Best way to model footings for walls?

[JonKoch]

Hello! I'm trying to model a grill wall and I want to include the concrete footing for the blocking. I know I can do this by using an extrude and creating a symbol but It doesn't cut the site model. To add some complexity, the wall is a retaining wall so it's got a retaining wall site modifier on it. So if I try and create a pad for the wall footing hardscape to sit on, they interfere with eachother and I lose the retaining wall site modifier. 

 

I've attached a screenshot of what I'm talking about. It would be nice if there was an option in the wall tool to include a footing and what kind of footing for those of us in frosty northern environments. 

 

Thanks!

[Jeff Prince]

You can model the footings with a wall style specifically for that object.  You can adjust the retaining site modifier to suite your purpose as well.  Then you just create walls on to of those footings using an appropriate style.

[kawchman]

15 hours ago, jeff prince said:

You can model the footings with a wall style specifically for that object.  You can adjust the retaining site modifier to suite your purpose as well.  Then you just create walls on to of those footings using an appropriate style.

Ok, so you can have two retaining wall site modifiers on top of eachother? Or am i misunderstanding? 

[Jeff Prince]

1 hour ago, kawchman said:

Ok, so you can have two retaining wall site modifiers on top of eachother? Or am i misunderstanding? 

You should only need one, unless I am misunderstanding your situation.  I’m your images, it appears as if the site modifier needs to be reshaped.

 

 

 

[kawchman]

4 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

You should only need one, unless I am misunderstanding your situation.  I’m your images, it appears as if the site modifier needs to be reshaped.

 

 

 

So the back wall of the grill wall has a retaining wall site modifier so that grade comes down just underneath the cap. When I added a slab modifier to put the footing in, it conflicted with the retaining wall modifier and the grade dropped down to the slab modifier elevation. I want the footing to cut the model but still also have the grade retained by the wall that sits on the footing. 

 

Not sure if that makes any more sense. lol. It's not a huge deal. Do you know if VWX is thinking of making a footing detail option for the wall tool? 

[Tom W.]

19 minutes ago, kawchman said:

I want the footing to cut the model but still also have the grade retained by the wall that sits on the footing. 

 

You mean you want to backfill over the footing? This isn't really possible in a practicable way. See:

 

 

[Jeff Prince]

I think Vectorworks will be happiest if the retaining modifier looks more like this (forgive the poor sketch from my phone)…

 

 

That’s how it’s done for real too and will result in more accurate calcs for excavation.  Site models can’t have tunnels or overhangs, so if you need to calc and/or show that backfill against the wall, you can model it.

[kawchman]

30 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

I think Vectorworks will be happiest if the retaining modifier looks more like this (forgive the poor sketch from my phone)…

 

 

That’s how it’s done for real too and will result in more accurate calcs for excavation.  Site models can’t have tunnels or overhangs, so if you need to calc and/or show that backfill against the wall, you can model it.

Ok, I see. So just have one retaining wall modifier for the footing and put the retaining edge up to just under the cap of the wall. That makes sense. 

 

Thanks, @jeff prince!