Obtaining Cut & Fill Values for

Site Development using

InRoads
Users Guide
February 2012_Rev1
Inc.

Bentley Inroads v8i (v08.11.07.494)

JGC Philippines,

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction .............................................................. 3
What is InRoads? ............................................................. 3
Preparation of InRoads reference Drawing . 3
Getting Started with InRoads
Select CAD Platform 4
Opening InRoads 4
Parts of InRoads Window 5
Creating Preferences .... 6
Setting Preferences . 6
Creating a Surface
Existing Surface
Creating existing surface . 7
Import Layers .. 8
View Imported Layers 9
Saving Surface 11
Design Surface
Create Design Surface . 11
Import Layers . 12
Viewing Imported Layers 12
Save Surface .12
Computing Cut and Fill Volume for Surfaces .. 13
Surface Point Types 15
How to Empty a Surface? ................................................... 15
Notes in Importing Layers for Design Surface . 16

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Introduction
Welcome to InRoads. This Users guide manual will help engineers to be
familiarized about InRoads software. This also teaches the steps required
to obtain a cut and fill value for a surface.

What is InRoads?
InRoads software package is a design tool that allows the user to perform
complex geometry and surface modeling functions. It is a program that
uses various CAD packages such as Microstation and AutoCAD to display
graphic information to the user.
The products that are part of the InRoads suite include InRoads, InRoads
bridge, InRoads Site, InRoads Storm and Sanitary, InRoads Survey and
InRail. These products can run independently or simultaneously.

Preparation of InRoads Reference Drawing

InRoads requires a reference drawing in able to generate a surface.
Wherein a reference drawing can be done at the same time we are using
Inroads or by using a prepared drawing ready for import which will be
used in this manual.
The following items are the required properties of a reference drawing:
a.)

Reference drawing must be composed of a contour map and a

plot plan.
- We suggest having only one reference drawing to avoid
conflict in importing and viewing the surface generated by
InRoads.

b.)

Reference drawing must be in 1:1 scale since InRoads is in

meters.

c.)

Reference drawing must be made of polylines only.

- For contour lines made of spline. Please refer to spline to
polylines conversion placed at Civil Database.

d.)

All items should have a unique layer.

e.)

Contour lines must have no space and but must have break
points.

f.)
g.)

Contour Elevation must be exact and in meters.

Areas must be set to desired elevations.

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AREA 1 @
100m

AREA 2 @
110m

AREA 3 @
100m

Example: from the figure, area 1 must have an elevation property

of 100m.
h.)

For areas with embankment, set boundary at most economical

elevation.

Getting Started with InRoads

Select CAD Platform
Open Program Bentley InRoads Group Select CAD Platform

This window will display the CAD Platforms installed in your computer.
Choose the one compatible to your reference drawing.
This CAD platform will serve as the viewer while InRoads handles the
engineering.

Opening InRoads
1. Open InRoads by clicking its shortcut icon.
You can also open InRoads through
AutoCAD by:
Tools Load Application
Then load: CivAcadXM.ARX
2. After opening, you have to see the CAD Platform and InRoads
window.

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3. Close the current CAD Drawing and open the prepared reference
drawing to use.
4. Lock or turn-off all layers at CAD Platform in able to protect your
reference drawing.

Parts of InRoads Window

Main Menu Bar

Workspace Bar

Feedback Pane

Creating Preferences
1. At InRoads Main Menu Bar go to
Tools Project Options.
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This dialog box is use to set working defaults.

Note: If the Project Option icon is not available in the Main
Memu bar, please follow these procedure.
In the Main Menu bar click Tools
Customize
Check Tools
2. Set
your
desired
values in all the
various
tab
categories.
All changes can be saved
and recalled later.
3. This information is
stored in the .XIN
file.
The default settings are
always
used
unless
something
different
is
either set or opened.

Setting Preferences
1. Go Inroads windows workspace bar and click Preferences.
2. At InRoads main menu bar click File and then open.
Filename: ***must have an extension of .xin
File Type: Preferences (*.xin)
Note: If there is no available preferences on a project, use
the pre-set by the InRoads.
D:\INROADS\01_Preferences\01a_Original From Inroads

For Metric

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For English

Creating a Surface
Existing Surface
It is a surface where you will import the reference drawing for contour. It
is the basis of your design surface.

1. Create Existing Surface

a. At InRoads workspace bar click
Surface.
b. At InRoads main menu bar click File
then New.
a. At the dialog box, input the
following:
Type: Existing
Name: filename
Description: __
Max. Length: 0
Preference: your filename for
pre-set preferences
b. Click Apply and close dialog box.
c. At InRoads left feedback pane, right click to your created surface
and click Set Active.

A red box notes that

selected surface is currently
active.
Note: Always check if your
surface is currently active
before importing or saving in
able to protect all data.

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2. Import Layers
a. At InRoads main menu bar click
File Import Surface
a. At the dialog box, input
the following:
Load From: Layer
Layer: AutoCADs layer name to
be import
Seed name: __
Feature Style: Default
Point type: ***if layer to upload
is an exterior then point type is
also exterior.
b. Click Apply and close
dialog box for import
surface.
b. At InRoads main menu bar click Surface triangulate Surface.
a. At the dialog box check if the indicated surface is your active
surface.
b. Check the Extended
Data
Checks
and
uncheck
Lock
Triangulation.
c. Max length should be
0.00.
d. Click Apply then Close.

