Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
preLiminary Site GradinG pLan
A preliminary site grading plan is one of several drawings that is pre-
pared as part of the schematic design phase of a professional service
contract. Useful scales at which to draw a preliminary grading plan are
20 to 40 scale for sites less than five acres and 50 or even 100 scale for
larger tracts of land, such as a regional park, residential subdivision,
shopping complex, or business campus. Conceptual site grading plans
should contain the following information:
1.
Location of all proposed buildings and the first-floor elevation
2.
The existing and proposed contours at a contour interval of two feet or less
3.
The proposed elevations of the levels of land above and below retaining
walls, as well as top wall elevations
4.
The location of proposed vehicular facilities, including roads, drives, or park-
ing areas, showing sheet flow and direction of parking areas, and location of
drainage structures such as catch basins
5.
The location of pedestrian and nonmotorized vehicle walks, trails, and ramps;
location of steps, indicating number and riser height with spot elevations at
top and bottom of each group of steps; spot elevations and top and bottom
of walkways and ramps with percent of slope indication and cross slope
6.
Grading limits and setbacks, including setbacks for stream, wetlands, wood-
lots, limits from property, and grading limits to protect existing trees, exist-
ing structures, or other features
7.
Preliminary cut and fill quantity estimate
Just as a designer will advance the development of an initial design
concept, the grading designer will also prepare a contour study model to
help visualize and evaluate a preliminary grading design, as shown Fig-
ures 3.19-A and 3.19-B. A preliminary grading plan is first prepared after
one or more exploratory grading plans are developed, as the designer
works through the process of arriving at a grading solution. The contour
model may be used as part of a presentation of the schematic design to
the client. More importantly, the study model should help the designer
assess the grading solution, primarily by evaluating its aesthetic merits.
