Generating a Profile View in the Geotechnical Modeler

Adding the subsurface information to a profile view is the key method for engineers and drafters to visualize subsurface conditions with the Geotechnical Modeler. Creating a subsurface profile with the Geotechnical Modeler requires some prerequisite objects and parameters. This includes a baseline alignment, a top TIN surface, and the borehole data (as COGO points).

To create a subsurface profile view:

1. Open the Subsurface Profiles dialog box by selecting Subsurface Profiles from the ribbon.
2. Select an existing alignment from the drawing as the baseline for the subsurface profile view via the Reference Alignment drop-down menu.

3. From the Top Surface drop-down menu select the TIN surface representing existing ground or top of borehole elevation. This option allows you to choose any Civil 3D surface that exists in the current drawing.
4. You must now choose which data organization or field method used to generate the sticklogs. The options include: geology codes / names, legend codes / names, or BGS codes / names. From the drop-down adjacent to Geology Field select the field type appropriate for the project data.

5. Once the reference alignment, top surface, and the geology field have been selected you may select which boreholes they would like to display data for in the profile view. From the Subsurface Profiles dialog box select the + Select Boreholes button.

   • You are presented with a command prompt to either select the boreholes (COGO points) manually or select them using an offset distance from the reference alignment. Selecting by offset distance requires that you input the desired offset value, which will then select all boreholes located within that distance of the reference alignment on both sides.

     

   • All boreholes selected to be displayed in the subsurface profile view will turn blue upon display, and the Subsurface Profiles dialog box will display the number of boreholes selected to the right of the + Select Boreholes button.

     

6. Ensure that the checkbox adjacent to Stratum Profiles at the bottom of the Subsurface Profiles dialog box is selected so that the TIN surfaces are displayed on the profile view.

7. Review the settings provided in the Subsurface Profile dialog box.

    **Note:** the settings for vertical scale / exaggeration are located at the bottom of the dialog box.

8. Select the Create Subsurface Profile button and when prompted, select the desired location in model space for placing the profile view. Note that once the Subsurface Profile has been created, the Create Subsurface Profile button will change to the Update Subsurface Profile button. The Update Subsurface Profile button will be used moving forward as display settings are toggled or modified.

See image below for the display of this button before and after creating the initial Subsurface Profile.

Subsurface Profile View