How to add a 36" railing on top of retaining wall?

[JECORMIER]

I've been going back and forth with this today. Can't seem to figure it out.

 

I've got my retaining wall laid out the way I want it around the outside of the driveway and I will need to add a 36" railing on top but every time I add it either the retaining wall goes away, etc. I'm close but I just can't figure it out. 

Thank  you for your help in advance.

 

Included the plan and a pic of the area in question.

 

JC

PEFLEY_REMODEL_8-7.plan

[Joe_Carrick]

Here's one possibility:

 

Use a Molding Polyline for the railing.  You can apply 2D Molding Profiles and 3D Molding Symbols to make up almost any conceivable railing.

[Chopsaw]

Justin,  Can you replace your retaining wall with a flat top ramp?  They come with railings.

[Renerabbitt]

12 minutes ago, JECORMIER said:

 

There is a way to do it and have it be correct, but my current preference is a work around. Dupe your plan and set a railing the length you need. Specify everything about the railing so it is finalized, and then pull a 3d view with just the railing visible and add it to your library as a symbol. Then you can just drop your symbol into the plan on top of your retaining wall

[JECORMIER]

Hey Chopsaw-

 

Tried your flat top ramp idea. No go. It does not retain the earth like the original retaining wall. Maybe it can, I couldn't figure it out.

Let me know if you know how to make that happen. That's a good one if it does.

 

Thanks fella-

 

JC

[Chopsaw]

You should be able to control it with a Terrain Break beside or under the ramp.  Let me know how it goes.  I may have a chance to look at the file later this evening if your stuck.

[Chief16Designer]

Not sure if it will work but try making the ramp 1/16 thick on top of the existing slab

[Renerabbitt]

16 minutes ago, JECORMIER said:

Hey Chopsaw-

 

Tried your flat top ramp idea. No go. It does not retain the earth like the original retaining wall. Maybe it can, I couldn't figure it out.

Let me know if you know how to make that happen. That's a good one if it does.

 

Thanks fella-

 

JC

Here's another method, I enclosed the space under your driveway making it a room, set it to have no ceiling or floor and then dropped the room to the level of your driveway. Then dragged a railing and set it to have no room definition. Placed it on top of your retaining walls.

 

PEFLEY_REMODEL_8-7_RAB.plan

[Joe_Carrick]

I think you can make the retaining wall "No Room Definition" and then move another Railing Wall to the same location (center on the retaining wall).  I'm not sure what other ramification that will create but you will probably have to play with the railing height and the bottom rail above floor height.

[JECORMIER]

CHIEF16 DESIGNER---

 

That works like a charm!

 

Great thinking outside the box like some of the other folks on here mentioned.

 

Thank you all.

 

JC

[Chief16Designer]

+1 will help only got 3 , I'm glad it worked 

[JECORMIER]

Seriously! I really appreciate everyone's "I can help" attitude on this forum. Time and again I get immediate help with my questions.

 

Thank you a thousand time everyone!

 

One day.......I too may be on the other side of this conversation. Can't wait.

JC

[johnny]

This thread is nuts.  Congrats to everyone thinking outside the box, but its ridiculous to have to do this for something so simple.

 

How about Chief just lets us create a railing that doesn't have to be part of a room or non-existent ramp, and can have its own Z value that we can set?  Thats how all the cool kids are doing it.

[Kbird1]

 

Most terrain walls allow a Fence to be built on top of it ( then convert to your Railing type)  as long as you don't let the Fence touch the Ground anywhere it will stay on the Terrain retaining wall and won't "Fall Off" but it is definitely finicky. as you can see step terrain is selected to make Fence stay on topof the wall and there must be a step in the wall. (Follow terrain made it worse)

 

Sure would be easier to drag out a EXTERIOR railing as Johnny pointed out....  ie no room def. needed like with a Deck

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01003/adding-fencing-to-stone-walls.html

 

M.

 

[Chopsaw]

3 hours ago, johnny said:

How about Chief just lets us create a railing that doesn't have to be part of a room or non-existent ramp, and can have its own Z value that we can set?  Thats how all the cool kids are doing it.

 

You are so correct Johnny.  I have read all the railing threads I could find and explored 5 or 6 viable workarounds over the last couple of days and not found one that satisfies my situation and all I need to do is offset 2" and lower 10 3/4".  This feature could save a vast amount of storage space on the Chief Forum server I am sure.  Actually called tech and gave them the request almost word for word earlier today before you posted.

[glennw]

You can't drag top and bottoms of railings.

But, you can drag top and bottoms of a normal walls.

So...place your normal wall on top of your terrain retaining wall and in an elevation (or 3D) view you can move the tops and bottoms of the walls to suit.

Then convert your higher wall to a railing.

You can still control the height of the railing itself through the dbx.

[Alaskan_Son]

7 hours ago, glennw said:

You can't drag top and bottoms of railings.

But, you can drag top and bottoms of a normal walls.

So...place your normal wall on top of your terrain retaining wall and in an elevation (or 3D) view you can move the tops and bottoms of the walls to suit.

Then convert your higher wall to a railing.

You can still control the height of the railing itself through the dbx.

Nice find Glenn.  I'll definitely have to remember that one.  Thanks.

[Kbird1]

11 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

Nice find Glenn.  I'll definitely have to remember that one.  Thanks.

 

Hi Michael, Not sure you saw Glenn post about this technique over the last few years , but it is part of how he showed me how to do Facsia Mounted Posts and Railings too..... Unfortunately most of Glenn's images were deleted due to lack of Space but it maybe worth a read, and one to add to your video Library for Others

 

 

[AvoyeDesign]

I usually draw a retaining wall on the foundation level and a railing above it on the first floor level.  Set the railing to follow terrain.  But I usually do this around exterior stairwells where there are rooms defined on both floors, with the upper room being open below.  So not sure how this would work with a retaining wall that does not define a room.