Got called out for my sloppy grid system at a dig site

I was working a site in Tucson last summer, setting up my usual 2x2 meter squares with string and nails. My crew chief walked over and just said, 'Your grid looks like a drunk spiderweb, Kelly.' He pointed out that my baseline wasn't actually straight to the site datum point, and my corners were off by almost 15 centimeters in some spots. I was rushing to get digging, but he made me re-set the whole thing. Now I spend an extra 30 minutes with a transit level and double-check every measurement before I even think about putting a trowel in the dirt. It feels slow, but my unit maps are way cleaner and everything ties together perfectly. Has anyone else had a basic field method they thought they knew get totally picked apart?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_fisher376d ago

Honestly, that brutal feedback is the best kind. Makes you better at the job.

matthew_dixon5d ago

Wait, @david_fisher37, you actually like that? I mean, getting torn apart just sounds awful to me. Maybe it's just me but that would wreck my whole week.