Land Development and Construction Surveying
Construction surveying questions test whether you can transfer design intent to the ground and verify it afterward. Expect cut and fill, slope stakes, control, as-builts, and DC regulatory overlays such as stormwater, erosion control, and right-of-way permits.
Control and stakeout
- Establish horizontal and vertical control tied to record monuments and a known benchmark; protect control from construction traffic.
- Set offsets and hubs, then check the stakeout independently. Machine control and GPS-guided grading still require verification against control.
- As-built surveys compare constructed conditions with the approved plan and document deviations.
Grades, cut and fill, and volumes
- Cut = existing elevation - design elevation; a negative result is fill. State the sign convention on the stake.
- Slope stakes are set where the design slope intersects existing ground. For a 2:1 slope and 4.50 ft of cut, the catch point is 9.0 ft horizontally from the hinge.
- Volumes use average end area or prismoidal methods; strip topsoil before computing earthwork.
DC context
- Stormwater management and erosion and sediment control are reviewed by DOEE; right-of-way occupancy and lane closures require DDOT permits.
- ADA accessibility, the Green Area Ratio, and the DC Building Code affect grades, walks, and site layout.
- Survey monuments are protected by law; do not remove or disturb them without authorization.
Worked example
At station 10+00, 25 ft right of centerline, design elevation is 100.00 ft and existing ground is 104.50 ft. Cut = 100.00 - 104.50 = -4.50 ft, so it is a 4.50-ft cut. With a 2:1 slope, the catch point lies 2 × 4.50 = 9.0 ft farther out, at 34.0 ft right of centerline, at existing grade. The stake notes cut and offset so the grader can work from the hinge.
Traps that cost marks
- Reversing the cut/fill sign.
- Setting slope stakes without iterating on sloping or curved ground.
- Ignoring topsoil stripping or compaction factors in volumes.
- Staking from unchecked control or a benchmark of unknown datum.
- Overlooking DOEE or DDOT permit requirements before construction.