We are using DD to monitor or feed piles for our dairy cattle. The feed pad is cement, one area of it is flat and the highest point but a majority of the pad has a grade to it for water runoff. The 2018 corn silage pile is 1.5 acres in size and on the grade/slope. When I took off with the drone to measure the size and volume of all the feed piles I took off from the flat area. The question I have does DD calculate the volume of feed that slopes away from where I took off? So if I drew a straight line from the flat area that I took off from, the feed that is below that line on the grade/slope, is it included in the over volume of the pile?
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If you used the triangulated option it should be. Do not use lowest point. Outline the pile area with enough points to capture the transition from flat to sloped.
Read this and check out the pictures showing the 3 options: Linear fit, Lowest point and Triangulated.
What’s the percentage of slope on the pad? 1 or 2%? Peaked or sheet slope?
Triangulated is the one I figured would be the best to use based on the definition. Thanks
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2% slope, what do you mean by peaked or sheet slope?
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upper left hand picture would describe the type of slope
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I use the linear (old best-fit) base plane on constant slopes, but honestly you won’t see much difference in volume. Linear averages from the perimeter. The problem that triangulation can have is that if there is an irregularity of the surface it just cuts across regardless. It does not create a true flat plane. I mostly use triangulation on very oddly shaped stockpiles or heavily sloped terrain. In which case you really have to visualize what the cross-stitch looks like.
The pile measures over 27,000 cubic yards and the difference in volume is about 2% between linear and triangulation. Like you said not much difference.
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