Bridge Cross Section
Basic bridge cross sections can be defined in LEAP Bridge Concrete to describe the roadway surface. Individual cross sections are referred to as templates, and the collection of templates constitute a cross section set.
A cross section template is composed of planes defined from left to right for the template looking up-station. The template definition describes a series of connected planes representing the roadway surface. The user must define the station at which the cross section template is to apply.LEAP Bridge Concrete uses adjacent template definitions and linearly interpolates between them (if they have the same number of planes) to develop the instantaneous section at a station. The distance from alignment centerline to profile grade may also be specified; it may be specified as a fixed distance, or the user may define the profile grade position by specifying a plane reference element. The checkbox for Synchronize with superstructure sets the plan definition to match the width of the superstructure, and locks the options to add/insert/delete planes. If the bridge width is adjusted in Step 1 superstructure definition, the plan information will automatically be adjusted/synchronized.
Definitions
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Section Name | The cross section ID or name. |
| Width Type | Currently the only choice is Distance. Distance indicates that the width value follows. |
| Width Val | Horizontal width of the selected plane. |
| Vert Type | Currently only the Slope method is allowed for describing the vertical location at the end of the selected plane. |
| Slope |
The values that follow define the percentage cross-slope of the selected plane with a positive slope defining a plane whose end is higher than its beginning. |
| Template |
This drop-down list displays the templates defined in the cross section set. Selecting a template from the list displays the plane definitions and a graphic representation of the template. |
| Station | Station location of the template. |
| PG Offset | Horizontal offset from alignment to the profile grade. If the profile grade is along the alignment, this value is zero. |
| PG Node | The node in the cross section template representing the profile grade line. |
| Manual Width Control |
Allows you to manually edit the width of each plane. Turning this on disables the control for bridge overall width in step 1. |
Instead of manually specifying the alignment, profile and cross section information, you can directly read this information using the Read from Bentley Civil/ImportLandXML button on Step 1 of the ABC Wizard. When this Import Civil/LandXMLRead from Bentley Civil/ImportLandXML button is clicked, a dialog box allows you to specify certain Bentley Civil files (including *.gpk,*.alg, *.tin, *.fil, *.dtm) or a LandXML file that has the geometry information. The information can thus be read directly and selected information loaded into the ABC Wizard saving time inputting the information again. Users must be cautious in using the same units in LEAP Bridge Concrete and the read Civil files. There are currently some limitations (no support for spirals, regions or station equations), so the user is urged to verify the imported/read data carefully.
