How would be the simpleist way to check to see level if a piece of ground is level. Im needing to check a piece of ground roughtly 700 by 400 feet. thanks.
Simplest, or cheapest and how accurate Cheapest Assuming you have nothing, a wooden peg, spirit level, and fishing line and another pair of hands. Simplest, laser level :drinkup
level a hose pipe full of water is cheap and accurate not used it myself ,i prefer a lazer
Hand held contruction eyelevel.Simple easy and fast.
the old fashion way! http://www.pavingexpert.com/setout03.html
I have a laser level could someone point me in the right direction of how to use it to check if the ground is level. Thanks
what type of laser level? Either set the beam so it is level or some set themselves depending on what ou have. Measure it every 50' or more depending on how accurate you want to be. Your laser may not go 700 feet in the sun and be readable.
Leveling... the old fashion way! Speedpup... I don't know how you found that web site... but it's a definite keeper... they even have a sense of humor... LOL Good find... :thumbsup OCR
If you post the make and model of the laser that will help. Most manufacturer's have a website where you can download the manual for your laser. This might be better than people here trying to guess what type of laser you have.
Took me a while to think of "boning rod" but I could picture it in my mind. I collect old masonry books from late 1700's to about the 1960's. I have read about that method but couldn't remember it was called boning rod unless I went to my other house and glanced in the books. I was searching sight rods and leveling rods with no luck then 6-7 pages back in a google search I saw boning rod when I closed the page. It rung my bell then i had to do the search again. ointhead If I remembered 10% of what I read I could call myself brillant. I could have used this 20+ years ago to plot a 88' radius on a masonry building as I could not swing the radius with a tape. I refused to build the wall unlike the concrete and carpenter contractor. When the surveyor finally and came and did it right they were adding 2' + - to the foundation and stud wall in places before I could brick veneer it.:bash:bash
Leveling... the old fashion way! Here's the URL link to their home page Speedpup... seems to be a wealth of information there... lots of tips and tricks... looks like a bunch of reading to do... Again... good find... :thumbsup http://www.pavingexpert.com/home.htm OCR PS..... "Grafter spade". This should be of particular interest to Squizzy and Digger... :lmao
Those hand levels are only accurate to 15' or so. If cost is an issue I would go with a line level.You need two men to use it efficiently,place the vial in the middle of the span and keep the distance to what you can reasonably handle and be accurate.If the wind is blowing you might want to find something else to do that day. I would borrow or rent a transit and grade rod or laser if you are working alone but a line level will get the job done with minimum expense.Establish a benchmark or reference to doublecheck your work and go from there.Ron G
I doubt the vial on a line level is much good over the big distances here is talking about. Then you have wind involved in the line.
I doubt it too if he did the whole distance at one time.That is why I cautioned him to keep it to a reasonable distance for accuracy.Ron G
I agree Ron! Sorry i just hurried when i read and saw roughly,so just thought if he was roughing the distance anyway ,but yeah 700ft. would be a bit far for hand level. Hand levels are handle just for a quick reference to the lay of the ground or close distance for just roughly things in tho.Grade checkers in the old days always used them on ditch cut(bring down the backslopes) on a lot of the road jobs i worked on. Laser for that distance(700 ft.) and by yourself would be my choice also.I have also used a deadman to hold the graderod and used a transit,slow process ,but worked.
Park your truck, or use a tree, or something immoveable at one end. Get a camera with zoom, & a tripod. Measure from level ground to the center of the lense of the camera, & while the camera is level (you need a level) make a mark on the tree (or whatever you are using...blade on a cat) then set up the camera on the tripod on level ground at the other end, check height from ground, zoom in enough to get the spot in the center of the veiw finder (the nikkon I have has a center mark on it, not all do though) & now check the grade using your level 1st. then just rise over run. Setting the level on the top of the lense works for me, but I have a 4" or so lense...heh, but some people lenses are longer than others, you can do it over the face of the lense, & use a plumb bob if needed to figure how many inches off at what distance, then multiply.
Thanks for the replys i got i to work