How-to: read and set slope stakes

[@texp87]

Good video for all those people who think equipment operators don't ever have to read anything when at work....lol

[@CplCB]

Thank you for the thorough walk through!!! They went too fast in class last night and this was super helpful!

[@markramos1776]

loving the video. I always "lose the change" on my fist cut/fill stake on a slope...meaning you have a C-10.54 so....... 1. take 4.54' (from the 10.54) and X it by 3' (3:1 slope ratio)= 13.62' 2. pull out 13.62' set a stake and shoot 4.54', mark the stake (this mark will be your cut or fill to grade) 3. all remaining stakes set will be easily set with a 12' pull out and a 4' shot till you hit 0.00' being final grade that's "losing the change". it makes it a shit load easier for the grade checker who comes in behind you to continue if needed, or mainly let the boss know your work is clean as fuck so keep on driving I GOT THIS HANDLED!

[@DavidHernandez-mf9nd]

Newbie here, just want to know where/how did you end up getting 4.54’ from 10.54?

[@brandonkelley3953]

​@@DavidHernandez-mf9nd I know this is 2 years late, but maybe you'll see this. In the vid he has a cut of 10.54, and in the video he pulls out 12'. I've always been taught to run slope stakes in 4' intervals (4 ' of vertical grade change). To get 4' of vertical grade change at a 3:1 slope, that would be 12' horizontal grade change. Think rise/run. Along with the guy who commented, I've also been taught to lose the change/ugly numbers at the top, so since he has a cut of 10.54, that would be getting rid of that 0.54 of the cut in your initial slope stake. Meaning that instead of wanting to shoot 4' at 12' for the 3:1, you'd want to shoot 4.54. You'd find your horizontal change (The distance that you'd measure off the stake) the same way he did in the vid. Instead of 4' x 3:1 giving you 12' you'd take 4.54 and multiply that by 3 for your 3:1, giving you 13.62. You'd then pull 13.62' off of the top stake, and if you're on grade, you'd be shooting 4.54'. Now instead of having a cut of 6.54 @ 3:1, you have a cut of 6' @ 3:1, you would then pull out 12' shoot 4' for grade. Getting rid of the messy numbers at the top of the slope looks cleaner, and makes it easier if any grade checkers come behind you to finish running stakes for you. Getting the math out of the way in the beginning makes it easier. Hope this helps

[@goesintite]

Thanks, man. That was a great introduction to grade stakes. Clear and straight-forward.

[@leeross38]

Real good. 45 yr dozer hand. Only thing you might have included is if you shot below 4ft, say 4.3, your grd would be 3 10ths low. If you shot 3.6, your grd would 4 10ths of cut cut to get to grd. Great job tho. Thank you Lee Ross Ames constr

[@owen6186]

3:1 in that format should be a 3 ft cut and a run of 1 ft ?? The first quoted number is usually the vertical value no?? Just wondering?

[@electricalwilly1]

cool video. How do you control the dozer blade such that your always going down 3 to 1 slope ... do you know when your blade is down I foot or cutting down 1 foot and over 3 feet? curious as to how you create the slope with blade

[@MaxHengstenberg-nw5qe]

Good video. You explained things well and to the point.

[@Jpaydirt]

It rains dawnthar in texas, parked a crown vic in the weeds, grass whatever it was at a Ritche Bros auction in FT Worth one time then it rained like I have never seen in my life! I drew the short straw to get in while a D6 pulled it out my boots were as big04Cummins haha haha ha

[@robertdavies9129]

awesome vid we just multiply cut by 3 or 4 or 5 just depending on ur slope and dig to grade then cut a clean slope but that requires some knowledge of grading

[@pushysix]

Well done Albert!

[@soldierofdirt81]

Thanks Scott!

[@wgxinc]

Great Video! Now make one showing how to set stakes with eye level in a pinch!

[@soldierofdirt81]

Thanks!!

[@churchboy316]

Could you answer electricalwilly1 10 months ago cool video. How do you control the dozer blade such that your always going down 3 to 1 slope ... do you know when your blade is down I foot or cutting down 1 foot and over 3 feet? curious as to how you create the slope with blade

[@Pyro4Jesus7]

Awesome vid bro! Good learning! I guess my question is, once you've figured out the math, and what the slope is supposed to be in the end result, in this particular case, how did you set the blade to make that cut? Did you just eyeball it, and get out to measure every time? Or did you actually have something to plug into on the blade to align it right?

[@dozi3r]

4years late, but I hope he answers it. I know that some have GPS but then the surveyor set stakes are often a waste

[@Olddog-Wiserdog]

It is snt Surveyors when your lathe gets left blank. It is the engineers who drew the plans. Yes, I can fix it, and make it work. But, then I take on all the liability of design. That is not what I was paid to do. If your lathe was left blank, the Surveyor needed to RFI the engoneer.

