Civil Design Help Desk
Civil Design Help Desk

CH 0.000 · Start

45 years of civil design, on call for your projects.

Practical guides, a members-only help desk, and expert MX, 12d, OpenRoads, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, SMIGS and Eagle support for designers, drafters and small firms. Get answers from someone who has drawn it, built it and fixed it.

Designer
Derek Rosborough
Experience
45 yrs
Software
MX · 12d · OpenRoads · Civil 3D · AutoCAD · BricsCAD · SMIGS · Eagle
Location
Gold Coast, Australia
Udon Thani, Thailand
Availability
Immediately

CH 050.000 · Free

Two free checklists

Start here. Print them and use them on your next job.

Free checklist 1 · PDF · 1 page

Initial Requirements

5 things to have, or get, before you start any civil design project: budget, project stage, software, design speed and flood constraints. Gaps found now cost minutes. Found halfway through, they cost days.

Download free
Free checklist 2 · PDF · 1 page

Typical Design Process

The 11 steps I follow, in order, on every job, whether it's in MX, 12d or OpenRoads. From loading the survey to producing the outputs, so nothing gets skipped. Enter your email and it downloads straight away.

I'll only email you about Civil Design Help Desk. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

CH 100.000 · Digital guides

Guides you can use on Monday

Downloadable PDFs built from decades of real projects. Buy once, keep forever. Each guide goes on sale as soon as it's finished, and members get every guide free.

Checklist · PDF

Grading & Drainage Design Checklist

The step-by-step checks I run before any grading plan leaves my desk: batters, spot levels, pits, overland flow paths and accessible routes.

Guide · PDF

Site Plan Review: What Reviewers Catch

The comments that send plans back for resubmittal, and how to fix them before the reviewer sees the set.

eBook · PDF

Lessons From 45 Years of Civil Design

Field stories, hard-won rules of thumb and the mistakes worth learning from someone else.

CH 200.000 · Ongoing help

Membership, hire & support

Pick the level of help you need. Cancel anytime.

For a specific problem

One-on-one Session

A$150 / hour
  • Screen-share on Microsoft Teams
  • Bring a corridor that won't process, a terrain that won't behave, or a drainage layout that doesn't add up
  • We work through it together on your screen
  • Members pay A$125 an hour
Book a session
For designers & drafters

Design Desk Membership

A$79 / month, or A$790 / year

Founding member offer: the first 20 members pay A$59 a month (or A$590 a year), locked in for as long as they stay, plus a free 30-minute session. Claim a founding place

  • 2 Q&A calls per month via Microsoft Teams, up to 15 minutes each
  • Ask design and software questions, answered within 2 business days
  • Review of your templates and library
  • Every guide included free as it's released
  • Member price on sessions (A$125 an hour) and the course (A$350)
Join for A$79/month
For project work

Hire a Contractor

A$1,000 / day
  • Hands-on design work in MX, 12d, OpenRoads, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, SMIGS or Eagle
  • Road, earthworks, drainage and site models
  • Drawing production and plan set checks
  • Remote work, booked by the day
  • Works out to about A$133 an hour over a 7.5-hour day
Book a day
For small firms

Firm Support Retainer

A$1,500–3,000 / month
  • Days and hours set to suit your firm
  • Monthly price based on days per week and hours per day
  • Plan set reviews before submittal
  • Mentoring for junior staff
  • MX, 12d, OpenRoads, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, SMIGS and Eagle troubleshooting
Book a free intro call

CH 250.000 · Course, register your interest

MX to OpenRoads for Road Designers

For road designers who are confident in MX and now need to deliver projects in OpenRoads Designer. It assumes you already know road design, and shows how your MX methods carry across, and where they don't.

  1. The mindset shift: strings to features
  2. Workspaces, standards and setup
  3. Bringing MX data across
  4. Terrain models
  5. Horizontal and vertical geometry
  6. Templates and corridors
  7. Superelevation, intersections and the hard parts
  8. Plans production and quantities
Recorded course · 8 modules
A$450 / A$350 for members

About 6 to 8 hours of short videos, with an "MX way vs OpenRoads way" comparison sheet for each module. Founding members help choose what it covers.

Recording starts once 20 people registerRegister your interest

CH 300.000 · About

Derek Rosborough in a dark suit jacket

Hi, I'm Derek Rosborough

I've spent 45 years as a civil designer in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, the Gold Coast and now Udon Thani, Thailand, from hand-drafted sheets to today's 3D models in MX, 12d and, most recently, OpenRoads.

My work has ranged from major infrastructure, including the Pacific Motorway and the feasibility study for the Badgerys Creek airport in Western Sydney, to mining projects, earthworks, drainage and site design. Along the way I've trained more designers than I can count. I started Civil Design Help Desk to pass that experience on: clear guides, straight answers, and a second set of eyes on your work when it matters.

MX12d ModelOpenRoadsCivil 3DAutoCADBricsCADSMIGSEagleRoad designEarthworksDrainageMotorwaysAirportsMiningPlan review

CH 400.000 · Questions

Common questions

How do I get my guide after buying?

You'll get a download link by email right after checkout.

Can I cancel the membership?

Yes. Cancel anytime from your account. You keep access until the end of the month you paid for.

Do you certify drawings?

No. I provide design guidance, reviews and training. The responsible engineer on your project still signs off the design.

Can I share project files?

Please don't send confidential client data. Anonymise or recreate the problem; that's usually enough to solve it.

How quickly will I get an answer?

Member questions are answered within 2 business days. For something urgent, book a one-on-one session.

Is payment secure?

Payments are handled by Stripe. I never see or store your card details. Prices are in Australian dollars. No GST is charged.

CH 500.000 · End

Let's talk about your project

Email me to book a free 20-minute intro call or ask about firm support.