Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks

On 17/03/2017 19:39, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks


Traditionally you'd use a dumpy level or similar. Very easy and
straightforward. Basically you establish an arbitrary datum point on
something fixed like a brick building. You bang sticks or rods into the
ground at strategic intervals and use the dumpy to transfer the datum
level to the sticks. Mark with white or yellow tape on the sticks. Then
move the dumpy down the site and check the levels marked are in
agreement, then swivel it round and establish further levels on more
sticks. And so on. Finally measure down from the datum levels to
establish ground level at that point. You need an accurate plan to mark
the poles and levels on. You might have to make an adjustment to the
datum level if the site slopes a lot. You just establish a new one a
fixed distance above or below the first one, then allow for the
difference when you transfer levels to the plan.

It's a good idea to work in a circle so you can do a double check
against the original datum.

Bill

On 17/03/17 19:39, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

hire a laser theodolite

set it up and use a stick to measure ground below horiz beam. easy peasy.


Thanks










--
€œSome people like to travel by train because it combines the slowness of
a car with the cramped public exposure of €¨an airplane.€�

Dennis Miller

On 17/03/17 19:39, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks

Option 1:

Hire a Leica TotalStation - weekend hire can be cheap as few
professionals want it then. I did this once - made me scared handling
and storing £7-8000 worth of uninsured kit!

Spend a week reading the downloadable instructions first!

Pros: Dead easy and quick to get an x,y,z survey.

Cons: Costs a bit and you'll need a week to read the instructions!


Option 2:

Good excuse to buy a super bright green laser level.

Set up near the end of the day and depending on how far the beam reaches
(green should be better than red) walk around with a depth stick rule
measuring ground to line. Estimating your x,y position is a little
harder - if you have a way to rough the area into a basic grid, work to
that.

I sized up a big slope in my garden like this.


Pros:

Good excuse to buy a fine green self levelling laser.

Cons:

Harder work and less accurate (well the x,y bit - z accuracy will be good).

On 17/03/2017 19:39, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just
over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few
years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access
track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard
area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network
Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast
through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight
incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and
old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are
still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development
now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but
being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure
some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

You could make a plane table fairly easily. I made one for someone once
using a tripod from a laser level (handy since it had the levels already
built in), and fixed a drawing board to it. Then made an alidade from an
old air pistol red dot "holographic" sight.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 17/03/17 20:09, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 17/03/17 19:39, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just
over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few
years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access
track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard
area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast
through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight
incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and
old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are
still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development
now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but
being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some
of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

hire a laser theodolite


Called a totalstation - just so this ties to my post

set it up and use a stick to measure ground below horiz beam. easy peasy.

On Fri, 17 Mar 2017 12:39:07 -0700 (PDT), Adam Aglionby
wrote:

Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks


You could download the LIDAR data for the area if you have a viewer
for it

http://environment.data.gov.uk/ds/su...ex.jsp#/survey

AJH

In article ,
Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over
2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few
years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access
track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard
area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast
through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline
down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old
concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now
involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able
to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites
current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Is there a college near by? If so why not offer access to the site for
their students learning surveying. My local college regularly uses the
local park for this because they don't have access to any other suitable
area.

Alan

--


Using an ARMX6

On Friday, 17 March 2017 19:39:09 UTC, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks

If you don't need precision and ordinary laser lever on a spirit level will do. (£5)?
Set it up by day and then use at night when the "dot" can be detected at ten times plus the quoted normal range.

Some goods yards had a designed gradient so that uncoupled wagons would roll about under gravity without needing a shunter loco.

On Friday, 17 March 2017 19:39:09 UTC, Adam Aglionby wrote:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks

The other way is to make up a water level using a long hose pipe.
This gives spot on accuracy over long distances.
Make sure there are no air bubbles in the hose.

Or you can buy one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metre-Water.../dp/B00DUX7SGS

Adam Aglionby Wrote in message:
Looking for a basic method of mapping out heights over an area just over 2 acres.

Ex railway goods yard that has been , er , left to nature for a few years, as it was originally cut into side of a hill have one access track down a loading bank and a yard at what was rail level and yard area that served the goods shed with access shared with Network Rail.

Track was lifted probably late 70`s no trace is visble of ballast through overgrowth.

What exists of original plans from 1868, shows a possible slight incline down towards the goods shed.

NR has used some of the intervening years to dump excess ballst and old concrete sleepers down one end, line and station adjacent are still live.

Not looking to create plans suitable for planning, it`s development now involves encouraging nature and restoring the goods shed, but being able to get some idea of heights in section would help cure some of the sites current drainage problems.

Any advice?

Thanks










I think I saw a rough and ready method on grand designs the other day!

Create a light wooden cross with the horizontal member 4-5 feet
off the ground.
Horizontal member 2'-6" wide.

Get a length of see through tube and make a 2' wide U shape
attaching each end to the horizontal member with 6" proud at each
side.

Fill the tube with water so that the level is 3" below each tube end.

Hold the wooden cross and sight across the two liquid levels to
the point to be checked. Have someone hold a staff at the remote
point. Use your mobile to tell the staff holder where to mark the
staff in an up a bit, down a bit fashion.

Measure the distance from the staff mark to the ground and compare
to your liquid level to the ground.
The bigger the U tube the more accurate should be the result.

Phil


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

After serious thinking TheChief wrote :
Measure the distance from the staff mark to the ground and compare
to your liquid level to the ground.
The bigger the U tube the more accurate should be the result.

When I first moved into this property, with its large back garden and
wondering what I might be able to do with it, I did an X, Y approximate
survey. A ten foot horizontal pole, with a table at each end. Sight
various points from each end of the pole, to find the angle to the pole
then list the points and angles.

From that I was able to manually transfer a scaled 10 foot baseline
onto a sheet of A3 and project those angle on the sheet, to recreate
the points on my sheet. I still have that drawing filed away and it
proved to be fairly accurate.

On Sun, 19 Mar 2017 21:14:37 +0000, TheChief wrote:

====snip====

I think I saw a rough and ready method on grand designs the other day!

Create a light wooden cross with the horizontal member 4-5 feet
off the ground.
Horizontal member 2'-6" wide.

Get a length of see through tube and make a 2' wide U shape
attaching each end to the horizontal member with 6" proud at each side.

Fill the tube with water so that the level is 3" below each tube end.

Hold the wooden cross and sight across the two liquid levels to
the point to be checked. Have someone hold a staff at the remote
point. Use your mobile to tell the staff holder where to mark the staff
in an up a bit, down a bit fashion.

Measure the distance from the staff mark to the ground and compare
to your liquid level to the ground.
The bigger the U tube the more accurate should be the result.


There's an even simpler variation on this method (assuming we're not
dealing with acre sized plots). Replace the U tube with 50 metres or
whatever length of garden hose is required, terminated with clear tube
(glass or plastic or short length of clear plastic hose) to act as sight
glassess (alternatively, use transparent plastic hose in place of
ordinary garden hose if you can get hold of the required length at an
economic price).

You can avoid fabricating a wooden cross and just use stakes
strategically placed very firmly into the ground and promote one of them
as your datum reference by which to mark the datum level onto the rest of
the stakes by simply dragging the free end of the hose from stake to
stake instructing your helper to adjust the height of the free end
against each post as you hold the 'fixed end' against the datum reference
post to align the meniscus of the water against the reference mark.

Once your helper has set the level at his end so that the meniscus lines
up with the reference, you can instruct him to mark the post against the
meniscus and it's job done to within a millimetre without introducing any
guesswork involved in using a tube as a 'gun sight' to extend the short
baseline of your water level out to each remote stake.

--
Johnny B Good