Go from this CAD file:

to this earthwork take-off: 

in minutes, without owning a CAD program.

• InSite SiteWork introduces a dramatically improved CAD import tool called Paperless Take-off. We’ve taken the headaches out of CAD import. Follow along as we take you through the step by step process. If you haven't gone through the steps on a digitized take-off  (click here), do that first.  

Import From Existing, Proposed, Soil Borings, Stripping and Subgrades can be imported from any AutoCAD DWG files or DXF files. A complete “paperless take-off” (no digitizing) or a combination of digitizing from paper plans combined with CAD import can be accomplished. Follow the example below. 

CAD Basics If you are unfamiliar with CAD terminology, click here first. To give you an idea of the time savings a CAD Take-off provides, we've listed the time it took to complete the following import. 

Note: images were reduced to fit  into the website. InSite SiteWork and the CAD Paperless Take-Off tool support any Windows resolution.

 00:00:00   Step 1  

Set up a new Job in InSite SiteWork. Click on the CAD Import Icon.    

 00:00:20   Step 2  

Open the file you wish to import. 

 00:00:30   Step 3  

After the File is opened, use the layer management tools to investigate the layers. 

You can click an individual feature (contour, building, etc.) to find which layer it is on.

If the drawing is only 2 dimensional (the contours do not have elevations) pick "change" to assign the elevation to each contour line. There are tools to make this easier if it is necessary. 

 00:01:50   Step 4. After you have determined which layers contain Existing, Proposed, Subgrade outlines, etc., by clicking on each type and finding the layer names, turn on the layers that contain the feature you want to import. We'll import the Existing grades first. You can choose multiple layers if the grades are on different layers. The layer EX-CONTOUR and EX-CONTOUR_5 are selected.

 00:02:30   Step 5.  Choose the import Icon and select "paperless take-off"

* CAD files can be imported into to a paper take-off. If a portion of the plan is to be entered with a digitizer, choose "Scaled Plan and Digitizer", and follow the alignment procedure. A point is picked on the digitizer, and then a point is chosen from the CAD file. This is done for two common points on both the plan and CAD file. Once the CAD file and digitizer plan are aligned, the steps for import are the same as follows.  

 00:02:45   Step 6.  Choose the area to import from. CAD files often contain areas and details much larger than the site. Stretch and rotate the "box" around the area to import. 

Choose Existing Grades and choose "Import Now".

The grades are transferred into InSite SiteWork. Save the grades. InSite's Patented Total Site Triangulation creates an existing surface model (The portion shown is partially zoomed).

*Note: some take-off programs allow CAD import by tracing the CAD file with a mouse. In essence, the take-off is just "digitized" from the computer screen, saving no time over conventional digitizing. InSite SiteWork's Paperless take-off imports the CAD data, saving a tremendous amount of take-off time.

 00:03:10   Step 7. Repeat the procedure for Proposed grades. 

As each feature is imported, the thumbnail in the lower left of the screen is updated to show the take-off progress.

Note: *Cut & Fill could be calculated at this point.  This would give you the volume comparing the difference between existing and proposed. If there is topsoil stripping and/or demolition, or subgrades (parking lots or building pads, etc.) they need to be imported from the CAD file or digitized.

 00:05:30   Step 8. Enter the Subgrades.  InSite's QuickStack™ Subgrades offer a tremendous advantage in taming really complex sites. For a review of InSite Subgrade feature, click here. Use your browsers back button to return. 

To begin the Subgrade take-off from a CAD file, click the Import Icon. Choose Subgrades. Enter in a Subgrade number.

Display the layers with the building footprints. Next, click the footprint of the building. If you hold down the CTRL key while clicking a line, the whole line is selected.

Using this technique, we selected the first building with one click. Close up the area by clicking on the close icon, and fill out the subgrade details. A subgrade pad elevation of 364.5 and Base and Concrete thicknesses of .5 feet is entered. Using this same technique, we enter in all of the buildings. In the next illustration, notice the picture of the building subgrade in the lower left corner of the screen.

To take-off more complicated shapes like the island shown below, InSite SiteWork has special commands that allow arcs and lines to be selected quickly, allowing the fastest possible take-off.  The selection of the Island in the following illustration was done in seconds.

Here is the result of all the completed subgrade take-off:

 00:21:30   Step 9.  If soil borings are included with the CAD file, they can be entered. The procedure is similar to digitizing. The Soil boring data is entered, and then the soil boring locations are clicked.

 00:23:25   Step 10. Trace the Site Boundary. The Site Boundary "daylights" proposed to existing, and prevents unwanted calculations outside it's perimeter. After closing the CAD import screen, choose Enter Map, Site boundary. The View menu is used to display the existing and proposed layers and the Site Boundary is traced.

 00:25:25   Step 11.  Add any Stripping. For a review of the Stripping feature, click here. Use your browsers back button to return.  

Most CAD plans will not have an indicated stripping area unless there is demolition of previous site development. If the CAD file contains demolition details, take-off of these items is exactly like the subgrade feature.  In this example the site was undeveloped, so topsoil stripping was the only adjustment.

Since we put the boring details in, we used the Strata method to strip the topsoil

 00:26:30   Step 12  Once you have completed all of the subgrades, Close the CAD import utility and calculate the completed take-off.

All of the results of a digitized take-off are available. The advantages of a CAD take-off include more accuracy, faster take-off times an the ability to use the data for stake-out and machine control (with additional input).

 00:26:30   Digitizing a take-off like this would take a few hours, but in less than a half an hour, we went from a CAD file to a complete take-off with just a few easy steps. And we did it without a CAD program!

For more on CAD Take-off, click here

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