How to Read Survey Stakes

[@gregoryharris5064]

Thanks for having an actual site as a frame of reference. It makes it much easier to remember the information.

[@smokingisbadmtherfcker2537]

I was there 8 hours today, this is exactly what I wanted to know. 10 minutes of KZbin solved my problem. You rock, dude! 🍻🤘

[@jrgd9083]

Dam, you explained this clearly. Im the new apprentice on the job coming from a landscaping job for about 2 and a half years and, this is what i am now dealing with at work. Its gonna be tough but, i love learning new things in this industry. Thanks for the vid!

[@EVM1978]

If you are ever lost in the woods and need to be found, just pound a lathe and wait, and in no time an operator will drive over it...

[@elcuate1100]

This is gold

[@hc6775]

What a great video! So helpful and clear. Really appreciated the examples and all of the detail, this will help tremendously when I’m out at construction sites!

[@Surveyorjoe]

Thanks, we are doing a custom USGS Benchmark Giveaway starting tomorrow. Video will be posted later today.

[@joaquinjimenez5857]

Thank you for teaching us, this is a good explanation! In the future could you teach us about precise grading blueprint for parking lots? Sometimes we have a lot of grade breaks, ridge lines, high points, etc, and we get confused on where they start and where they end. Thank you!

[@Surveyorjoe]

Yes, I was going to get some plans together to use as an example for your question.

[@DieselandIron]

Great video! It's really interesting how much variance there is in grade stake markings from state to state. The information is the same but the way it's written is always a little different.

[@erico17598]

Thanks for the explanation pls what does the blue colored ribbon and yellow color indicates in stake

[@Surveyorjoe]

For me, I only use blue when staking water or blue tops, but I don't always use blue for water. You will find many surveyors stick to a color code and just as many do not. We use a lot pink and florescent green, and we also use 60D nails tied with the same color as the lath. I would guess most blue flagged lath are either water or blue tops. Best thing to do is read the lath first.

[@JosePerez-xf7oi]

Basic easy money.

[@artshirleypv]

Great video. Could it be the same for staking sewer laterals?

[@Surveyorjoe]

We normally set "Y's" on our Sewer staking line and a lateral on the pad or wherever the stub is. Our Y lath will read 1+14 (station) Y Left or Right.

[@guillermoortega6802]

How do you read a radius marked on the steak

[@mc1847]

Very informative video. Can you do one on understanding control points.

[@segiaco]

Great video! I think you should make more videos.

[@Surveyorjoe]

Trying to make one a week

[@nikko_gee]

Good video , I do masonry in SoCal that’s how the stakes usually look here

[@Surveyorjoe]

The videos were intended on helping other trades with reading our Stakes. Please subscribe and send me any question you may have. And let me know if there are products you are interested in us testing. Thanks

[@earlwhite3806]

Interesting. Here in North Carolina it is normal to go 5 feet off-sets. And we measure to bc=back of curb.

[@Surveyorjoe]

I know some other states back of CURB is used. We tend to only use back of curb for roll curb. When they set the forms or string line for the CURB machines, they are normally set here to curb face.

[@earlwhite3806]

@@Surveyorjoe Good to know. Very informative video. Thanks.

[@nastyki54]

Colorado we use 5ft offsets and TBC( top back of curb)

[@edstimator1]

California here. Lots of ways to do things but having said that, usually there is one "best" way. We do some whacky things out here in the west but one thing we do really really well is build stuff. I would argue that our way (curb face) is the "better way" because the thickness of the curb might vary which would throw off a curb face line but a curb face line would NEVER vary so any variation in curb thickness would be rendered irrelevant. Also the reason we use a 3' offset instead of a five is because 3' is plenty of room to work with and the further away the offset the longer the level and it's easier to use a 3' level than a 5' level when checking grade. Small difference but speed matters out here.

[@marvinguerraiglesias609]

What is a FL flow line

[@Surveyorjoe]

Yes, flow line

[@6389033]

Can you explain a grade hike up on stake

[@Surveyorjoe]

Are you asking how to apply the cuts or fills written on the lath for grading or utilities like sewer?

