On Land

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At Rill Architects we run ArchiCAD on macOS. If you work at Rill, this is your stuff. If you don't, but you work in ArchiCAD, you may find something interesting. Anybody else, I don't know.
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Location: 03 Concrete

The main parameters are the height, width, and thickness.

By default, the overlap matches the thickness, and the tread is double the thickness. To change either value, set the parameters to other than zero.

The length of the object cannot be controlled. The idea is to let the object tell how much length is needed to step up the required height. The resulting length is the distance between the adjacent slabs. The length is shown, locked, in the length field.

The object "starts" at the bottom. When the length changes, the top end moves.

The top of the object will match the top elevation of the upper slab footing. The bottom, it depends:

If meeting the lower footing "in line", the bottom elevation should match the top of the lower slab, and the "Bottom Lap Segment" should be on. If meeting the lower slab at a "T", the bottom of the object should match the bottom of the slab, and the lap segment should be off. I think the second case is more typical, and is shown in the image below.

The "length" rectangle is shown with the floor plan pen of the object. The adjacent slabs should meet the ends of this rectangle. The red line indicates the bottom of the object, and the extent of the Bottom Lap Segment, if on. The light pink line shows the physical extent of the object at the top. Both these lines print white. The lines in between represent the elevation changes (steps).


In plan.

Placement: The object should be drawn with a dashed line. I suggest using a different pen from your footing slabs, with the same weight. Use the layer S Footing. Set the bottom elevation first, as described above. Next, set the top elevation. The object will extend to accommodate the needed "treads". Then adjust the upper slab to meet top end of the object. (This end is represented by two small lines instead of a full line, so it doesn't interfere with the end line of the slab.) Whenever you change any parameter of the object, you will need to adjust the top slab too.

Cutting the foundation wall: The wall which sits atop the object should extend to the edge of the top slab. The wall's base should be at the top of the lower footing. Subtract the object from the wall with downward extrusion. Without SEOs, this object wouldn't be possible.


Cutting the wall.