects, and it feels strange to spend hours getting nowhere.
I´ll use 2D linework to fake sloped/curved integrating with flat sites.

Never seen it done in proper 3D in Revit/native, and without huge workarounds.

[DanielleAnderson]

Here we usually use profiles and then voids for the curved corners. It's a real pain, I had to build a site last fall that was about 6 blocks by 8 blocks in downtown Seattle and the sidewalk thing was a nightmare with all the slopes. It is true that we could use more site tools, as discussed quite frequently in the wish list.
Nice rendering by the way Paul...is that a local building?

[Mr Spot]

My typical method for sloped sites, kerbs, sidewalks and streets has been:

FOR LARGE SLOPING SITES

Create the whole site topography.
Split the surface into its various components that will need to be at different levels then lower the street by selecting the topography and moving it in elevation.

Then I use in-place families for the kerb using sweeps with the path drawn in elevation.

FOR RELATIVELY FLAT SITES

As previously suggested using floors and slab edges.

[knurrebusk]

I´m just wonder why voids can´t be implemented with topo surfaces?
If I could make a topo surface, and cut it with voids Revit would rule even more!

My best guess is "Revit Land Desktop" or soemething, and why not.

[bowlingbrad]

Then I use in-place families for the kerb using sweeps with the path drawn in elevation.

Everything good up until trying to create an in place wall family (curb) at the correct locations. I try to place a sweep using 'Pick path' option. Am I supposed to use a 2d path to follow the grade? A little confused here...

[knurrebusk]

I´ll challenged everyone on this forum to use Revits´s site tool´s on very steep sites!
Never seen anything close to what we need in real life.

Ok! I`ll use a separate solution etc, and pay fore help.

[Alex Page]

I´ll challenged everyone on this forum to use Revits´s site tool´s on very steep sites!
Never seen anything close to what we need in real life.

Ok! I`ll use a separate solution etc, and pay fore help.

From NZ, I live in a particularly steep & hilly part of the country...the site tools are a real dissappointment and basically stops us dead when trying to present to clients

[knurrebusk]

From NZ, I live in a particularly steep & hilly part of the country...the site tools are a real dissappointment and basically stops us dead when trying to present to clients


These words just made my life so much calmer!! thanks!
I´m so much aware of Revit´s "numbero uno" qualities, but real life also need a certain
continuity in these fantastic tools

[Mr Spot]

Everything good up until trying to create an in place wall family (curb) at the correct locations. I try to place a sweep using 'Pick path' option. Am I supposed to use a 2d path to follow the grade? A little confused here...
I don't use walls as hosts generally. You could create a massing element using voids and solids to use as an invisible framework to create a 3D path for your kerb.

Mine have been pretty easy in the past though. Straight in plan and sloped in elevation. So i just use an in-place family, draw a reference plane in plan-set as host, then draw the path in elevation and set the appropriate profile.

If its more complicated than this i'd go the massing method, or most likely just not bother.

[knurrebusk]

If its more complicated than this I'd go the massing method, or most likely just not bother.[/QUOTE]


I´m not in the position to "not bother"
Massing will not do My thing, so I´ll head for Revit out of the box.
Revit is my chosen tool, and will be for a long time.

If I need another tool, tell me in advance.
For now I´m left with an amputated genius!

[kerrycfendley]

with the asphalt (https://www.eaglerockexcavating.com) texture, resizing in UV worked. But I also tried with another procedural texture, and it did not work.. resizing in UV did not have any effect. is that because your texture has a UV node in it ?

[kerrycfendley]

Asphalt pavement
108740