Smarter Volume Calculations with Naviate: Combine Pipe Trench and Superstructure Like a Pro

Infrastructure design is evolving—and so should your volume calculations. When working with complex structures like pipe trenches and superstructures, precision is key. In this blog, we introduce a smart and streamlined method using Naviate for Civil 3D to calculate volumes accurately and avoid overlaps. The example shown in this post is based on a Swedish template but can be applied to any Naviate template, showcasing how Naviate empowers infrastructure professionals to work more efficiently.

Step-by-Step: How to Combine Pipe Trench and Superstructure

Start by using the Naviate assembly, which includes Pipe Trench and Superstructure, available in the assembly library for Naviate 25 and 26. While the combination may look unconventional at first, it functions seamlessly within the corridor.

Once the corridor is set up, add the necessary targets—pipe network and surface targets.

Use the Export Corridor function to extract daylight lines from the corridor. These feature lines will be put back into the corridor as targets for the superstructure, specifically for the shoulder elevation profile and shoulder width alignment profile settings.

When the correct targets are set, the corridor section should look something like this.

Avoiding Overlaps in Volume Calculations

Overlapping volumes between the pipe trench and the superstructure can lead to inaccurate results. The solution? Create two new corridor surfaces:

• Upper surface: the lowest point of the superstructure link – displayed as the magenta line in the section below
• Lower surface: the highest point of the pipe trench – displayed as the blue line in the section below

This setup enables precise volume calculations between the two surfaces. Naviate 26.2 introduces a new take-off criteria called "Pipe trench with superstructure"—available upon request if you're not yet using this version.

Apply the criteria using the Compute Materials function. Once the surfaces are defined and the criteria is active, you'll get a clean material list showing only the volume between the trench and the superstructure, highlighted as brown in the image below:

Quick Summary & Pro Tips

Workflow recap:

1. Import the combined assembly
2. Build the corridor and add targets
3. Extract feature lines
4. Set feature lines as targets
5. Create two surfaces within the corridor
6. Use Compute Materials with the new take-off criteria

Tips for success:

• Use color coding to enhance visual clarity
• Double-check that all surfaces are created before running calculations
• Reach out to us if you'd like access to the take-off criteria

This method gives you more control and accuracy in volume calculations for layered infrastructure designs. It’s a great example of how Naviate helps you design smarter, faster, and with confidence.

Don't have Naviate for Civil 3D, but want to test it out? Download a free trial here.