Typical Sections

Roadway Design Division

Website www.tn.gov/tdot/roadway-design/training.html

Email TDOT.RoadwayDesignDivisionTraining@tn.gov

The Purpose of this tutorial is to assist the Designer in the

development of Typical Section Sheets

This is an example only. Actual projects may be different.

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1. Create design File

In your Project Directory, create a MicroStation Design File to place

your Typical Section in.

a. In an existing .dgn file, go to “File” and select “New”

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b. Make sure the Seed File is “seed2d.dgn”

c. Name File - Example: “Typical.sht”

(For a project, the file would be named according to the sheet

number, i.e. 002A.sht)

d. Click “Save”

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2. Place Sheet Border

T.D.O.T. > Sheet Cells:

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a. Select “Plan” cell:

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b. Place plan cell in design file

NOTE: Plan cell is placed at a scale of 1

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c. Place Sheet Title:

T.D.O.T.> Sheet Titles:

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1) Select “Typical Sections” cell:

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2) Snap to lower right corner of inside sheet border to place cell:

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Text Box

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3. Place tangent and superelevated typicals.

T.D.O.T > Typical Sections> Cells

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Example is 2-lane Arterial – RD01-TS-3:

a. Tangent typical

Place cell in upper half of sheet:

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b. Superelevated Typical

Place cell in lower half of sheet:

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Text Box

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4. Add Lane and Shoulder Widths

For this example, use 12’ for lanes and 8’ for shoulders

a. Edit text “*”:

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5. Add the Station Ranges for the Tangent and Superelevated Sections

EXAMPLE:

Begin. Station 5+00

P.C. Station 8+00 (begin of curve)

P.T. Station 11+50 (end of curve)

End Station 15+00

Superelevation Transition Length 150’

Alignment begins and ends in tangent. Superelevation begins half

of transition distance (75’) before P.C. and ends 75’ after P.T.

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NOTE:

For placing text, use TH = 0.12, TW= 0.12, Justification “Center Center”,

Level: SURVEY –CENTERLINE – Preliminary

Use “By Origin” option to place text 0.3 ft. below last line of text. (based on

scale of 1)

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a. Tangent Section:

b. Superelevated Section:

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6. Add Guardrail cells to Tangent and Superelevated typicals:

T.D.O.T > Typical Sections > Cells

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a. Select “Guardrail” cell:

1) Snap to outside edge of shoulder to place cell:

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7. Add Superelevation Rollover Note

a. In the same Typical Section Cells box, select “Super Roll Over Note”

and place that cell to the left of the seal stamp box:

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8. Place Text for Guardrail and Side Slopes

For placing text, use TH = 0.12, TW= 0.12, Line Spacing = 0.75,

Justification “Left Bottom”, Level: SURVEY –CENTERLINE – Preliminary

a. Guardrail Text:

Text is placed using the “By Origin” option:

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b. Side Slope Text:

Text is placed using the “Above Element” option:

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9. Place Proposed Right of Way Dimension

Dimension will vary, depending on project. Curb and gutter projects are

a set dimension. Non curb and gutter projects are generally 10 - 15 feet

outside toe of slope.

a. Dimension Lines:

Level - SURVEY-CENTERLINE-Preliminary

Color – 0

Line Style - 0

Weight - 2

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b. Arrows:

T.D.O.T. > Tools>Place Arrowhead:

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c. Text:

Use same settings as in step 8, “Above Element” option to place text.

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10. Draw Pavement Layers

The Pavement Design group will supply pavement layers as follows:

This is an example. Pavement design will vary by project. Layers are listed

from bottom to top.

a. Measure the thickness of the typical at the centerline. If the cell was

placed at 1 scale it will measure 0.88.

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Note: the 0.88 dimension applies to the RD01-TS-3 cell. Other cells may

have different dimensions.

The pavement layers can be drawn in proportion to their thickness. For

example, the cell which is 0.88’ thick equates to 16.25” actual pavement

thickness.

Before drawing pavement layers, make settings as shown:

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b. Draw Top (Surface) layer

This layer is 1.25” would be drawn at a thickness of 0.07’ (1.25 x

0.88/16.25).

Place Line command:

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Keypoint snap to left circle, key in dx=0,-0.07, Enter, then keypoint snap to

right circle, make same keyin and Enter.

