Expert: Robert Cummings, P.E. - 12/16/2008

Question
i have been searching the net for any online grade checking exercises to practice setting slopes and roadbed grades. i am an equipment operator and grade checking apprentice and need all the practice and knowledge i can get.do you know of any websites i can use for this. thank you

Answer
Good on you for committing to learn this.  I have worked with a lot of equipment operators who don't have a clue how the stakes are set and this can really slow down the job when changes need to occur.  Where the hell is the grade checker?  Never around when you need one....


As for websites that may offer tutorials, I don't know of any that are exactly what you are asking.  You can try the following:

http://www.wsopen.org/coursesgrd.htm

http://roadwaystandards.dot.wi.gov/standards/cmm/762.pdf

http://www.trimble.com/scs900_scrnsvreq.asp (contacting Trimble about this might not hurt)

You can read some good fundamental background in the Highway Engineers' Handbook:  
http://books.google.com/books?id=f0Y7AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA308&lpg=PA308&dq=highway+grad...

The FHWA procedure:  http://www.cflhd.gov/cadd/misc/3PCSSBTrace.cfm