Perimeter Support: Add Shotcrete Layer

Shotcrete can be applied to the perimeter of the excavation, with the Add Shotcrete Layer option (Perimeter Support view).

Note: on the perimeter, you are not limited to a single shotcrete layer. Multiple layers can be added anywhere on the Opening Section boundary. The layers can have different properties, and are allowed to overlap in any manner.

To apply a layer of shotcrete to the perimeter:

  1. First, make sure you are viewing the Perimeter Support Design view (select the Perimeter Support Design button from the toolbar).

  2. Select the Add Shotcrete Layer option from the Sidebar, the Support menu or the right-click menu.

  3. You will see the Add Shotcrete Layer dialog. This allows you to select the shotcrete property type for the layer you are going to add. Select the property from the drop-list, and select OK. Note: Shotcrete properties are created and defined with the Shotcrete Properties option.

  4. You will then be prompted to enter the starting and ending points for the shotcrete layer on the perimeter. This can be done graphically with the mouse, or by entering coordinates in the prompt line.

NOTE: The shotcrete layer is always created in a counter-clockwise direction around the perimeter, from the Start point to the End point. Therefore you must define the start and end points accordingly. If you enter the points in the wrong order, you will have to start over. If this occurs, press Escape to exit the option, or if you have already added an incorrect layer, select Undo.

Multiple Shotcrete Layers

On the perimeter, you are not restricted to only a single shotcrete layer. You may define any number of layers as required, by repeating the above steps. Multiple shotcrete layers can be located anywhere on the perimeter, and the layers are allowed to overlap in any manner. Each layer can have different properties.

Display of Shotcrete Layer

Shotcrete is displayed in the Perimeter Support Design View, as a thin strip drawn inside the perimeter. The colour of a shotcrete layer is the colour of the shotcrete property type you have assigned to the layer.

The shotcrete layer thickness as displayed, does NOT represent the actual thickness of the layer (as defined in Shotcrete Properties). The shotcrete layer thickness (as displayed on the 2d view) is always constant, relative to the dimensions of the Opening Section. If multiple layers are added, all layers are displayed with the same thickness, regardless of the actual thickness of the layers.

On the 3D views (3D Wedge View, Multi Perspective View), shotcrete is displayed on the 3 dimensional excavation by shading the surface of the excavation with the colour of the shotcrete, where the shotcrete has been applied. If multiple layers of shotcrete have been applied, and the layers overlap, the shading which you see in the 3D views, will represent the final layer(s) of shotcrete, as would be visible from within the excavation.