I have two larger construction projects going. Yesterday (Monday) I did a checkup on one and this is what I found
all my slope stakes pulled and tossed down a near by hill.
Only to be topped off today by going to do some sewer asbuilts before they backfilled and find out the underground contractor on the job doesn't know how to read survey stakes. All the manhole inverts were set from 1.5' to 3.5' higher than staked. So bad that some of the lines had negative slopes. All the GC could say was could catch, don't let them srcew this project up. I hope he still has his smile when he receives the extra charge for the lowest bid underground contractor.
I am thankful for the work I have got on these jobs, but I need a few double scotches and its only Tuesday.
I would do my best to find out who pulled those stakes and pursue every possible legal avenue. There isn't enough scotch, or alcohol of any kind, to help cope with that mess! If you have a video camera handy, you should restake, and pick a spot and wait to see if someone comes along and does it again, that way you have evidence, unless they are smart and use the cover of darkness to pull them, then you need some night vision!
On the bright side, at least everyone knows those slope stakes are wrong. As opposed to being pulled, and re-set a few feet away. My father was an ironworker who did a little GC work after retiring. He asked me about a surveyors mark on a grade stake, said he didn't want to feel stupid asking him. I told him what I thought, but said confirm that with him. Asbuilt is no time to find out you were wrong. I'm surprised even an average installer wouldn't see red flags with reverse flow. At least it can't get much worse this year.
That project is a County job and the County inspector was out last week and took pics of all the slope stakes in place. I had everything cross referenced to stations and point maps, which made it easy for the contractor to put the stakes back due to that fact who ever did this left all the feathered nails.
What you can't see in the picture is they also took all the painted rocks form the project control points and tossed them down the same hill. All the CPs are still in perfect conditions, thankfully.
Must be kids, because this project rebuilds the dike that protects the little town from floods.
Only a few days left this year. I just hope they all get straitened out and the beginning of next year starts smooth.
That is never a good sign of things to come.
Time for the site manager to put on a night guard. Will be much cheaper than re-staking.
As for your sewer man, most of the contractors I've seen use a laser slope system to check out the surveyor's work.
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> all my slope stakes pulled and tossed down a near by hill.
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Unfortunately, slope stakes make awesome swords :'(
> Only to be topped off today by going to do some sewer asbuilts before they backfilled and find out the underground contractor on the job doesn't know how to read survey stakes. All the manhole inverts were set from 1.5' to 3.5' higher than staked. So bad that some of the lines had negative slopes.
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The sewer contractor was more than likely the lowest bid (low baller), they probably never did that type of work before. Sign of the times.
WHAT I DID IN NH
HAD A CENTERLINE STAKING JOB WHERE 2 DAYS IN A ROW A WISE KID WAITED TILL WE LEFT AND MOWED DOWN ALL THE STAKES--FOR THE THIRD TIME WE STOOD THEM UP AGAIN THATS WHERE I LEARND TO PANT THE BASES OF THE STAKES THEN I DON'T HAVE TO REGRADE THEM-ALSO ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON I PICKED 3 STAKES AND POUNDED IN 3 REBAR AT AN ANGLE BEHIND THE STAKES--WE DIDN'T RETURN TILL MONDAY WHEN WE DOD THERE WAS A 1957 CHEVY WITH A REBAR THRU HIS OIL PAN WEDGED IN HIS CRANK SHAFT AND OIL ALL OVER THE GROUND--NEEDLESS TO SAY WE CAUGHT THE KID AND SUED HIS FOLKS FOR 5000 DOLLARS--WE WON--TDD
