Basic Surveying for Landfills

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Basic Surveying for Landfills
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Surveying at Landfills

• If you dont know where youre going any road
  will take you there

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Back to the Future

• Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians used
  surveying.
• Today, were still surveying, and were still
  building pyramids ...with garbage!!

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Why Survey?

• We survey to transfer information from the office
  into the field orfrom the field into the office.
• To maintain grade
• To measure compaction
• To install wells, roads, ditches, etc
• To create topographic maps

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Surveying at Landfills

• Surveying at landfills can take many forms
• On the high end, it can require a survey crew
  using a total station or in some cases, even GPS
  technology.

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Survey Crew

• Survey crews use a variety of instruments to
  accurately locate points in the field
• Survey crews are costly learn ways to reduce
  your dependence on them

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If Think T-Bone Steaks are Expensive

• Wait until you see these
• Stakes arent targets! ...They are expensive to
  replace

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Surveying at Landfills

• Survey crews are used where accuracy is vital.
• This means drainage ditches, main roads, final
  grade, liners and leachate collection systems

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Global Positioning System

• GPS offers accuracy without having to tie into
  pre-existing points. This is a great benefit for
  rural locations like landfills

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Compass

• A compass can provide basic surveying
  capabilities.
• This compass can also be used as a hand level

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Hand Level

• A hand level is a versatile tool. Every operator
  should have access to and know how to use a hand
  level.

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Abney Level

• An Abney level is one step up from a hand level.
• Its adjustable for slope.
• If you could have only one surveying tool this
  is the one to have!

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Checking Your Hand Level

• Hand levels are great tools. But they can can
  get out of adjustment. Heres how to check and
  re-adjust your hand level
• Shoot from 1 to 2

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Checking (cont.)

• Then shoot back from 2 to 1.
• If you dont end up in the same place, your hand
  level is out of adjustment.

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Checking (cont.)

• True level is in the middle.
• Remove the front lense and turn the adjusting
  screw until your hand level sights the middle of
  1 to 2 (as shown here)

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What is a Boot?

• No, you dont where it on your foot
• A boot is typically a vertical offset that allows
  you to keep yourself off the ground while
  youre surveying.
• A 3-foot boot is most common.

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Using Boots

• Heres an example of how and where you might use
  a boot

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Using an Equipment Boot

• Ive often used an Equipment Boot to check
  grade from a machine.
• Its the most efficient (..er lazy-mans) way
  for an operator to check grade.

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Be Independent

• Because of the cost and delay associated with
  survey crews, its a good idea for landfills to
  become as independent as possible in regard to
  surveying.

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Set Benchmarks

• One way is to set a series of benchmarks across
  the landfill in locations that are visible and
  useful
• This would include elevation...

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Set Benchmarks

• and horizontal coordinates
• Be sure to set them where theyll last AND where
  you can see them from the active portion of the
  landfill

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Surveying Thinking Ahead

• When checking grade and setting stakes, think
  ahead
• Keep in mind how you can save time and effort
• Plane surfaces can be simple

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Measuring Distances

• The basic ways to measure distance include
• Tape measure
• Measuring Wheel

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Stadia Lines

• Stadia lines can also be used to measure
  distance. Transits and other surveying
  instruments (including hand levels) have stadia
  lines.
• Heres how they work

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Range Finders

• Range finders can also provide a quick (safe)
  means of measuring distance
• For example
• To measure the open area of the active cell, a
  range finder keeps you out of the garbage. And
  its good on windy days!

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Open Forum / Discussion

• What do you think about what weve been
  discussing?
• Can you apply this to your Landfill?
• What other questions do you have?
• Lets try it