[@JoseVega-mq3uu]

I’ve dine but of utilities underground, and they usually mark every 30-50’ an offset for the utility conduit tench, but i haven’t seen what kind of markings or for what kind of markings do we ask for when laying out/installing a vault or precast pad? I’ve hear (high and low point when in a slope). Do you guys provide offsets for all four corners of the vault/pad? Hope it makes sense.

[@Surveyorjoe]

We normally stake offsets to the inside or inside dimensions of the vault. The plans normally have one of the two dimensions. We normally dont have a top of vault or pad grade, so we give them a cut or fill to curb if the VAULT is inside a curb island or near curb. Edison sometimes has the contractor pour a small strip of CURB next to the vault before inspection.

[@Surveyorjoe]

Inside or outside

[@JoseVega-mq3uu]

I’m assuming outside would be the outside edge of the vault? Do we as electricians have to provide you with the vault or box spec size?

[@Surveyorjoe]

@@JoseVega-mq3uu in CA, we have plans either from the power company or the VAULT size is on the detail since most are precast. If there is not a vault size, they normally sit inside a CURB island or along some planned structure with a tie in point for the conduit/trench line

[@Surveyorjoe]

@@JoseVega-mq3uu we dont carry standards for vaults, so staking curb around the proposed vault will at least give a finish grade and LIMITS to place the vault.

[@silverhawk4758]

Impressive drawing man 👍

[@carlosislas9415]

what is tbr/tbc

[@Surveyorjoe]

Can't say I have seen tbr or tbc, but we all use different codes or abbreviations when needed. What was it in relation too?? The t could equal Top or Temporary.

[@joeygalloway8909]

This is a construction layout lesson not a Boundary Survey lesson. Good lesson and techniques of laying out for construction layout

[@Surveyorjoe]

What do you mean BOUNDARY layout?? Are you talking about how the lath are flagged when identifying a property corner or section corner?

[@anthonyramirez1757]

I’m sort of familiar with this. Since I do commercial concrete work. So it’s not something really new to me. But here’s my problem, I’m not the foreman in my crew so you’ll never see me finding grade or doing anything having to do with this. But since I want to learn, I am doing my own research as well as observing my foreman. I think for ppl who don’t know (like myself) maybe explain what hub means or what lath means, etc. Because I just know them as wooden stake. I don’t know the “correct” term. Also the meaning behind C and F. C meaning Cut which means grade is going down and F for fill, grade going up. If that makes sense. Thank you for helping me understand a little more though!

[@anthonyramirez1757]

Also is there any meaning behind the “flagging”

[@Surveyorjoe]

I will throw something by the end of the week. Thanks

[@Surveyorjoe]

@@anthonyramirez1757 if you are talking about flagging color, then it all depends on who you ask. Myself, I use pink and florescent green a lot because it can be seen. I also use large nails with matching flagging instead of wood, as do most of us in SoCal. Cheaper and faster. Some believe that certain utilities should be flagged with the same color as the underground location paint. Green for sewer, red for electric, yellow for gas.... Other than blue for water, most of us on the west coast use what we want. There are no rules. We expected the trades to read the lath and to have communication.

[@anthonyramirez1757]

Very interesting! Thank you so much for the reply. I honestly have seen a lot of orange flagging for what I do. Which is concrete.

[@funeselectrical]

Can explain how to convert tens to inch

[@Surveyorjoe]

The easiest way for me is to look at an engineers pocket tape which has both inches and hundredths or use your calculator. 0.50 x 12 = 6.0. Hundredths x 12(inches) = the inches plus the fraction of an inch. 0.25 = 1/4" 0.125=1/8".

[@SouthBayEngr]

Studying for the CA Civil P.E. Surveying exam. This was extremely invaluable information. Much thanks. Doing a problem right now that reads: RPSS 12+25.25, EL 3305.6 || -0.80 CP | C7.0, 14.00 Toe, 2:1 | F0.6, 12.00 CL, 20:1 How do i know what the distance is from the RPSS to the CP? Did they forget that offset distance ? Thanks

[@edstimator1]

Not an expert but I was a professional and I'm not seeing any offset dimension noted and I'm guessing that is due to the fact that it is on a slope so it is being staked with no offsets as it would be very inconvenient to be checking grade from offsets on a steep slope and you could argue "what would be the point of offsetting a grade stake on a slope anyway"? A whole bunch of information on that lath is Greek to me. I would have to study hard to pass THAT test. Good luck!

