Creating a Pipe Network for Drainage in Civil 3D: Step-by-Step Guide

So in this video, we're going to go ahead and create a pipe network for draining all of the individual grading pads for our dev branch grading area. So in order to do that, we're going to go ahead and navigate up to the home tab of the ribbon bar.

We're going to drop down our pipe network options, and you're going to see that we have two options here. We have a pipe network creation tools and a create pipe network from objects. So just like we had with our feature lines, we have the option for either laying it out by points by doing the pipe network creation tools, or we can lay out our pipe network based on an existing polyline or another object inside civil 3D.

I prefer to lay out my pipe networks by clicking the individual nodes. But if you wanted to, you could lay out a polyline and then choose create pipe network from objects and civil 3D would place in the pipes on the lines and then structures on the nodes. But for our cases here, we're going to go ahead and go with pipe network creation tools.

When we do that, civil 3D is going to bring up this pipe creation window. We're going to go ahead and choose our network name. We're going to call it dev branch strm for stormwater.

I'm going to go ahead and choose a parts list of storm sewer. And then I am going to choose the surface name that we're going to be targeting as our finished construction surface. I am not going to select an alignment that this is going to be associated with.

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And I'm also not going to place any labels associated with the structure of the pipes. We'll do that in another video. So I'm going to go ahead and click okay.

And then from here, we now have the network layout tools bar. So inside of this network layout tools bar, we have the options for what is our pipe network properties. If I select this, this brings up the properties for the pipe network that we're creating.

What is it called? What are the layout settings for labels? What parts lists are we using? What surface are we targeting? What alignment are we associated with? So all of these settings that we set up before it would open up the tool bar, we can change these now in this window here. We have the layer controls, what the different pipes and structures inside of this network are going to be called. We have how it's going to be displayed inside of a profile.

So what labels are going to be added? What layers are the items going to be on? We have the options for what it's going to look like in a section. And then we have the statistics for all of the tabs prior. So I'm going to go ahead and click okay.

From here, we also have the option for our surface that we're targeting. We can change that here as well. We're doing the finished construction surface.

So I'm okay with that. Then we have the choice for the alignment that we're associated with. I didn't select one.

I still don't want to have one selected. So I'm going to go ahead and leave it. Then we have a button for selecting our parts list.

If I go ahead and click in here, I can see that we had selected Storm Sewer when we opened up the layout toolbar and we're still selected as Storm Sewer. So I'm going to go ahead and click okay. So once you have your pipe network parts list selected, you have the dropdowns for which objects you're going to be placing inside of the drawing.

We have the structures that we're going to place, and then we have the pipes that we're going to place. So I'm going to go ahead and drop down and select a structure for this. I'm going to go ahead and select a rectangular structure with a slab top.

I'm going to expand this out and you're going to see that I have a 15 × 15 rectangular structure with a 12 × 12 frame. So this is a standard 12 × 12 catch basin. We're going to be placing this on our pad so that when the pad drains, it will drain to this 12 × 12 frame.

It will then be connected into our desilting basin. And then when somebody comes to develop this lot, they'll already have a connection point for their complex drainage network. They're going to place around the home.

So I'm going to go ahead and select this 15 × 15 rectangular structure. I'm going to go ahead and drop down and I am going to be placing concrete pipes as part of the main network for the drainage for the site. I'm going to choose a 12 inch concrete pipe, and then I'm going to move on to the next options.

So in here, this is options on how your network pieces and parts will connect to each other. Since we don't have any network structures in this drawing yet, we only have one option, which is structure insertion point, but you also have other options for default connection point and closest connection point. These will become available as you work inside of your network.

So moving on from there, you have your layout method. We can do pipes and structures. We can do pipes only, we can do structures only.

So you can go around and place all of your first and then connect pipes between your structures, or you can go ahead and lay it out as pipes and structures. So every time you click civil 3D will place structure. And then until you click again, it won't place another structure until you click.

And then it will place a pipe between those two structures. So from here, we have the options for how we want to toggle the slope for this. So are we starting at the top and going down to our outfall, or are we starting at our outfall and draining upwards towards our, our inlet? I generally tend to build from top down.

So I am good with this pointing this direction from top down. If you click, it will change the icon and look like it's training upwards. So this is just the build direction for your network.

So I'm going to go ahead and go down. And then from here, you have the option for deleting pipe network objects, or you can do your pipe network vistas, which is basically going to bring up a window to show you all the different pieces and parts that are inside of your pipe network. We're going to go ahead and start creating this pipe network.

I'm going to place one branch of the pipe network, and then we're going to save off the drawing and I'll meet you in the next video. And we'll place the rest of the pipes. So let's go ahead and set this first branch of our pipe network.

I'm going to go ahead and select pipes and structures. I'm going to pick a location on lot one here. I'm going to select the point at the top up here.

I'm going to pick civil. 3D is going to place my structure. And you can see that now I have a pipe being placed, but it hasn't locked in the location of that pipe because I haven't picked a location for my structure yet.

When I go ahead and specify the next structure insertion point, that's when civil 3D is going to go ahead and place that structure and the pipe for me. So I'm going to go ahead and click here. And what you're going to see now is that I have a locked in pipe and I have two structures.

I'm going to go ahead and go up here, drop down and change my structure. I'm going to go up to a rectangular headwall and I'm going to select a 38 by six by 37 inch concrete rectangular headwall. And I'm going to go ahead and come to this location here.

I'm going to place it right there. And then I'm going to hit ENTER to get out of this command. So I have my first branch of a structure, a pipe, another structure, a pipe, and then I have my headwall structure.

So as you can see, you can change your structures and pipes on the fly. As you place your pipe network, you're not locked into starting a branch and then, um, only placing a single structure or a single pipe type. You can change these things on the fly as you're building your network.

So I'm going to go ahead and close this escape. I'm going to save my drawing and then I'm going to meet you in the next video.