Hi guys and gals, Boy this forum is priceless for Dummies like me :duh OK let's start now, I'm doing a 50 hectare sea water shrimp farm here. It's composed of 2 hectare ponds that have a 50 cm (20 inch) slop to the middle and 50cm (25 inch) to the gutter over a distance of 50 to 100 meters. The ponds are also surrounded by a 2 meter (6 foot) high levee and slopes down to the pond base on a 3:1 , the top of the levee is 6 meters wide and the slop is 18 meters to the pond base. Now, I have never even seen a laser leveler before reading about it here and seeing it on the web. So what would I need here for this job? And what would it cost? What would I need to learn about operating it and what to be looking for as indications of doing the job right? What can I use to measure distances of up to 1000 meters, 3000 feet at one go, if possible? Now let's make way for the Pro's :notworthy
Your going to need more then a laser for that project. Sounds like you need to get GPS machine control for your dozer. The complete setup runs about $75,000 for a setup. http://www.trimble.com/gcs900dg-dzr.shtml This is really the only way to do it without hiring a full engineering crew to layout stakes and grades for you.
Holy shiiiii, my dozer cost me about that much. Based on costs here a whole Eng. crew would be around $ 5 to 10 k for this job, they come cheap when they get paid about 1000 $ a month.
Most grade lasers are only good for less than a 100mts and accurate -+3mm
OK, then can I do a long distance in several goes? How about my levee slopes 3:1 are they any problem doing them with laser ? By the way what's the best distance measuring device that is accurate and can measure long distances easily, that 100 meter measuring tape is a nightmare.
trimble gps is the business for long distances. for your slopes set up batter rails,and use travellers and profiles, below is a link which shows the basics........................ http://www.pavingexpert.com/setout03.html
Hay that was a grate site, thanks for the help. I got a bit woried when you started throwing those big scary words at me but the nice friendly pics helped out I have a couple of Garmin GPS's that I generally use for rough work, but they are no way good enough for the final cut. They have an accuracy range of 6 to 9 meters in a good day, and that's just not acceptable. What's the accuracy rate on the Trimble?
http://www.topconpositioning.com/uploads/tx_tttopconproducts/GPT7500_GTS750_Broch_7010_0828_RevB.pdf Have a look at one of these if you learn to use it properly it is more accurate than a gps.However it doesn't allow for real time excavation but for setting out for a small operation it is extremely accurate. http://www.trimble.com/survey/GNSS-Surveying-Systems.aspx again these are accurate to +- 19mm...................
I have a Trimble LL600 that i have shot 2500'+ with, at wort case you will just have to reset your lazer you do not need to buy a $75k GPS LMAO!! people have been doing projects bigger than that long before GPS has been around, it just takes a little common sense that's all. EDIT:.....BTW, what the hell is a hectare? lol jk Pj
Thanks, just found a Trimble LL600 used in good condition or as it seems, for $499, what's the cost for a new one? What can go wrong with a second hand one? And do think it would do the job?and do you think I should go ahead any buy the ebay one? I don't know if you were joking or not but a hectare is 10,000m2 or 110,000' 2
http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=total+stations http://www.somero.com/pdf/trimbleLL600.pdf accurate to 1.5mm per 100mts so over 800mts it adds to -+12mm or in old monies an inch give or take...................
although there are some things that can go wrong with a laser transmitter, we've had great luck out of ours....been beat to hell and rolled down a pile a few times etc....the glass is even broke on it and still works perfect. the good thing about Trimble is that they are quality enough that they can be repaired......I guess to answer the Q' the most common thing I hear with the Trimble is that the little rubber band that spins the mirror breaks. haha, yeah i know what a heactare is but.....what exactly is a meter? Pj
I think I am more lost than I started out, so what do guys think? Would a LL600 be sufficient to the job in hand? Meter is that thing that makes us like a tripod.... only if... Lool
So have you guys made your mind up yet??
If your ponds are basicall all flat planes I would go with a dual laser system (on a grader) Your 3:1 slope (33.3% slope) is considered an extreme slope. The Spectra GL742 will reach out advertised 1500' from the transmitter, but I have had my best results not trying to reach out more than 1000'. We had a 5000' 3:1 level top berm, that ajoined a dual sloped pad this year, we finished it with two laser set ups for the berm. To perform like this you will need a GOOD tripod and remote alignment. Setting up and orienting the laser transmitter can be troublesome, but once you get your alignment correct the machine control will make the most accurate surface.
I see that no one responded to your distance measuring device question so I thought I would tell you that Bosch makes a laser measuring device that can go 250 meters (+/- 1mm). You can find steep slope lasers for machines that are fairly inexpensive compared to the GPS quotes and are cost effective if you have longer pieces of straight slope. But if your tolerances aren't extremely tight and your budget ISN'T unlimited (or just want to make more profit), all you have to do is set a stake at the top and bottom of the slope and straight grade between them. There is a book listed on this site about grade checking with a clinometer and laser distance meter in the "For Sale" section. that and a survey crew would be the most cost effective. (Yes, gratuitous self promotion) I just saw your post BigJimIron; agreed. And unless you are planning to do a lot of these ponds, the GPS is a waste of money; maybe even the laser. Now, if you are going to have a cement liner or something very expensive that can cost a lot of money in extra materials AND you have no one that knows how to cut grade, I would go with the steep slope laser and there is some training involved learning how to get it set up properly. Tell us how it goes. I never see any follow up on the solutions or what worked or didn't on the site.
No. That's "Did ya meet her?", I think.
Just think for almost a hundred years this was all done with only a transit, chain and rod
It still can be.
Well I did mention a total station http://www.topcon.co.jp/en/positioning/atwork/
I would suggest a good dial in grade laser and a machine receiver to mount on a piece of pipe that you attach to a moldboard. I think to cut the floors I would set the laser in the center of the floor and align it square with a side with the grade dialed in flowing towards the laser. Now put a blue top or stake on dirt grade on that 1/4 of the floor. Set the cutting edge on the blue top. Now attach the receiver, turn it on, and adjust it up or down until it reads grade. Grade out that side. Rotate the level 180* to do the opposite side or rotate it 90* to do an end, setting a new blue top each time to run off of. When cutting each side and end I would mark the line for the toe of the 3:1 accurately so when done the bottom toe would be right on line and grade and the slope roughed in just a bit fat. Next move the laser to the top, set a stake finish berm height, set cutting edge at grade, set receiver to grade, cut the top of the berm leaving it a touch high, paint or mark somehow the top line of slope, blade up slope, trim top of berm to finish. Lasers are excellent for grades that are NOT convexed, concaved, or wavy. Percent of slope to dial in equals: distance divided into fall Example terraces I do. 3/10 ths fall per hundred feet. 100 divided into .3 = .003 This equals .3 percent. 1 percent is 1 ft per hundred. 9 percent is 9 ft fall per hundred. (sorry, not metric) The plans might even tell the slope percentage. Ok, looked at the original post again. The floor is flowing to the center - check - thats covered. The floor is sloping to the gutter may not be covered. If the gutter is an end your life will be a lot easier if you get a dual slope level. Same procedure, set up a side, dial in that slope (side to side). The added step is that now you dial in the end to end slope also in your dual slope level. For clarification (or confusion?): a dual slope laser is still a single beam. It is just much easier to set up when there is fall 2 ways (side to center, end to end).