[@mikesmotivation5120]

Very help full thank you

[@JuanGarcia-rk3ef]

Im think I got some progress now I understand how to read curbface CF thanks about the other still learning

[@marcschroter]

3:45 You should never write F - 050 because *[ + = fill ]* and *[ - = cut ].* *C050* & *-050* mean the same thing. Write out the full elevation. Those are things a journeyman would do. *fill + 050* & *cut - 050* also work. This video wrote out "fill cut 050".

[@Surveyorjoe]

It's a dash. I understand what your saying. To be honest, out here you will see dashes used or just F 0.50. No dash, or +/- I'm breaking my habit of dashes slowly

[@marcschroter]

@@Surveyorjoe I get it. When I see dashes I don't make a fuss about it, also the operators are wise and usually know what's going on regardless of how the stakes are written. Sometimes I see periods for abbreviations but ex: Face Of Curb - in my opinion - should be written as FOC not F.O.C Since grade stakes are not in the ground for an extended period of time, I tie a quick cow-hitch knot by bending a loop over itself and sticking the lath through. I'd recommend learning the fast version of the cow-hitch knot to any surveyor making grade stakes or flagging nails.

[@twigsfloat2773]

Great video! Thank you so much!

[@manuelmartinez3364]

Awesome thank you.

[@CarlosRodriguez-i7j1b]

Tank you 👍👍👍

[@NoOneIsGreaterThanAllofUs]

Thank you 🙏

[@BryanGsxr]

Very helpful

[@michaelbradley7139]

Great information thanks

[@luislorta1002]

Exelente video

[@g.beeker5561]

Always wanted to be a surveyor, opportunity never dropped in my lap. I think I would've been excellent. But as someone that managed people that regularly drove over these things (despite my best efforts) in the field.... my cringe is magnified

[@urbanbluecollar7813]

awesome ..thank you

[@josecordova995]

What is TB?

[@Surveyorjoe]

I do not remember using TB in the video, but if you have seen "TB" written on a lath it could be Top of Berm. In the video I used TC ( top of curb) as an example. Without knowing what the structure is I'm not sure what TB could mean. Berm, Buttress, Temporary Bench Mark....

[@josecordova995]

3KMH Land Survey Products this would be for a civil stake. Thank you for your prompt response.

[@Surveyorjoe]

@@josecordova995 no problem. If there are no Cuts or Fills on the lath, its probably a Temporary Bench Mark.

[@Surveyorjoe]

Temporary Bench Mark

[@edstimator1]

People get hung up on the initials but the fact is that different regions use different markings for the same things. The important thing is that the grade checker and the surveyor are on the same page and that the markings on the lathe are being understood correctly. If that is the case then the purpose is being served and all is right an good in the world. Have a talk with the surveyor for ten minutes and all will be revealed.

[@bekeconenvironmental3508]

Nice

[@saulflores6038]

👍

[@joeyalfaro2323]

If your little kid that's perfect wooden sword for free just left there abandoned. Perfectly good stick

[@Surveyorjoe]

I agree, I cringe everytime we stake something next to a school.

[@edstimator1]

So true! When I was a kid we grabbed all the lath on a road they were building and had a grand ole war. My Dad found out and had a long "come to Jesus" talk with me but it was worth it because then we gathered up our weapons and went back to the site and Pops did his best to explain what it all meant and did his best to replace all the lath. We (he) wasn't able to find every station but we got most of it and Monday morning he talked to the grading foreman and with his help they were able to figure out the rest and replace the broken swords. I will never forget that and I'm proud of my Dad for accepting responsibility for the damage I did, offering to pay the surveyor for his time and generally being a stand up guy. He cast a long shadow that day. I know because at seven years old, I was watching.

[@joeygalloway8909]

How to read Construction Layout Stakes is better put

[@mikeandema6925]

76.00 74.00 72.00 74.00

[@joelover2631]

Very confusing

[@armandosalvador1991]

Spanish please

[@Surveyorjoe]

Yes, I agree. I will work on it and hopefully have something next month.