Earthwork Optimization Add-on for RoadEng

Optimize your Road Design.
Estimate & Reduce Your Earthwork Costs.

Design roads, highways, and corridors that cost less to build. Adding optimization to your geometric design process allows you to deliver a lower-cost design. It also allows you to design faster.

Softree Optimal is a patented road (alignment) optimization add-on to RoadEng. It can optimize an alignment vertically and horizontally. It generates the lowest cost vertical alignment based on the ground surface, the preliminary horizontal alignment, and the design parameters and constraints entered by the user. Save 10-30% on your subgrade construction costs with road optimization.

VIDEO: Introduction to Earthwork Optimization for a Greenfield Road Project

Path Explorer: Preliminary Alignment Optimization (Coming Soon!)

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Optimize Your Road Alignment: Vertically and Horizontally

Consistently find the lowest-cost vertical alignment design that satisfies your design constraints & standards. Vertical optimization on its own typically brings down construction costs by 10-30% or more, depending on the project.

Horizontally optimization works within a defined range of IP movement. Resulting improvements over 50% cost reduction are not uncommon.

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Design Time Costing

Built-in costing models allow you to calculate your alignment's subgrade construction costs as you design. Quantitively compare multiple alignments and design variables based on construction cost. Know your cost & reduce it.

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Optimized Material Movement Schedule

Our Opti-Haul graphic is a detailed plan for visually analyzing optimal material movement. Similar to a mass haul, but with more detail, it includes movement by material and by direction. Opti-Haul graphic (and data export) gives users a prescriptive plan to reduce their haulage costs and make construction jobs more efficient.

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Check Feasibility

Define your design standards and constraints ensure your alignment automatically meets your criteria. Check the feasibility of proposed designs and constraints. View your constraints through the visual feedback of the profile window (including display of the vertical band). 

 

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Automatically Balance Mass Haul with Smart Pits

Softree Optimal will look to internally balance your corridor. If not possible, Softree Optimal with leverage Smart Pits.

Define available pit locations capacities, distance from the alignment, and preparation cost and Optimal will select the most appropriate ones.

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Key Benefits

  • Save engineering time

    Automate the design of your vertical alignment. Achieves a truly optimal solution, often in a matter of minutes.

  • Quickly compare design variables

    Small changes can produce huge differences in cost. Manipulate design constraints and compare your options.

  • Reduce earthwork costs

    Typical savings of 10-30%. Solves the complex 3D problem of minimizing excavation, embankment and haulage.

  • Costs as you design

    Manipulate an alignment or design constraints and see the associated cost difference in real-time.

  • Compatible

    Independent of design software. Optimize an alignment created in any program. A direct interface is currently available for Civil 3D®.

Screenshots


Features

Optimal Vertical Alignment

Consistently find the lowest-cost design that satisfies your design constraints & standards. Bring down construction costs by 10-30% or more, depending on the project.

Design Time Costing

Quantitively compare multiple alignments and design variables based on construction cost. Know your cost & reduce it.

Horizontal Optimization

Horizontally optimize a corridor based on your vertical optimization constraints and a defined range of IP movement. Resulting improvements over 50% cost reduction are not uncommon.

Optimal Haul Graphic

There's a mass haul, and then there is the Opti-Haul. Opti-Haul graphic is a detailed plan for visually analyzing optimal material movement. Reduce your haulage costs and make construction jobs more efficient.

Smart Pits Technology

Let Softree Optimal recommend the lowest cost borrow and waste pit locations. Define n pits, their capacity and distance from the alignment, and Softree Optimal will recommend which to use.

Compatible Engineering Tool

Softree Optimal works with RoadEng, or it can integrate into other CAD or GIS-based engineering systems through DWG, DGN, or LandXML. A direct export interface is available for Civil 3D.

Automatically Balanced Mass Haul

Balance your road effortlessly. Track and report material movement. Easily account for excess or borrowed material.

Minimize Earthwork Costs

Find the lowest-cost solution. Small adjustments to a vertical alignment can produce huge differences in cut/fill volumes and materials moved.

Feasibility Checker

Some projects are extremely constrained. Quickly check the feasibility of preliminary designs based on your design requirements.

Minimize Road Resurfacing Costs

On mill and pave jobs, Softree Optimal can fit a design profile as close as possible to the existing profile while ensuring no finished pavement elevation is below the existing pavement elevation. This saves design time and decreases the asphalt treatment costs.

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Technical Brochure

Additional Resources

System Requirements

Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 Operating System
2 GB system RAM (4 GB recommended)
Minimum 800 x 600 resolution (more recommended)
Processor or motherboard built-in video is adequate
1 GB disk space

DISCLAIMER: Softree Optimal is a tool to assist road designers and planners. It is not a substitute for knowledge in the subject area. Individuals using it need to have a sound understanding of road design and understand the limitations of this technology. Although earthwork optimization may save time and help the designer identify economic solutions, there is no guarantee that the results will be practical or meet the project design criteria. It is up to the designer/engineer to ensure the suitability of the design