Corner monuments - what do you use?

5/8" Rebar 24" long

5/8"x30" rebar with plastic cap (required)

Here on the sand bar...

In Massachusetts, we were using the standard concrete bounds, 5" x 5" x 30" poured and provided by the local concrete plant. In 2006, the Land Court changed the designation of a permanent monument to be a minimum depth of 38" or below the average frost line.
At that time a concrete forms-man friend of mine was out of work. He produced a great number of 5" x 5" x 40" concrete monuments. We had him put a few brass disks in the top of some. The others just have drill holes.

State regs here require at least ferrous 1/2" diameter rods at least 18" long. I am licensed in TN, AR, and MS. I use caps on all monuments I set, even if the regs don't require it.

We use a 3/4"x30" long rebar with a 2-1/2" diameter aluminum cap stamped for the corner.

We also use 2" diameter by 30" long aluminum monuments with a 3-1/4" cap and a magnet under the cap. These are also stamped for the corner. We dig a 12" diameter hole, bend the tabs at the bottom of the monument out 90 degrees and bury it carefully. It makes a surprisingly stable monument.

I've always used 1/2x18 re-bar with caps, but it's a well known fact the larger and more expensive the monument the more credence. 😉

We're layed back in Oklahoma

We don't have a minimum size or diameter of 'monuments'...but they do have to be "metlick"...

a 16d nail actually fits the standards..o.O

245:15-13-2. "Minimum Standards"
p C-12

Where practical, monuments shall be constructed of material capable of being detected with the conventional instruments for finding ferrous or magnetic objects. All set monuments shall have affixed thereto a durable marker or cap bearing, at a minimum, the license number of the land surveyor in responsible charge, or the Certificate of Authorization number of the firm performing the survey.

> I wanted to check with you guys and see what you use for survey corner monuments.

Well, obviously it depends on the location. In the Central Business District, I prefer to set 2 in. brass discs stamped with name, professional i.d., pt. no., and any other info such as the offset that the monument is on, countersunk flush and grouted into the existing concrete sidewalk or other structure.

Horizontal control points are either stamped 2 in. brass or aluminum washers (same stamping as above) held in place by a 3/8 in. x 8 in. spike driven into a drill hole in a concrete curb, structure, or pavement, with a punchmark on the spike to indicate the station mark. Downtown, more is usually better.

In the country, a 2 in. Aluminum Cap (same stamping as above), the type with a plastic insert sold by Surv-Kap affixed to a 5/8 in. rebar. If the ground is rocky, the rebar will have to be driven into a 5/8 in. drill hole made with a hammer drill. Depending upon the type of rock, i.e. massive outcrop or loose material, the length will vary between 12 in. and about 18 in.

If the soil isn't rocky, I've set rebars as long as 7 ft., but usually for control points, not for boundary corners.

I've found that in some clay soils even long rebar markers perform better over time if they are slightly countersunk and a concrete collar is poured around them.

Right now, I prefer to carry the rebar from the lumber yard in 6'-8" lengths and just cut them to length on the job with a hack saw. That way, there is always the right length for the subsurface condition available. One qualification is that the soil where I work is almost always calcareous, meaning alkaline, and not highly corrosive.

Nebraska: 1/2"x24" minimum. Cap required.

5/8” x24” rebar, pointed on one end and beveled on the other. There is a machine kind of like a pencil sharpener that does it and a guy that supplies them in 10 stick bundles. At least a 2” aluminum cap/brass cap on top of the beveled end so that it will seal correctly to the rebar.

That is a minimum size for me except when a 1-1/2” aluminum or brass cap on a stem is drilled and grouted into a concrete slab. The HILTI works great for that.

Each cap has to be identified (section corner, lot#, PC, PT, owner name, something to tell what it is) and your number is to be stenciled onto it. So just by those requirements a plastic cap isn’t allowed (they aren't allowed anyway, anymore).

For section corners at least a 30” x 7/8” power grip rod with a 3” brass or aluminum cap.

Sometimes when they are best buried I will set a 3" cap on a rebar and dig them 18" deep.

I really like the monuments that Crist sets in Belgium. Looking into getting some of them.

The better the monument, the less confusion for the landowner. My suggestion is if you are in an area that everyone sets blank 1/2" rebar or those little washer type things, get some nice really visible monuments and stand out a bit to the landowners. They will like it and it doesn't cost all that much more. Stamping what you are doing on the cap with lines, lot#'s and such also helps identify what your cap is.

We're layed back in Oklahoma

It sounds like Oklahoma at least trusts the judgement of its professions. I wish we had that luxury here; not the ability to set substandard mon's, but the trust of being able to make a professional decision. Heck, apparently here in Idaho, we now need the definition of "obliterated" set by state statute.

We're layed back in Oklahoma

Well, it's not all peaches and cream, though. There seems to be an opinion of the Board of Licensure that a "cut x" in concrete or stone doesn't meet the Minimum Standards. By the letter, it doesn't.

Some of us keep cordless drills and a plethora of inserts or moly-bolts and such to try and cram some sort of junk in the hole with which we can afix a tagged washer. They never seem to stay and a good majority of them aren't ferrous enough to make a pin finder sing (much).

As I told a life long friend that sits on the Board at lunch the other day, "I seem to be 'finding' a whole lot more "cut x's"...;-)

We're layed back in Oklahoma

Brian,
You hit on a "pet peeve" of mine. I get torn on exactly how much state statutes or board rules should dictate judgemental details. Off topic, but maybe I'll start another thread.

1/2" steel rods, 20 to 30" for corners. 1/2" steel rods 5' long for line and corner markers painted silver on the end.

Texas rules state, "The surveyor shall set or leave as found, substantial monumentation with which to retrace the tract with". Some municipalities have other rules on types of monuments.

Survey Corners

We use 1/2" galvanized steel pipe, 30" long and capped with company name and PLS number. We use galvanized pipe cuz that's what Poppa and Grand-pops used.

In town(s)/city I try to set 1/2" x 24"± galvanized iron pipe. Of course, there is always the outlier. I have set RR Spike, Mag Nails, Timber Spikes, 1/2" rebar, 5/8" rebar also. Depends on what the situation will allow.

Out in the county (rural), I try to set 3/4" x 24"± galvanized iron pipe. Seems to make a more stable monument and a little easier to find than the 1/2". I also keep a few of longer lengths (up to 36") just in case I need it. I have also set the assorted items listed above, depending on the situation. I always try to go at least one step up from the bare minimum requirement, without going crazy either.

No caps required here. I also set 1/2" x 24"~30" PVC pipe (now called a "McMillan") for witnesses. They don't rot like our pine and poplar stakes do. I also occasionally set those green 4' channel posts for gardens as witnesses also... again, depends on the situation.

Carl

I use pink marking paint and just paint a big "X" on the ground. Saves time and money!

3/4" X 30" black iron pipe, sometime will use 1" by 30". I have found black iron last longer than glav. pipe.

> 3/4" X 30" black iron pipe, sometime will use 1" by 30". I have found black iron last longer than glav. pipe.

Really? Must be the soil conditions then. I have a plumber friend that told me that black iron (gas pipe) will only last about 60% as long as galvanized in our soil. Said it's cheaper because it doesn't have the same chemical processes done to it either. I'd use it if I could because of the lower cost, but I'd rather have monuments that last a few decades too.

Carl