Reestablish grade stakes for GC work..

[pwal2]

Time after time on site the stake out/ grade stakes get knocked over or worse totally destroyed, most times calling the surveyor back works just fine. However his schedule do not always cooincide with site operations. For such events i am consinering buying a "used " topcon or similar total station to do this work myself, my question is does anybody have a favourite model for this type of work. I have been looking online and am totally amazed by the type and complexity of the equipment out there. What about a Topcon GT303 or Leica TC805, too much or too little gun.?.
Any response greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[ollylandandwater]

I can’t comment on the topcon, but the leica would definitely do the job, for what its worth, it might be cheaper in the long run to rent an instrument for about £75 a week! Then you don’t have to worry about the service costs! However my favourite type of instrument for this type of work is the leica tcrp1200 series one man total station system, it eliminates the need for a chain lad; you can pick them up second had for around £15000 it just depends how much you are willing to pay!

 

[namdac]

I would take the lieca unit it works really well with other programs and systems. We use both Lieca and Trimble. Having the crews versed in both opens more doors for different contractors. Especially for the 3-D contractors and the automated equipment. No grade staking required. Gotta love that.
Regrads,
Namdac

 

[MissouriPE]

Just a side thought - ever thought of putting in a penalty clause with your contractor(s) for destruction of stakes? Or working on the timing of the staking to better coincide with when the work will be done? I once had an owner (working as his own general on a 40-lot subdivision) threaten every sub with a $100/stake fine. Funny enough, I think only about 3 stakes were destroyed before the final road subgrade was in. The owner's theory at the time was that was about how much it cost for him to have a crew come out and reset that stake (and this was in the late 90s). Not sure how he wrote that in the contract(s) or if he even did, but I think it did make everyone more aware that those stakes weren't "targets".

Sorry - not much help in finding a gun. Been a while since I was in that business and the firm had great surveyors who did all that research for those purchases. Big $$ in buying and long term owning one of those machines. Not sure how much I would trust a "rental" though - would worry about calibration. Around here there probably isn't anywhere to rent such a thing either.

 

[ollylandandwater]

MissouriPE

in my experence, all hire instrement come with a dated calibration cirtificate

 

[Wasdifferent]

pwal2,
A Topcon 303 should work fine for what you're doing.
Best regards,
Michael

-Michael

http://www.sewellconstruction.com

 

[looksatstars]

also on a side note. I always put in offset stake that are outside of the building area that I can line up with. As stated, those painted stakes are targets.
I like the idea of $100 fine.

 

[mfite]

Like the fine idea. Superintendents are always looking for somthing for nothing.