Laser Grading a 2-Acre Parking Lot in Fairbanks: Start to Finish

The Project

A commercial developer in Fairbanks needed a 2-acre parking lot graded for a new retail center. The spec called for dual-slope drainage at 2% cross-slope and 1% longitudinal slope, draining to catch basins at the low corners. The contractor had a Case SV340B skid steer and wanted to know if laser grading could hit the spec without a survey crew on site full-time.

Setup and Calibration

We set up the LT-300 laser transmitter on a tripod at the center of the pad. The dual-slope capability let us dial in both the 2% cross-slope and the 1% longitudinal grade from the transmitter head. The SG-10 grading box mounted to the skid steer picked up the laser signal and automatically adjusted the blade to maintain grade.

Total setup time from trailer to first pass was about 45 minutes. That includes leveling the transmitter, verifying the grade settings with a hand level at the reference points, and calibrating the receiver on the grading box. Once the system was dialed in, the operator made the first pass and we checked grade with a survey rod. Dead on.

Results

The contractor graded the entire 2-acre pad in three days with one operator and one machine. A traditional approach with a dozer and a survey crew checking grade would have taken at least a week. The laser kept the blade on grade to within 1/8 inch across the entire surface.

The drainage worked exactly as designed. Water sheeted to the low corners at the correct slope. No ponding, no rework. The developer was able to start paving on schedule, which in Fairbanks means everything when you are racing the freeze.