PowerCivil Brings Power and Common Sense to CAD Design
by Greg Yoko, Land Development Today
PowerCivil fills the need for a comprehensive design tool compatible with leading transportation engineering software system – in an industry that has tended to be divided into parochial discipline-specific segments. Today, with total acceptance of computer aided design tools and far better technology for data exchange, design and workflow efficiencies are the next great time and money savers for engineering professionals in the land development industry. PowerCivil is poised to make its mark.
Did the Earth Move for You?
from CAD User, May/June 2005
Bentley PowerCivil handles everything on the construction site, apart from the actual buildings themselves, as a single parametric model in one software package. There is one major difference that PowerCivil has and Autodesk's Civil 3D does not: All of the various disciplines involved use the same software, have access to the same data, and at the same time - no imports, no exports.
Low Cost, Easy Entry with Bentley PowerCivil
by Susan Smith, AEC Weekly
In development for eight years, PowerCivil is a robust 2D/3D solution that offers intelligent modeling that allows users to maintain a natural workflow. Now land designers are able to manipulate model components on the fly. The software's intelligent, relationship modeling capability accurately updates the model automatically as changes are made. This enables rapid, dynamic exploration of design scenarios, particularly valuable as the process of making changes to the site design has historically been very time-consuming.
User Testimonials
Hung Nguyen IDC Inc. Houston, TX:
"I used Land Desktop previously, and PowerCivil is a much more capable product. I especially like the plan and profile view labeling where I can call out stationing and offset automatically. The computation and quantity manager function also makes my job much easier. With this function, quantity take off is a snap. PowerCivil enables me to accelerate the design and get my plans out the door with unprecedented speed."
Michael Gallant Michael C. Gallant P.E., PA Surf City, NC:
"Unlike other tools that try to meld the science of corridor design with the art of land design into one clumsy package, PowerCivil appears to have been created specifically for the residential and commercial subdivision design that is the bulk of my work. The program offers a number of helpful tools and wizards that help me develop my roads and grading objects much more efficiently. The more I dive into PowerCivil, the more impressed I become."
"With PowerCivil, we are now able to create a more complete and accurate model of our projects. Using the many analysis tools available, we are able to investigate surfaces more comprehensively and see what is truly happening in the model. Never before have we had such a comprehensive and complete picture of our projects. With the aid of PowerCivil and some training, we can now create very complex models in a fraction of the time it took last year."
Ben Strider, President Strider Consulting Mountain Home, AR:
"PowerCivil has eliminated the need for an iterative drafting process. Utility conflicts are discovered quickly and can be resolved. The site modeling allows for multiple variations to be analyzed right in front of the engineer, enabling quicker decision-making regarding detention facilites during site planning."
Paul DiGiacobbe, PE, Principal, Director of Engineering Automation Nave Newell, Inc. King of Prussia, PA:
"Prior to our use of Bentley's Land Development software, we were not able to design complex grading models – we were limited to roadway type modeling. Now, any land development project can be designed in its entirety using the site design software. Our conceptual designs provide for mass grading analysis (including sub-strata), our grading plans are prepared as a bi-product of the modeling process, and we can provide our models to the excavation contractors that are using GPS-based machine control technology. Another true benefit to the modeling process is that all aspects of the design are "3D Aware" – meaning that a potential conflict in utility layout can be caught in the office rather than in the field – where the cost to redesign/reconstruct can be prohibitive."
Jeff Bergen Sunstone Engineering Jacksonville, FL:
"To give you an idea of PowerCivil's speed, I designed a gravity sanitary system for a 70-unit subdivision, carefully threading the sanitary through the tight vertical corridors of stormwater (two layers of stormwater in the same location and this same situation in multiple other locations) in under 30 minutes...complete with no conflicts. Everything about PowerCivil is fast and accurate. You can generate quick cost estimates that are completey accurate on the fly. All I can say at this point is that I am very impresssed by PowerCivil and i feel that I have only unlocked about 1/3 of its capabilities. We can't wait to see what other speed increases we realize in the future as we begin utilizing even more of its capabilities. PowerCivil is a phenomenal program.
Anthony Meyer, Senior Engineering Designer TranSystems Kansas City, MO:
"PowerCivil enables us to create several design options quickly and efficiently during preliminary design. It has also given us the ability to create very accurate models of the design surface. Many aspects of the project benefit from this accuracy: drainage, right of way, lighting, traffic design, and visualization. Simply put, PowerCivil has made me a better designer."
James Rossi, Owner King's Run Engineering, PLLC Elkins, WV:
"PowerCivil has increased the efficiency of my designs with the available water, sewer, drainage and roadway design capabilities in one program package. It is much more user friendly than my previous solution."
Ray Deese, Principal Engineer Gulf Coast Engineering Foley, AL:
"PowerCivil has enabled my firm to go from conceptual design to a final set of plans much faster due to the power and flexibility of PowerCivil's Modeler. Grading plan and drainage design, combined with the power of Modeler, have taken the frustration out of designing difficult and challenging sites. Grading plans are now fun, with no more aggravating roadway templates to worry about. And the integrated object-oriented design makes updates to profiles and cross-sections a snap."
Frank Lachat, Engineering Technician Willett Hofmann & Associates Inc. Rockford, IL:
"Having the power of MicroStation & GEOPAK in one package, PowerCivil enables our users to complete projects quickly and efficiently, saving tiem and money for our clients. Also taking into account the attractive price, we are very pleased with the software."
Erick A. Irwin, President Irwin Golf & Landscape Highlands Ranch, CO:
"I am in golf course design and need to be flexible in making modifications (grading, storm drainage design, utility alignments) quickly. PowerCivil provides that flexibility while maintaining its intuitive, engineering-based structure. PowerCivil really is a great product."