This top layer may be hard to see compared to the other layers so you may

want to make it thicker, say, 0.1. You can redraw the line (dx=0,-0.1), or

move it down (dx=0,-0.03). There’s no rules to how to draw the layers, just

what you feel looks best.

Move Element command:

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c. Draw 2” Binder Layer

Thickness 2 x 0.88/16.25 = 0.11,

Keypoint snap to each end of previous line drawn, key in dx=0,-0.11

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d. Draw 3” Base Layer

Thickness 3 x 0.88/16.25 = 0.16

Keypoint snap to each end of previous line drawn , key in dx=0,-0.16

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e. Flare the ends of the layers at a 1:2 slope:

Place Line command, keypoint snap to left circle, data point, key in

dx=-1,-2

Intersect the lines by using Modify > Lengthen or Shorten element to

element

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Then identify each line to intersect:

f. As the left side was drawn, draw the right side.

Another way is to use mirror command to copy each line:

Left click and hold button down on “Copy” command.

Select Mirror

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Select Vertical and “Make Copy”,select line to copy and snap to Center

Line

Do this for each line:

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g. In a similar manner, draw the layers for Superelevated section:

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11. Code Pavement Layers and Pavement Schedule

a. Code pavement layers as follows :

NOTE: Information about pavement layers is supplied by Pavement

Design group.

T.D.O.T.>Typical Sections>Cells

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Place codes for each layer with 1 being the bottom layer and increasing in

number as you go up.

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Prime Coat (5) is placed between the base and first pavement layer. Tack

Coat (6) goes between pavement layers.

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b. Pavement Schedule:

1) Title

2) Item

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Place Title Cell and 6 item cells:

Fill in information for each item:

Lb./S.Y. is found by multiplying thickness by “inch per square yard” values

in Roadway Design Guidelines, sections 4-307.00 and 4-411.00.

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c. Add pavement thickness (16.25”) to both sections.

Use same settings for dimension lines, arrows, and text as

previously:

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12. Pattern Pavement Layers

a. Aggregate Base Layer (Bottom Layer)

1) Draw shape in area. Shape is placed on level DESIGN-Scratch-

User2, at color=2.

Microstation Shape command:

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2) Go to T.D.O.T . > Area Patterns > Design Area Patterns and select

“Base Stone” pattern

:

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3) Place pattern (click on shape just drawn):

b. Bitminous Base Layer (1st Layer above Aggregate Base)

1) Place shape on level DESIGN-Scratch-User3 , at color=3.

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2) Select “45 Degree Lines” pattern:

3) Place pattern:

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c. Bitminous Binder Layer (Above Bituminous Base Layer)

1) Place shape on level DESIGN-Scratch-User4 , at color=5.

2) Select “135 Degree Lines” pattern:

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3) Place pattern:

d. Surface Layer (Top Layer)

1) Place shape on level DESIGN-CENTERLINE-Proposed Text , at

color=8. Be sure to “cut out” points as shown.

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2) Make solid fill for layer

Left- Click and hold cursor on “Change Element” Icon

Select “Change Element Fill Type”

Change Fill Type to “Opaque” and identify shape just drawn

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e. Display completed sheet

1) Turn off unnecessary levels:

Select “Display”:

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2) Save Settings (File>Save Settings):

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13. Add Bike Lane

If project includes a bike lane, include this on a separate sheet for Typical

Section details

At this time there is no standard bike lane cell so this part will have to be

drawn separately from main typical sections.

Start by placing Typical Section cell as in Step 3 – cell RD01-TS-3.

Drop status on the cell so that most of the linework can be deleted:

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Delete all linework except for right side shoulder area:

Modify text as shown below:

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Draw linework and place text for the bike lane as shown below:

For linework use following symbology settings:

LV: DESIGN-CENTERLINE-Proposed

CO: 0

LC: 0

WT: 4

For dimension lines and text use following symbology settings:

LV: DESIGN-CENTERLINE-Proposed Text

CO: 0

LC: 0

WT: 2

Text Height, Text Width : 0.12

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Draw in pavement layers for the bike lane, pattern base and surface layer

as in section 12. Also, add text for the pavement layers.

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Place median barrier in 2’8” section adjacent to shoulder:

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14. Final Slope Dressing

Many times it is desired that the final dressing be included in the labeling of the side

slopes. Most common methods are seeding and sodding and the side slopes would

simply be labeled as such.

Another example: