Staking a fill slope
after reading that I am glad we changed to the metric system up here.
I'm not sure what you mean by changing to the metric system but looking at your avatar picture, I hope you check grade differently than you dig a ditch. I think that guy was trying to re-live his ride on the ferris wheel at the county fair the night before. I had to look back at the question that started this thread. How you stake a fill depends on what you are making. A slope or staking for a flat pad.
If you are staking for a slope, you have a ratio that survey should put on the offset stake or control stake for the slope. It will give you a reference to TOE of slope. You make a "catch point" for the toe and build the slope at the ratio (2:1 is very common) to the top of slope setting fill stakes as you go.
An example would be out 8 and up 4. Set a stake up the hill approximately 8 foot, take your tape and pull back to your bottom stake. Remember to hold your tape level out or it will affect the measurement. Drop your plumb bob to line up with your bottom stake and take the measurement from your tape. Say it is 7.5'. You go back to the top stake and move it out 5 tenths so that you are 8 foot. Put a mark near the bottom of the stake to shoot with your hand level. Go to the bottom stake, put your hand level on the ribbon and shoot the elevation on the upper stake. Say you shot 3.7'. Measure up 3 tenths and make your mark. That will give you out 8 and up 4; a 2:1 ratio. If you shot off a white ribbon (1 foot above grade), tie your white ribbon and you have successfully brought up your first slope stake.
A better way is to shoot the angle using a clinometer and calculate the distance. There is a book on that in the "equipment for sale" section but it is probably best to learn doing it the old fashioned way.
And if this does not relate to your question, disregard all of the above.
