Parking Network
This command quickly designs parking based on a 2-point parking
alignment connecting to a main road edge-of-pavement
alignment. The typical application is to use a curb-based
template for the parking, with dimensions for the parking stalls
set within the main dialog.
A dialog pops up immediately that is similar to Roadnet, in which
you work your way top to bottom starting by selecting the Existing
Surface. After you complete the 3 items highlighted in
red below, the Edit Alignment dialog appears, where you can review
your Parking template (as well as the alignment data). The
program automatically defaults to using the Parking.tpl file for
the template, which sets the grade to the center of the driving
lanes for the parking. You need to check the current default
values set in the remainder of the dialog. These defaults
recall your last use of the command. Then you launch the
calculation by clicking the Process button as also highlighted in
red.
There
are a number of default assumptions used in ParkingNet:
1. The Parking Alignment is a 2-point
polyline.
2. Both the main road EOP alignment and the
Parking alignment are given default names, “EOP” and “Parking”
3. Curb and Gutter parking perimeters are
assumed.
4. The Main Road EOP (edge-of-pavement) is used
primarily to transition the parking curb and gutter perimeter in an
“apron” effect” as shown above and below. For this, the
“Zero” template is used automatically by the program, and provided
to the user as Zero.tpl.
5. A Parking Template is used for the parking
which assigns the width of the driving lane, and the slopes of the
driving lanes. The default that is provided is designed to
slope the water to the middle of the road, so that center of
parking storm drain inlets can be used. If the parking
profile slopes downhill, pipe lengths are minimized from
end-of-parking drain to outlet as shown below. The template
can be revised by the user by double-clicking “Parking” (default
name for the parking alignment) and editing the template as shown
below:
6. The Parking Profile defaults to a straight
line from the point of connection to the Main Road EOP to the
interpolated elevation of the end of the parking alignment, as
derived from the selected existing TIN. You can add PVI
elevations and vertical curves to the parking lot centerline
profile by double-clicking “Parking” and editing the profile, as
shown below:
You can click the Settings button in the main dialog
and save an Output TIN, merged with the existing surface.
When this output TIN is viewed in the 3D Surface Viewer or in
Precision 3D Topo/Hydro as below, you can see that the output TIN
contains intelligent texturing:
When brought up in P3D Hydro (by running Dynamiccad with the TIN
set in Surface Manager or by loading the output TIN in P3D), you
can see the concrete curb and gutter and the typically asphaltic
parking lot surface. Note that with a sloped template to the
middle, the minimum length of pipe can be used (here, 15.3’) to
drain from the mid-point of the backup zone of the parking
lot. As shown above, “half islands” can break up the parking
for landscape purposes. Many counties and municipalities have
rules for the spacing of half islands, with maximum distances
between half islands of 150 feet being a typical maximum. In
this case, a half island was placed after only 7 parking spaces to
illustrate its use on a small parking lot example.
Show below are additional examples of output based on revised
entries.
The Offset from Road prompt in the dialog sets how far from the
main road EOP the first parking stall is placed. In the
example above left, with an 8’ radius to the main EOP and a 5’
radius for the curve into the first parking space, that total of
13’ leaves 7’ additional for the tangent between the 2 curves,
totaling a 20’ offset from the road. The example parking
alignment at left is perpendicular to the main EOP and calls for
only parking to right of the Parking Alignment, as drawn from the
main road EOP. This produces one-side only parking.
(The parking stripe layer has been frozen in this case).
In the example at right, the alignment angles from the main road
edge-of-pavement. An offset of 20’ from the main road has
been set for the first parking space. This offset is applied
to the side that is closest to the main road. If the angle of
parking alignment allows for an extra parking space as it does in
the example above right, the user is prompted whether to place that
extra parking space. If Yes, it appears as above. If
no, the first parking stall on the right would align with the first
parking stall on the left, which was controlled by the minimum
offset to the main road. Parking stalls and striping always
line up on the left and right side in the ParkingNet command as
designed. Note above, no backup zone was specified.
The “Binoculars” icon in the upper left of the dialog allows you to
draw the 3D parking lines without grading the TIN, so they in
effect preview things before you click the Process icon. The
polylines drawn will all be erased with the next process or next
use of the Binoculars or preview. You would need to Undo or
erase these entities to remove them from the drawing.
Pulldown Menu Location:
Area/Layout > Parking Utilities
Keyboard Command:
parkingnet
Prerequisite: TIN surface
model