Slab Slope

[Bruce Kieffer 142]

How do I slope a slab? There is no drainage, it just drops 1" across the entire length. In other words, the rear edge is 1" higher than the front edge.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Bruce Kieffer

[Matt Panzer 772]

First, make sure the slab style has no tapered components.

 

With the Slab Drainage Tool:

1. Add a drain at the two corners to be the lower side of the slab.
2. Connect the two drains.
3. Move the control points for the valleys (that are closest to the high side of the slab) to the corners to be the highest side.
4. Edit the two valleys and use the "Define by Elevation" option with an elevation of 1".

Voilla! 🙂

 

 

[Bruce Kieffer 142]

Great movie and explanation Matt. Thanks. Can you explain what the tapered components do and how they work? I assume a sloped slab has a pitch and has equal thickness, and I assume a tapered slab has a slope and an unequal thickness, but I can't figure out how I set the tapered component.

[Matt Panzer 772]

You're welcome, Bruce!

A slab can have one tapered component. The tapered component will taper its top surface as required to create slopes for slab drainage (eg: rigid insulation). Everything below the tapered component will remain level, everything above it will slope along along its top surface. If no tapered component exists in the slab, all components will slope for the drainage.

[Bruce Kieffer 142]

I've been experimenting with the slab drainage tool. It's difficult to use this tool to make my sloped odd shaped garage floor. Obviously, the tool is trying to calculate the best way to completely drain the surfaces (something I wish my contractor had considered!). So instead I created the main rectangular sloped slab and then added the small slabs in the door openings. It works.

 

[Matt Panzer 772]

Hi Bruce,

You're right. I cannot think of a better solution than you've done.

[techdef 28]

This seems to work brilliantly, but I cannot get a wall from below to match the slope of "bottom of slab above" when this is used? Any tips?

[Markvl 187]

I was always wondering if you could do this (A single slope slab).  Thanks for asking @Bruce Kieffer and thanks for the great answer (video) @Matt Panzer

[Matt Panzer 772]

Glad to help, @Markvl !

 

@techdef , The "bottom of slab above" you mention would be a story level. This is a reference elevation for objects to bind to. Have you tried reshaping the top of the wall to meet the slab?

[techdef 28]

Matt, thanks for that - I'm such a NewB with VW I dont even know how to ask the right questions yet! I had seen the video for fitting walls to roof and got mixed up... Using the AEC/Fit Walls to Objects command worked perfectly to get walls sloping up to underside of my new parking ramp. Thanks

[Matt Panzer 772]

Yes. I should've mentioned the Fit Walls to Objects command first. If that doesn't give you what you need, you can then use the Reshape tool to get there.

[Inspectorjack 18]

I would suggest that This "single-slope" drainage element should be better documented in the app-help section. Admittedly, it might be plain as day but I couldn't find it.  Its also a little convoluted to pull off, but glad to have it.  I need this for every house I draw with a garage.  Thanks for the video.

[rDesign 460]

@Matt Panzer - IMO the helpful video, tips and workflow that you posted in this thread should be made into a quick Vectorworks University tutorial course, in addition to being better described in the User Manual.

[Thomas Wagensommerer 57]

How can we change the text "ID", "Elevation" and "Diameter"?

[Markvl 187]

@Thomas Wagensommerer are you referring to size and font?  If so what I do is create a Slab-Notes class and when you select the Slab Drainage Tool you will see the settings button on the end.  In the dialogue box you can apply all those text items to one or more classes.

[Wes Gardner 311]

Here's a tutorial on the Slab Drainage tool...it was written for 2017 but is still pertinent I believe.  Here's a couple of practice files too...

 

Wes

 

 

Slab Drainage Tool.pdf Sloped Slabs.vwx Slab Drainage Demo.vwx

[Thomas Wagensommerer 57]

I want to change the words "Elevation" to "h" and "Diameter" to "ø".

 

Thank you for your help, but it seems this is not possible.

[Markvl 187]

@Thomas Wagensommerer  I figured that is what you were getting at.  I was hoping to be able to turn off the "elevation and diameter" by assigning a class but doing so also turns of all the other alphanumeric text.  Wish list I guess.