In this post I want to explain how to model an intersection manually in CIVIL 3D.

There is a
way to make this more easier with the tool for CIVIL 3D intersection creation but if you can
understand this procedure, you can model any intersection you want. Let's dive in.
Before you can create any intersection, first you need to have two alignments that intersect
eachother, Finished Grade Profile (FG) for these two alignements and Surface Profiles ( called
existing ground or EG) as well.
When you make a Finished Grade Profiles (FG), make sure that they intersect as well, elevation
wise. How to do that ? Well, you have to first design the Finished Grade Profile (FG) for the
primary road. Then create the Finished Grade Profile for the Secondary Road but start at the
same elevation as primary road.

One more thing you have to do before going into designing of the intersection is to create an
assemby for the primary road in the beginning. In this post, I will be working with 12 foot
pavement widths ( defined in the assembly ) .

Now offset the alignment up and down (12 foot offset). The point here is to make curb returns by
tying these pavament together with the radius of 25 feet ( Fillet command ). After you have
offset the alignement, now trim off the pieces you don't need, explode the polyline and delete all
the lines except curb returns (Figure 1) .

When you have your curb returns in place, now is the time to create the corridor for Primary
Road using the assembly for the Primary Road. Finished corridor for the Primary Road looks like
this ( Figure 2).

If you look closer we have a problem with assemby in intersection area. Next step is to create an
assembly for intersection area. The way to do this is to create a copy of your previous assembly
and delete the entire left side because you don't need that part of the assembly ( Figure 3 ).

After you have created the assembly for intersection area, split the corridor and add the new
assembly in intersection area (Figure 4 ).

Split the region at the end point of the curb return on the left and the curb return on the right.
After you get back in Corridor Properties, the region in the middle represents the area in the
intersection. Click in the assembly field and switch to the assembly you created for intersection
area.Figure 5 represents the finished corridor after inserting new assembly in intersection area.

Now you can start modeling Secondary Road. Select the corridor and in the Corridor Properties
create a baseline for Secondary Road (Add Baseline). The baseline is defined by an alignment
and a profile so make sure you select the right ones for this baseline. What we need next is the
region so right click on the baseline and select add region.Pick the assembly you made for the
primary road and click ok .
Don't forget the assembly targets a surface. By that token, in the corridor properties, click on the
elipsis button next to Secondary Road baseline and target all your baseline targets to the Existing
Ground Surface (EG). See Figure 6.

After the previous adjustments, the finished corridor for Secondary Road looks like this.

You can see on the Figure 7 that the corridor for Secondary Road extends all the way to the
intersecting point. Fix that by changing the start station of the region so that it matches the curb
return location. Now it's much better, what do you think ? (Figure 8 )

Now is the time to convert these curb returns into alignments (Alignement- Create
Alignments from Objects). In order to avoid confusion, name your right alignment Curb
Return East and left Curb Return West . After you converted your Curb Returns into alignments,
pull the Surface and Finished Grade profiles for each alignment (Curb Return East and Curb
Return West ). When you create the Finished Grade profiles, first find out what your proposed
elevation was at the beginning and the end of both Curb Returns. My suggestion is that you
create a surface first ( Select a corridor - Corridor Surfaces - Create a corridor surface ).
The point here is to use this surface to extract elevation at proposed locations. You can select the
surface and click Add Labels- Spot Elevations. Take a look on the Figure 9 how I did that.

You can see on the Figure 10 how my elevations are matched with the proposed locations
(Figure 10 ).

Let's model forward. Your next step is to create a baseline from these objects ( Curb Return East
and Curb Return West ). Then sweep an assembly along to complete the Curb Returns. Just make
a copy of existing full road assembly and delete subassemblies that you don't need ( you don't

need the Curb and the Daylight on the left side, as well as the right lane on the right ). See Figure
11.

Notice that this assembly will not be swept along the centerline of the road. No worries, you can
sweep it along the edge of pavement. Let's do that. Select the corridor and click Corridor
Properties. In the Parameters tab, add a new baseline from alignment Curb Return East. Don't
forget to select the profile (FG ) for this baseline. Right click on the baseline you've just created
and Add a Region ( pick an assembly you created for Curb Returns). Remember that the
assembly has a daylight so while the new created region is selected, click in the Target field and
make you daylight target an Existing Ground Surface (EG) (Figure 12).

I know what you are thinking, it's not bad but ... What's the problem? We need to increase the
frequency of that part of the section. Again select the corridor and go to Corridor Properties, find
you region and click the ellipsis in the frequency column. Set your Curve Increment to 5 and
rebuild the corridor ( Figure 13).

Now it's better but we have to do one more thing. We need to take the pavement edge ( of an
assembly ) and target the centerline of Primary and Secondary Road.
The way to do that is to select the corridor and go to Corridor Properties. Select the region and
adjust the targets of that region. Take lane Subassembly part and target a width. Target Primary
and Secondary Road alignements (Figure 14).

The last thing you need to take care of is vertical. It means that in the same column Subassembly
part ( Outside Elevation Profile) target profiles (FG) for Primary Road and Secondary Road
alignments (Figure 15).

When you are finished, your corridor should look like the Figure 16.

Procedure is the same for the other side. Thus, the finished model of the corridor is presented in
the Figure 17 below.

I hope you enjoyed this post and remember to practice your CIVIL 3D skills daily. If you have
any questions about CIVIL 3D just send me an e-mail and I will be glad to help you.
Your CIVIL 3D expert Damir Pervan, M.Eng of CE