Elevation Grade

Builder's level for setting grade

How to Calculate Elevation Grade

How to Set Grade Stakes

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What is Elevation Grade?

Grade of an object’s physical feature, a landform or a line (plane)

is used to indicate the slope of the thing being measured.
Applications of grade include physical features like hills, river
banks and canyons and construction aspects such as roads, roof
pitch and landscaping. In other words, how to find elevation grade
is an important skill in many areas.

Grade is also commonly called incline or rise. Depending on the

method used to finding elevation grade, it can expressed in
different ways like decimal, percentage and degree.
How to Calculate Elevation Grade

Before you figure out elevation grade, elevations must be taken

from the starting and ending points for comparison, as well as the
starting and ending distances. Keep in mind the distance traveled
is not the same as the “run” (covered in the next section).
'Distance traveled' is the distance traversed between the starting
and ending points, not necessarily the 'run' distance.

Also be sure all your units are the same throughout.

As a Decimal

An easy-to-remember equation for finding change in elevation as

a decimal is “rise over run,” meaning the rise (the change in
vertical distance) divided by the run (the change in horizontal
distance). As an example, let’s say the rise is 2 and the run is 6. So,
you’d take 2 over 6 (or 2/6) to get .33 – that’s your grade as a
decimal.

right triangle labeled for elevation/how to use a transit for

elevation
As a Percentage

The process for measuring elevation as a percentage is the same

as finding elevation change as a decimal, with one extra step. So,
find the rise over run. In our example, it’s 2 over 6 (2/6) – this is
.33. Then simply multiply the decimal by 100 to find the
percentage. In this case, 33%. A positive percentage indicates an
upward slope. A positive number indicates an upward slope, and
vice versa.

In Degrees

In trigonometric terms, grade is the tangent of the angle of a

surface being measured to the horizontal. The larger the number,
the greater the grade (or ‘tilt’). In this case, grade is expressed in
degrees. For example, the elevation grade of a street could be
6.2°, meaning the street tilts upward 6.2° from horizontal (the
horizon). In other words, you’re traveling uphill.

When calculating elevation slope in degrees, it’s helpful to think

of the problem as a right triangle. Using basic trigonometry, you
can find grade in degrees quickly. The diagram below shows the
three basic aspects you’ll need to find grade.
Simply take “rise over run” and use arctangent (tan-1) to find
theta (θ) – that’s your grade in degrees. Returning to our example,
the rise is 2 and the run is 6. So, you’d take 2 over 6 (or 2/6) to get
.33. Take the arctangent of .33, which is 18.26. Therefore, your
grade is 18.26°. A positive number indicates an upward slope, and
vice versa.

right triangle for trigonometry used to figure elevation

Practical Application of Calculating and Finding Elevation Grade

The rise over run equation can be applied to set simple grading
for patios, walkways or driveways. Every project is different and
there is no single way to set grade stakes for each and every job
site.

Here is a walkthrough for grading of a simple slope in one

direction using grade stakes. You may mark either stake as "cut"
or "fill" depending on the landscape. In this example, we'll be
describing a scenario in which you will be cutting grade.

How to Set Grade Stakes

Orange grade stakes

 Pound grade stakes into the ground on each end of the area
you need sloped. The stake at the top of the slope is called the
hinge. The stake at the bottom of the slope is called the toe.

Determine the desired grade—typically 1-2% (1/8" per foot to

1/4" per foot) is enough to provide enough runoff.

Tie a string at a fixed height on the hinge.

Run the string across the site and tie it on the toe tautly at the
same fixed height on the stake.

Place a line level on the taut string. Move the string from the
toe end to make the string level.

Mark where the level string ties to the stake. Let's say for this
example you moved the string up 0.5" (meaning the current drop
is 0.5").

Assume the length between the stakes is 6 feet and you want a
2% grade. 1/4" x 6 = 1.5 inches. This means you want to toe to be
1.5 inches below the hinge.

The difference between the desired grade (1.5") and the

current grade (0.5") is how much you must cut from the toe stake.

In this case, you must dig down 1" from the bottom of the
current grade to reach the desired 2% grade.

Shop for stake flags, available in orange and red, from Johnson
Level and Tool.
Hello,

Pipe diameter will have no influence in the outcome since the

invert is the "inside surface of the bottom of the pipe".

1:100 across 20m gives 0.2m fall from one manhole to the next.
Thus relative to the original manhole the next one will be 200mm
lower.

However, you will need to adjust for the soil surface "slope" or
contour condition unless you can survey back to the same datum.

By the way, check the calculations. It may be different if the 20m

is from (centre to centre) or (edge to edge) and where in the
manholes the invert levels were taken.