California Surveyors Forums

As we all may have used in the past (or present) when a monument is not punched, and we find all four (4) 2' straddlers which were set to construct the monument, are the nails suppose to be documented?

A certain city has been perpetuating all of their monuments with a pre-construction corner record by setting nail & tags (four) on concrete curbs/sidewalk. Then when they rebuild the new monument they are removing the old "Original" monument with a new brass disc. In some cases, my retracement comes across the disc not punched, but I find 2' straddlers. Yes the obvious (for me) contact the City for notes and such, etc. Perform my work and document "used found 2' straddlers". Some may actually set a punch at the intersection of the straddlers, but some would say it isn't their project or responsibility to do so. I could simply walk away, but then there is the issue of the 2' straddlers set, and not shown on the Post Construction Corner Record.

We all know the process to set monuments in a new subdivision, and standard practice is to set 2' straddlers, but they could become evidence for a retracement, or boundary survey if the discs never get set.

Should the 2' straddlers (nail/tack) be shown/noted, and referenced as set points on a subdivision map, or a corner record satisfying Section 8771 of the PLS Act?

I personally think they should be documented since they will last until the next pavement overlay, and recently found 4 straddlers -0.1' previously chiseled out below the existing AC to create the intersection on the un-punched monument in City of Mountain View.

Hopefully Ric Moore has some value input here, hint hint.
Ready, set, . . . GO ! ! ! (popcorn in hand)

Keith,

If the monument have not been punched - the job is NOT COMPLETE!!!

When the straddlers are gone - so are the monument(s). Straddlers "construction stakes"! So what if they are on the Corner Record. They are not as permanent as the monument!

Who the hell gets paid to set a monument and not finish the job?!

Crazy Phil rantin' and ravin'

hellsangle wrote: Thu Sep 21, 2023 8:58 pm
If the monument have not been punched - the job is NOT COMPLETE!!!

Phil,
Your methodology makes sense to some, but would you believe a city separates out into different contracts, the pre-constuction monument ties, and the resetting of a new monument? Yes this takes them many years to finish. The latest one they did was at my request when asked when they plan to punch the monument as the new asphalt was showing some where, lol.

I have bigger issues with a city destroying an "Original Monument", and resetting a disc with a specific punch mark from the center of found pipe.
This does allow the surveyor to massage their survey (least squares adj) to make the 3 or 4 found open iron pipes fit.

Facts as shown on recently filed CR on Sept. 19, 2023 (Post Construction with no Pre Construction EC)
1) April 28, 2021 Found
2) Oct 07, 2021 x-Ties
3) Sept. 14, 2023 Punched

PS, your craziness is rubbing off on meeeeeeeee! More Kool Aid please!!!

1) April 28, 2021 Found
2) Oct 07, 2021 x-Ties
3) Sept. 14, 2023 Punched

Then it seems "morally" correct to pay 'em when they're punched! I assume the "tax-payer" paid for this incomplete work?

I don't think the straddlers need to be shown on the subdivision map. As Phil noted, they're just construction stakes. They have the same sort of evidence pedigree as original concrete street improvements, just a little more precise.

What I do when I find an unpunched cap and straddlers is restore the straddled point, punch the cap, and note the monument as found on my CR or ROS. (I also silently curse the subdividing surveyor who didn't finish the job and made extra work for me.)