Expert: Lee Kilcup - 3/19/2008

Question
Hello I happen to work in the road construction field and i have been pursuing a in  higher demanding job and now I have recieved it .I now do overhead signs for all major expressways all structural.I have already set ten rather large foundations for uprights and every time I have,someone else has shot the grade for me. Now I have to shoot my own grade my company just bought me a laser level all I need to know is how to read the grade rod I have a really rough idea but as you alredy know I need to be precise thanks.

Answer
I would advise you to contact the local carpenters union or surveyors association or local technical school to learn more about surveying in general. You probably will need eventually to shoot line as well as grade. Line is the horizontal location and grade generally is the vertical location.
To operate most of these laser level the way that I have seen is that you set them up and get them going, they self level and then you use a reader sitting on a known elevation (datum) to establish the laser levels vertical distance from the known elevation. There are rods that can be set to the known elevation and then using the laser set new elevations at the desired height.
Most of my surveying work was done with a level and a theodolite for line and grade. Now they have total station instruments that allow you to input information and get solutions that way.
Good luck with your career, construction is a great way to make a living and enjoy it :)