notes: topographic grading exercises

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Notes: Topographic Grading Exercises

• First Four Slides show how the exercise is presented to the students. On the left hand side they are presented with the four exercises they must solve.

• The students are provided with printed worksheets that match the exercises in this PowerPoint

• As the class works through each of the exercises the solution for each is revealed before proceeding to the next. There are four exercises per sheet.

• The goal of these exercises is to teach and not to test.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Show the direction that water flows

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

W-1 to W-5

• Steps to follow:

• First mark an H for High and an L for Low at each high and low point. It may also help to label the “Ridges” and the “Swales”.

• Next draw lines at 90 degrees to the contours to indicate the flow of water.

• Now add arrowheads to these lines to indicate which direction the water flows.

• Check your work by yourself or with a friend.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Show the direction that water flows

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

W-1

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Show the direction that water flows

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

W-2

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Show the direction that water flows

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

W-3

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Show the direction that water flows

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

W-4

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Show the direction that water flows

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

W-5

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Redirect the water using only cut

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

R-1 to R-3

• This second set of exercises asks students to do the following:

Read the existing topography and diagram the existing flow of water

To determine the desired or “new” flow of water

To modify the topography using the “cut” technique only to redirect the flow of water.

• Each additional set of problems increases the level of difficulty to build upon the lessons of the previous.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Redirect the water using only cut

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

R-1

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Redirect the water using only fill

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

R-2

• This third set of exercises follows the same steps

as the previous exercises except that students are

asked to modify the topography using the “fill”

technique only

to redirect the flow of water.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Redirect the water using only fill

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

R-2

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Redirect the water using both cut & fill

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

R-3

• This fourth set of exercises follows the same steps

as the previous exercises except that students are

asked to modify the topography using a

combination of the “cut” and “fill” techniques to

redirect the flow of water.

This is the balanced approach.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Redirect the water using both cut & fill

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

R-3

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Re-grade for the road as directed

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

RD-1

• This fifth exercise asks students to modify the contours as

needed to accommodate a road. They should look to

solve the problem as follows:

• Using Cut only

• Using Fill only

• Simple balanced approach using both Cut and Fill

• Advanced balanced approach that includes both Cut

and Fill and the use of drainage swales on both edges

of the road.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Re-grade for the road as directed

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

RD-1

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Re-grade for the building as directed

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

G-1

• The sixth & seventh exercises ask students to modify the contours

as needed to accommodate a single house. They should look to

solve the problem as follows:

• Understand the existing flow of water.

• Determine the desired flow of water

• Check the finish floor of the house and first move the contour just

below to wrap around the house

• Modify contours both above and below to complete

• This problem should be solved using a balanced approach

of both Cut and Fill.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Re-grade for the building as directed

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

G-1

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Re-grade for the building as directed

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

G-2

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography Re-grade for the building as directed

TOPOGRAPHY EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

G-1

• The eight exercises ask students to modify the contours as needed

to accommodate two house. It combines the previous two

problems. They should look to solve the problem as follows:

• Understand the existing flow of water.

• Determine the desired flow of water

• Check the finish floor of each of the houses and first move the

contours just below each to wrap around the house

• Modify contours both above and below to complete

• This problem should be solved using a balanced approach

of both Cut and Fill.

April 21, 2012 Site Planning & Environmental Studies

Topography TOPOGRAPHY

EXERCISES

HOW DOES THE WATER FLOW?

. .

REDIRECT THE WATER. . .

GRADE A ROAD. .

GRADE AROUND A HOUSE

. . .

INTERPOLATION. .

G-3 Re-grade for the building as directed