[@jaredtatum9328]

Ok so I was asked to find out the differences between the symbols of grade stakes and was wondering you could help me? The symbols are below F C-L C with a L through it BCTC BM -0-0- with a line through the 0's also

[@soldierofdirt81]

ok well the "F" stands for fill, meaning dirt needs to be added to achieve the desired grade, the "C/L" means centerline, honestly not quite sure what the other letters are referencing, but the "BM" means, to me anyway... benchmark. If it were "BTM" it would mean bottom.

[@bushjt003]

BC typically stands for Begin Curve, not sure about BCTC. For "Grade" (subject surface is at the design elevation) we write a single 0 with a single horizontal line through it.

[@joshnottingham3544]

+Jared Tatum F = Fill, C/L = Centerline, BCTC = Back of Curb/Top of Curb, BM = Benchmark, Two 0's with line through them = grade

[@meatyoker]

Can you draw it on paper I’m trying to figure if point A and point B are supposed to be level on what your talking about or should have a slope.

[@soldierofdirt81]

Well, I can't explain it any better than that... for every 3 feet of run, you have one foot of drop. Simple as that.

[@meatyoker]

soldierofdirt81 ok i got it thanks

[@WillDMay3]

Got a ? for ya. If I see this correctly, the Offset stake is facing perpendicular to the stake to it's left. If my math is correct, if it is a 3:1, 10.54' then shouldn't the slope be out 31.62' at the toe? Sure wish I could draw a little picture for this for your review.

[@soldierofdirt81]

You are correct! if you pulled 31.62 feet from the top of slope stake, and dropped a rock that would be where your toe would fall.

[@bayoupirate3808]

Thanks for the video, I learned a few things abount an important subject.

[@louisianadirt2188]

Great information

[@robertdavies9129]

after multiplying measure out that distance which in this case would be 31.62

[@schneiderexc3557]

Good video, I can't wait to get GPS, I like staking but it takes a lot of time. I think it would be like cheating to sit in a dozer and run the job, LOL!!! It's fun to drag all that stuff along with you all day.

[@big04cummins]

That's how I used to do it! I always liked the story stakes but it seem like most surveyors hate putting them in too much writing I guess lol. Now I just drag that heavy ass rover around with me everywhere when I check grade.

[@soldierofdirt81]

Yeah that is how I learned. But the surveyors only gave me the cuts. I had to reference the plans and profile/cut sheet to make sure all the slopes were the right cut. Then I just added what I felt any normal person would like to see that can read and understand stakes as I bring down my toe.

[@big04cummins]

soldierofdirt81 Yeah that's how the surveyors around here are just give you an offset with a cut and the rest is up to you. I haven't seen a story stake since I lived in Phoenix.

[@soldierofdirt81]

I have to agree on the story stakes. They are very valuable. I haven't seen one myself since I left California to move back to Texas. The craziest ones I came across were on the last big job I did in Santa Paula, CA. And they read something like this: C-15.40 BTM of FTG//F+.25:1 TOP//LEVEL @ 5'// F+25.00 @ 2:1 TOP That was one hell of a story stake. it was for a retaining wall then a walkway trail. Then a crazy fill slope. Good thing I knew how that was to look in my mind. Haha

[@tonydanza3393]

Man! I have a lot of work to do! 😥👷

[@michaelnicholson657]

Ditto

[@sam111880]

O the stakes are to know how much dirt goes where basically after the stakes are set correctly the person just has to fill the dirt to the top of the stakes in each areas to get your correct slope or grade .. nice didn't consider this know I know the point of surveying and its importance's

[@soldierofdirt81]

sam111880 yes. the stakes tell you how much the ground has to change and to what elevation, grade, etc.

[@mperhaps]

In a case like this the first thing the grader needs to do is fire the surveyor. He's going off the lathe? Where's the fucken stake. Make sure payment to the surveyor is withheld until he does his job. If something is wrong the grader will take the heat.

[@bradgoodman6196]

back curve/ top curve

[@markheczko9642]

very well explained

[@dozi3r]

"when the surveyors get their checks together" Thanks for the video,but knock over all the stakes that you personally don't need or may be done using. For the economy /s

[@Engineersupply]

Good job with the video!

[@gordondoyle9172]

Clear as mud :)

[@bloodoftheancients1]

I live in the south its flat except mud puddles and swamps

[@bigE35094]

thank you....good job dude

[@sterlingsilver5937]

Thank you.

[@LUTHERJ304]

Cut of 10.54. If only at that hub where the stake is. U come down hill 5 foot. No longer a 10.54 cut. Difference in elevation down hill. Looks to be at least a foot lower from video. And a pocket optic is not very reliable. You need a optic leveler. Legs and a rod. Makes it lot easier.

[@bradgoodman6196]

least that's how I would read bc/tc

[@filotuavao1434]

thank you

[@larry71831]

thanks

[@hauptman4448]

Operation Husky

[@Brother-Beto4839]

Thank you