Monument wells

[Gromatici]

Could somebody tell me where to order Survey Monument Wells? Also: Do you put these in yourself or do you hire a contractor?

Thanks,

[goodgps]

"Grom"

you should be able to find a local contractor supply dealer who carries the christy G5 box with lids marked "survey" or "monument"

They usually run about $50 - $ 75 bucks a unit (box and lid)

If you are installing them yourself, bring a jackhammer, flat shovel, round shovel, posthole diggers, couple of 2x4's 3 feet long, a water container, 60# sack of all purpose concrete mix, Cones to leave out for a while.

Look at your PA's standard monument detail. You may have to add quikpatch asphalt or some finishing cement (possibly with black coloring)

You may also need some sections of 6-8" PVC pipe if specs call for it.

We prefer to have a contractor put them in using swing ties that we've set. We place the actual monument and tag, however.

If you've got one or two, its worth the experience. if youve got a bunch, opt for the contractor.

Hope this helps

"Good"

[bruce hall]

brass caps set in the well, and/or if you plan on stamping the "point" and any markings after the brass cap is set in the well, and the brass cap is more than a few inches below the surface of the street, you will need a long shafted punch and stamp set. Try punching or stamping that puppy when it is down a foot, and there is only so much room to work in.

Been there, done that, didn't like it.

[Jim Frame]

I've set around 60 brass caps set in wells over the last few years in the course of several monument preservation projects. I used a contractor for the actual installation of the monuments and wells using ties like Good said. They furnished all labor and materials for the installs, and stamped my number in the caps prior to installation. All I needed to do to finish the job was mark the point with a long center punch.

[PLS7393]

Check with your local supply house for sewer pipes and such. There is one in Redwood City that I have purchased the christy box, type G5, from.

[Gromatici]

Thanks for the info. I'll try to hunt them down. Santa Barbara doesn't have a lot of well monuments, so I may not find them locally. I like using a cordless drill and bit to "punch" the monuments. Works like a charm.

Grom....... I surf and I know what that means. Gromatici - Latin for Land Surveyor.

[goodgps]

Hang ten brother. . .

iligitimi non corborundum !

[scarpa]

Noli nothis permittere te terere!

[subman]

I started doing research to restore some of my property corners that the City generously ripped out when they made sidewalk repairs in front of my house a couple years back. The surveyor who set the monumentation for the tract back in 1970s must have had a plumber for a brother. Most all the 1 1/2" IP centerline monuments are concealed beneath a plumbing clean out fixture. See the first photo below for the removable threaded slotted plug. The last guy who tried to remove this plug to get to the pipe tore the #$%* out of it. I didn't have much choice except to finish the job for the guy. The plug had Pasco stamped on it. A quick Google search led me to my local plumbing supply where I found replacement plugs ($7.99 each) and the "big red jack". As you can see from the picture, no further explanation is necessary. The multi-tool cost $17. With all of these monument wells in my tract, I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it. If you ever come across some of these, hopefully you will remember my "big red jack" tale...

Actually, with the right tools, I suspect it is a lot easier than trying to buzz for the pipe and bust out some asphalt.

By the way, I have finally got my Topcon gun and other equipment ready to start doing some field work. If I am not careful, I may have a hard time going back to my office job. I have appreciated learning from all of you in this forum this past year after getting my license. Thanks for the continuing education...

P.S. I am contemplating taking the City to Small Claims Court for the cost of the survey since I feel those corner monuments belonged to me and the City destroyed them. The PLS Act is very clear on this subject with respect to the City's duties. No different than if they tore my fence out and walked away from the job site. I would appreciate feedback on this from your past experience.

[Jim Frame]

"I am contemplating taking the City to Small Claims Court"

There are rules that apply to public agencies that don't apply to private parties. If your property has been damaged by a public agency, you have 6 months to file a claim with the agency. If they deny the claim, then you have 6 months to take them to small claims court.

See http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/sm ... #sueagency for details.

.

[Gromatici]

I like the monument wells from alhambra. Try and bust that up with a sledge!!!!

[E_Page]

A BPELS complaint may prompt them to replace the monuments.

[Peter Ehlert]

"Small Claims Court for the cost of the survey"... well, you know the value of your work. ;-]

6 months to file a claim... make your claim ASAP. time is ticking, I assume that you just discovered that the mons were gone and that the 6 months starts upon discovery.

Start with a claim, and a little public attention. I needs to happen.

[Jim Frame]

I can't recommend the Berntsen products for roadway use. Their CO Survey Box, with which I have no personal experience, is expensive ($83 in small quantities) and has a locking lid. While the latter might be desirable in clean conditions, in typical road situations every kind of locking lid I've seen turns into a nightmare. Threads and other mechanisms load up with fine sand and render the box unopenable by nondestructive means. Also, a special tool is required to open the box.

The BMAC1 and BMAC6, both of which I've installed in quantity, aren't really suitable for use in traffic conditions. Both are pricey ($50+). The BMAC1 has a protruding hinge, and the BMAC6 uses a screw fastener. The BMAC6 screw can be left out (and usually is after the first time the box is opened), but then you're left with a lid prone to popping out when driven over.

In my opinion a standard cast-iron water valve box is still the best deal going for utility and cost when road monuments are involved. I did have one that was positioned in a lane carrying a lot of heavy truck traffic that I just couldn't keep the lid on -- the truck tires would flip the lid every few days. I reluctantly resorted to a lid with screws on that one.

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[Gromatici]

$83 is cheap in my book. The alhambra ones are more expensive than that. They are much shallower than the water valve types, so there is less digging. The savings is in the time. However, I don't have a lot of experience installing monument wells, so I might change my mind later.

Thanks everybody.

[PLS7393]

Another question pertaining your monument wells is the location?
Are these new locations in the traveled way in asphalt, or in a dirt location?
The aluminum wells seen catelogs are not strong enough to sustain the weight of vehicles to my knowledge, and will not last in asphalt.