Grading with design in mind : landscape site grading principles / Bruce Sharky.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher.

A complete guide to site grading for designers and other visual learners Grading With Design in Mind: Landscape Site Grading Principles is a comprehensive guide to grading, written specifically from the design perspective. Heavily illustrated and non-technical, this book meets the needs of designers and visual learners by presenting the principles and methods of site grading with less emphasis on engineering, and a strong focus on the effect on the overall aesthetic. Written by a professor in America's number-one ranked undergraduate landscape architecture program, the book guides readers step-by-step through the process of solving various grading problems in real-life scenarios. Landscape designers, landscape architects, and engineers need to have a deep understanding of site grading as the foundation of any project. Grading plans must not only solve practical requirements, but also create landforms that contribute to the aesthetic ambition of the overall site and architectural design concept. Grading With Design in Mind takes a highly visual approach to presenting modern grading techniques and considerations, providing designers the guidance they need to become competent in site grading while understanding the design implications of the subject. Features include: -Numerous illustrations to support the text -Step-by-step examples -Professional grading plans Studying the professional grading plans helps readers better understand the real-world application of grading principles in different situations. Site grading is a complicated topic with plenty of on-site variables, but Grading with Design in Mind breaks it down into clear, concise instruction with value to both professionals and students in the field of landscape design.

Titlepage; Copyright; Dedication; Preface; Chapter 1: Some Background on the Subject of Site Grading; Site Grading Informs Design; Let's Begin; The Importance of Grading in Design; A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words; Gaining an Essential Grasp of Site-Grading Concepts; What the Student Needs to Know about Site Grading; Chapter 2: Site Grading and the Legal Requirements; What Is Site Grading?; Avoiding Grading Problems in the Landscape; Site Grading in the Professional Practice of Landscape Architecture; Professional Registration to Practice Landscape Architecture

Chapter 3: Site Planning and Grading ProcessThe Design Process; Steps in the Design Process Continuum; Preliminary Site Grading Plan; Design Development and Subsequent Phases in the Design Continuum; Chapter 4: Drawing Conventions; Drawing Conventions: Landscape Drawings and Music Scores; Drafting and Representation; The Concept of Documentation Conventions in Music and Design; Following Drawing Conventions Prevents Miscommunication; Construction Documentation; Another Word about Scale; Chapter 5: What Is Scale, Why Is It Important, and How Is It Used?; Scale: A Word of Several Meanings

The Need for Scaled DrawingsSite Grading Is Integral to the Phases of Design; Using and Choosing the Right Scale; Reference Plan and Match Lines; Architect's and Engineer's Scales; Topographic Maps Are Useful Preplanning Tools; Map Scales and Contour Intervals; Recognizing Landform Patterns; The Information Contained in Topographic Maps; U.S. Geological Survey and Scales of Other Countries; Chapter 6: Where Are You?; The Language of Maps; How to Find and Locate Places in the Landscape, or: Where Am I?; Maps Serve a Variety of Purposes; Coordinate Systems; Referencing System for a Land Parcel

Licensed Land SurveyorLocating a Building or Other Element on the Ground; Chapter 7: Contours; Contour Lines: A Language for Two Dimensions; What the Landscape Would Look Like with Contours; Contours Explained; Slope in Plan and Section; Chapter 8: Signature Landforms; Landform Signatures; Watershed Landform Signature; Putting It All Together; Chapter 9: Calculating Slope and Other Grading Calculations: Tools for Gaining Mastery in Grading; Introducing Calculation of Slope; A Few Slope Conventions; Slope Equation: Primary Tool for Most Calculations Required in Grading

Chapter 10: How to Calculate Spot ElevationsWhen Are Spot Elevations Needed?; Where Spot Elevations Are Necessary; Overview for the Grading Conditions Discussion; How Spot Elevations Are Used by Contractors; How to Calculate a Spot Elevation; The Steps for Establishing Spot Elevations on a Sloping Surface; Using the Riser Height of Steps to Calculate Spot Elevations; How a Contractor Uses Spot Elevations Shown on a Grading Plan; From Schematic Design Plan to Grading Plan; Chapter 11: Working with Contours: Creating Landforms with Design in Mind; Creating Landscapes Using Contours