Where should benchmarks be located on a grading site?

• A. Permanent location
• B. Portable location
• C. In the project office
• D. At the nearest street corner

Answer: (A)

Benchmarks serve as fixed reference points for elevations and alignments, so they must be set in a permanent, stable location on the site. A permanent monument stays in place throughout construction and after, allowing future surveys to check grades and establish elevations against the same reference. If a benchmark is portable, it can be moved or disturbed by grading, equipment, or landscaping, making it unreliable for consistent measurements. The project office is an administrative location, not a physical field reference, and a benchmark placed at a street corner is outside the grading area and may be removed or altered by municipal work, so it wouldn’t reliably serve as an on-site reference. Placing the benchmark in a long-lasting, fixed spot within the project—and protecting it from disturbance—provides a stable basis for all leveling and staking activities.