OK I have to tell this true story. A contractors surveyor/acquaintance of mine gets a call from the lead inspector of a state (to remain anonymous) road job. More specifically, some curb/gutter layout he performed. The inspector claims that all the curb/gutter has to come out because it is out of the 1/4" tolerance. Surveyor drives out to the site to find rookie inspectors using....drum roll please...you guessed it, a good ole George Washington 25 cent quarter and level to measure grades. Seems that the lead inspector told the lower inspectors "go measure that curb/gutter and make sure it's within a quarter! Needless to say, surveyor gave them a piece of his mind then left.
Gave him 2 bits of his mind 😀
I can't even picture what a guy would do with a quarter and level to "check" curbing. Whatever he was doing, I'm sure it was innovative and creative.
I'm trying to figure it out in mind as well and I'm just not coming up with anything that makes sense. Did he think that the curb was only supposed to be the height of a quarter? Inquiring minds want to know.
A Quarter "Is" Used To Check Asphalt Depressions
After new asphalt is installed it is wet down. If there are depressions with water you place a quarter flat in it. If the watercovers the top it is out of specs and needs reworking.
For curb the quarter refers to dimension, either within a quarter inch (0.02') of desin elevation or within a quarter % of design slope.
More info required.
Paul in PA
A Quarter "Is" Used To Check Asphalt Depressions
Stand the quarter on edge. Good enough here.
The State of Mississippi rejected some r.o.w. monuments (3' #6 rebar with brass cap) because they were out 0.1' or less. They were checking them with RTK GPS. At one station, there was a monument on each side of the r.o.w. and they were supposed to be 160' apart. They told us that each one of them had to go out 0.08'. We sat the instrument up on one and shot exactly 160.00 feet to the other one. For some reason the state guys didn't want to talk about that any more.
A quarter is 0.955" diameter, so a 4 foot level and a quarter is a good check to see if a grade is less than 2%. The inspectors might not have been as stupid as they looked.
the problem with that is
1 make sure that level is in adjustment.
2 it wont necessarily tell you HOW far out the slope is. It may not be exactly 2%, but it may still be in spec.
= get a smart level for that...
btw- saw an announcement the other day that this is the 25th anniversary of the ADA act.
I've watched contractors build great quality stuff for years using sticks, rocks and plumb bobs.
Sometimes what we think, what we say, what others hear and what they think we meant can be four entirely different things.
Teach that Inspector how to use a set of swedes, make a friend.