Side Batters

One powerful feature of Kubla Cubed is its ability to automatically generate side batters, the slope between the design ground levels and the existing ground. This is particularly crucial in projects where the batter angles can be quite low, such as coastal projects, and the volumes within these batters can represent a significant portion of the total volumes.

For each element, you can set the Side Batter ① to 'Off', 'External', or 'Internal' (limited). Then set the ratio ②. The Side Batter, set as a ratio of vertical to horizontal, determines the angle of the side slopes on an element. It is set to a default of 1:1.

Side Batter - External (default): Outward slope, exceeding the defined boundary.
Side Batter - Internal: Inward slope from boundary.
Side Batter - Off: Element joins ground with vertical sides.

However, instead of turning side batters 'Off', side batters of 1:0.01 are often recommended and more reliable. When multiple elements are side-by-side, they are easier to join if they have side batters set to 1:0.01. In practical terms, they are more or less the same thing. However, we have encountered problems related to vertical areas in the triangulation, so we use this trick to replace them with as steep a slope as possible. In most cases, this prevents/resolves triangulation issues.

Set Side Batter Cut & Fill Independently

By default, cut and fill ratios are linked. When either the cut or fill is set, the other one automatically updates to the same ratio. The double arrow ③ between the two provides independent setting, allowing for different ratios. Left-click on the arrows to toggle on and off.

This is particularly useful in scenarios like rock excavation, where the cut requires a steep side batter, while the soil fill needs a gradual slope.

Impact of Side Batter

The images below shows how the side batter impacts the cut and fill volume for 6 identical circle platforms. In this example, all of the circle boundaries are identical in shape, with either a cut or fill of 3 metres. In the 2D view (below), the incline lines show the direction of the external and internal side batters. This is something to bare in mind when altering the side batter settings.

The 3D view (below), emphasizes the varied results based on the style of the side batter.

When to use External Side Batters?

This is the default and is frequently used for most elements.

When to use Internal Side Batters?

Commonly used when you know the extent of a boundary and need to excavate into it. For example, a pond or open-cast mine.

When to turn Side Batter's Off?

Vertical side batters are commonly used for topsoil/site strips, when the reduction is relatively small. As mentioned earlier,they are used when there are elements side-by-side to enable clean joining without intersecting side slopes. A notable use case is a housing project when you have building pads, garages, and driveways are in close proximity.