CAD Civil — AutoCAD Civil 3D for Engineering Drafting

Course Description

This course provides instruction in the various commands, methods, and techniques of computer-aided drafting (CAD) systems for civil engineering, with primary emphasis on AutoCAD and the Civil 3D software environment. Students gain exposure to the specific elements and processes involved in laying out 3D civil engineering projects. Software operations are stressed throughout, and students complete a progressive series of exercises, drawings, and applied projects representing real-world civil engineering scenarios.

This is a sophomore-level course (ETD prefix, 2000-series) within the Engineering Technologies > Engineering Design Drafting taxonomy of the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). It is offered at Florida colleges including Chipola College and Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ).

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Navigate and operate the AutoCAD Civil 3D user interface, toolsets, and essential commands proficiently.
• Import and manage survey COGO points, adjusting their properties and coordinate geometry within the Civil 3D environment.
• Lay out property lines at specific bearing angles and create property parcels from legal descriptions.
• Create and manipulate digital terrain surfaces to represent existing and finished ground conditions using point data and contour information.
• Configure and label horizontal alignments for roads, utilities, and other linear civil features.
• Develop 3D corridor models for roadway and site design applications.
• Create and place profile views based on horizontal alignments for plan-and-profile sheet production.
• Use technology to organize, acquire, and convey information on civil engineering drawings and reports.
• Produce drawings that conform to accepted engineering drawing conventions, including dimensioning, lettering, views, and title blocks.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on instructor emphasis and course section, students may also:

• Investigate grading (cut/fill) objects and perform quantity take-offs (QTOs) for earthwork calculations.
• Design and analyze pipe networks for stormwater and utility systems.
• Generate cross-sections and perform earthwork volume computations.
• Integrate Civil 3D workflows with BIM tools and collaborate in a multidisciplinary team setting.
• Produce subdivision plats and large-scale mapping drawings for site and highway design.
• Apply dynamic modeling techniques for advanced surface creation and data management.

Major Topics

Required Topics

The following content areas are covered across all known Florida college offerings of ETD2551:

• Civil 3D Interface & Environment — User interface navigation, project settings, drawing templates, coordinate systems, and Civil 3D object model overview.
• Survey & COGO Points — Importing survey data, creating and editing point groups, adjusting COGO point properties, and displaying point data.
• Property Boundaries & Parcels — Drawing property lines at specified bearings and distances, creating and editing parcel objects, and labeling parcel data.
• Surfaces — Creating existing ground (EG) and finished ground (FG) surfaces from point data and breaklines; surface analysis, contouring, and labeling.
• Horizontal Alignments — Creating, editing, and labeling horizontal alignments for roads and linear infrastructure features; tangent and curve geometry.
• Profiles & Profile Views — Sampling surface data along alignments, creating design profiles, and producing plan-and-profile drawing sheets.
• Corridor Modeling — Developing 3D corridor models using assemblies and subassemblies for typical roadway cross-sections.
• Drawing Standards & Sheet Composition — Title blocks, annotation, dimensioning, layering conventions, and plotting/printing to engineering scale.

Optional Topics

The following topics are addressed in select course sections or as schedule permits:

• Grading & Earthwork — Grading objects, feature lines, cut/fill analysis, and quantity take-off (QTO) tools.
• Pipe Networks — Creating storm sewer and sanitary sewer pipe networks; structure placement and labeling.
• Cross-Sections & Volume Reports — Sample lines, cross-section views, and earthwork volume calculation reports.
• Data Shortcuts & Project Management — Managing shared Civil 3D data across multiple drawings; data shortcuts and vault workflows.
• Subdivision Plat Drafting — Layout of subdivision plats, lot lines, and legal description annotations.
• BIM Integration — Exporting Civil 3D data to BIM platforms and coordinating with architectural and structural disciplines.

Resources & Tools

• Primary Software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (current or recent release) — available via Autodesk Education license
• Reference Text: Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D (Holland & Mercier, Sybex) or equivalent current-edition Civil 3D instructional text
• Supplemental Resources: Autodesk Knowledge Network (knowledge.autodesk.com), Autodesk Civil 3D online tutorials and video library
• Certification Prep Materials: Autodesk Certified Professional: Civil 3D study guides and practice exams (College of Central Florida, UCF continuing education offerings)
• Hardware: CAD-capable workstation with minimum 16 GB RAM, dedicated GPU, and multi-monitor support (college lab or personal)
• File Formats: DWG, DWT (templates), XML (LandXML), CSV (point data import/export)

Career Pathways

Completion of ETD2551 prepares students for entry-level and advancement roles in civil engineering technology and related fields, including:

• Civil Drafting Technician — Producing plan sets, site plans, and construction documents for civil engineering firms
• Survey Technician / CAD Operator — Processing survey data and creating boundary and topographic drawings
• Land Development Drafter — Supporting residential and commercial site development projects
• Transportation Design Technician — Assisting with roadway, highway, and infrastructure design drawings
• Utility / Site Engineering Technician — Designing stormwater, water, and sewer system drawings
• Construction Inspector (CAD Support) — Using civil drawings in the field for construction layout verification

This course also contributes toward the Associate in Science (A.S.) in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design and related College Credit Certificate (CCC) programs at Florida colleges. Graduates may pursue the Autodesk Certified Professional: Civil 3D credential to validate workforce-ready skills.

Special Information

Certification Preparation

This course aligns with and helps prepare students for the Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP): Civil 3D examination, an industry-recognized credential for civil design professionals. The College of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida (UCF) continuing education division offer dedicated Civil 3D Certification Training programs built around the same competencies addressed in ETD2551.

Assessment Methods

Performance-based assessment is standard across Florida offerings of this course. Student mastery is evaluated through completion of assigned drawing projects, skills-based exercises, general knowledge assessments, and analysis of final project deliverables. Oral or written presentation of CAD work may also be required.

Software Access

Students enrolled in this course may obtain free or reduced-cost access to AutoCAD Civil 3D through the Autodesk Education Community (autodesk.com/education). Instructor guidance on software installation and licensing is provided during the first class session.