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Triangulation is required to produce a surface. It corrects and reports on

various problems that maybe in your surface. InRoads will also auto
resolve the crossing break lines when it triangulates.
c. At InRoads main menu bar click
Surface Utilities Generate
Inferred Break Lines.
a. At the Generate Inferred Break
Lines dialogue box check
triangulate surface.
b. Click Apply then Close.

Point Types to upload in existing surface:

Exterior it is the edge line or boundary of a certain area.
Contour for the contour lines or topographic map
Interior it is an area inside the exterior not included for BQ.
(ex: lagoon,existing plant, or any area that will not be
change)

3. View Imported Layers

Perimeter
a. At InRoads main menu bar click
Surface View Surface
Perimeter
a. At view perimeter dialogue
box, Surface must contain
the active surface filename.
b. Click Preferences.
i. A
dialogue
bar
for
preferences will appear.
Highlight existing then load,
save and close.
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c. At view perimeter dialogue box click apply then close.

Contour
a. At InRoads main menu bar click
Surface View Surface Contour
a. At
the
View
Contours
dialogue
box
input
the
following:
Surface: filename
Interval: **depends upon
the contour drawing interval
Minors per major: **4 is
suggested

b. Click Preferences.
i. At Preferences dialogue
box
highlight
the
preferences
filename
you created. Then Click
Load, Save and Close.
c. At View Contours dialogue box
click apply and close.

Interior (if any)

At InRoads main menu bar click Surface View Surface Interior
The procedure will be same as the Import Layer.
After viewing imported layers checked if the surface generated by
InRoads match up with reference drawing.

4. Saving a Surface
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a. Right click at the active surface then click Save.

b. Save dialogue box must contain the following:
Filename: ___
Save as type: Surface
Active: must be your surface to be saved

c. Note that surface has an extension name of .dtm.

d. Click Save then Close.

Design Surface
This is where to import the desired
area for cut and fill.

1. Create Design Surface

a. At InRoads main menu bar click
File New.
b. At the dialog box, input the
following:
Type: Design
Name: filename
Description: __
Max. Length: 0.00
Preference: your filename for
pre-set preferences
c. Click Apply and close dialog box.
d. At InRoads left feedback pane, right click to your created surface
and click Set Active.
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2. Import Layers
Procedure is the same for importing layers in existing surface.

Point Types to upload in design surface:

Exterior it is the edge line or boundary of a certain area.
Break line it is an area inside the exterior desired for BQ.
Interior it is an area inside the exterior not included for BQ.

3. Viewing Imported Layers

Perimeter
Same as the procedure for existing surface in viewing the
Perimeter.

Triangles
a. At InRoads main menu bar click
Surface View Surface
Triangles
a. At view triangles dialogue
box, Surface must contain
the
active
surface
filename.
b. Click Preferences.
i. A dialogue bar for preferences will appear. Highlight
existing then load, save and close.
c. At view triangles dialogue box click apply then close.

4. Save Surface

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Computing Cut and Fill Volume

a. At InRoads main menu bar click Evaluation Volumes Triangle
Volume.
b. At Triangle Volume dialogue box, input the following:
Mode: Entire Surface
Surface Sets
Original Surface: filename of existing surface
Design Surface: filename of design surface
c. Click Add then highlight the added item and Apply.

d. InRoads will then give the result of evaluation.

e. InRoads will give zero value if triangle volume is not set as default.
f. To set, right click at the left column of the figure below and set
default as triangle volume.
g. InRoads will then give the result for cut and fill.

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h. Save the evaluation at Bentley InRoads Report Browser window

File Save

Surface Point types:

Random Points singular points with x, y and z direction. They

have no relationship with other points.

Break line Points are used in surface model where a linear

relationship exists along a path. Two or more points are required to
define a break line.

Interior Boundary Points defines a void area. No computation

occurs inside these void areas. It must be a closed figure.

Exterior Boundary Point are used to limit the outer extent of the
model. No computation occurs outside the exterior limit. Only 1
exterior boundary can be defined per model.

Contour Points is a graphic element in which all points are at

single elevation.

How to Empty a Surface?

Right Click to the surface you wanted to empty.

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Right part of feedback pane must all be zero after emptying the surface.

Notes in Importing Layers for Design Surface

PCWBS 5000
A1
EL+100

A2
EL+105

A3
EL+110

Exterior part is the black boundary. It is also the edge of PCWBS 5000
area.
Example 1: to BQ Area 1
Import:
Boundary Exterior (exclude from triangulation)
A1 Break line
A2 & A3 interior (optional input since A1 is
imported as a break line.)
Inroads will then give a triangulation like this.
Example 2: to BQ PCWBS 5000
Import:
Boundary Exterior
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A1, A2 & A3 Break line

Inroads will then give a triangulation like this.

Note: In case there are spaces between each area (embankment), the
volume of these spaces will also be included in the computation if interior
is not excluded from triangulation and vice versa.

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