Working with Material Sets

Material Sets are defined in the MSI Manager. Material Sets allow you to combine a number of materials together to create a specific named material that you then use in the corridor model for a specific purpose. Material Sets assume that the entire material that you put into the material set will be used to create the new material. If that is not the case then you should put the material that you want to “split up” through a Material Process / Processing Site prior to adding the results or partial results of a material process in the material set,

For example, in the cut, the strata model generates materials A, B, C, D and E.

We know that material C can be used for Structural Fill or Normal Fill.

We also know that Materials A, B and D can be used for Normal Fill. We also know that Material E is not suitable for Fill at all and has to be disposed of.

We can use a Material Process to split Material C into two parts. The part required for Structural Flll (F) needs of the project and the remainder for the Normal Fill (G) needs of the project.

We can then use a Material Set to create Material “Normal Fill” (H) for the project, and H will be made up of A,B,D and G

When we define the corridor model or look at the Corridor Model properties, we need to set the Fill Material to be Normal Fill (H)

When we define the corridor mass haul or look at the corridor mass haul properties, we need to set the Generic Fill property to “No” (so that it uses the material defined in the corridor model properties as the Fill Material. If the corridor model has different Fill Materials they would each have to be defined as Earthen Select Materials and tagged as use in corridor mass haul analysis.

Now when we process the mass haul, the materials excavated will be processed and or combined into material sets to meet the volume requirements of the mass haul analysis. In this way you can control closely what happens to your materials in the analysis.

Note, if you are using a process to separate materials, you have to create a processing site in the cut sections where those materials exist, so that the material can be processed close to the alignment to minimize the haulage costs to and from the processing site. Currently a material processing site has to be connected to the main alignment by a haul road, even if it is a very short haul road. You cannot place a Processing Site on the main alignment and have it act as a processing site.

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