DBT123

FUNDAMENTAL OF SITE SURVEY

CHAPTER 4:
SETTING OUT

Lecturer: Gs. Saiful Anuar Bin Jaafar@Ibrahim

Department of Surveying Science and Geomatics,
Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying,
University Technology MARA, Perak
LECTURE CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION TO SETTING OUT

2. AIMS & TECHNIQUE TO ACHIEVE AIMS
3. PLANS INVOLVED IN SETTING OUT
4. PRINCIPLE OF SETTING OUT
5. SETTING OUT BUILDING PROCEDURE
INTRODUCTION TO SETTING OUT
Definition:
Setting out is the establishment of the marks and lines to define the
position (x & y) and level (RL) of the elements for the construction
work so that works may proceed with reference to them.

 This process is contrasted with the purpose of surveying which

determine by measurement the position of existing features.
 It is also known as reverse surveying:
 Begin with the plan and ends with the various elements of
particular engineering project correctly positioned in the
area.
 Process of transferring data (distance, position, size & shape)
from plan ground.
 INTRODUCTION TO SETTING OUT
 The general idea:-
Reverse of surveying
Surveying Setting out

Fieldwork Map/Plan

Map/Plan Fieldwork

o Mistakes in setting out can be costly.

o 3 parties involve:
-Employer
-Engineer
-Contractor
PARTIES INVOLVED IN SETTING OUT
1. Employer :
The person, company or government department that requires
the particular scheme to be undertaken and finances the
project.

2. Engineer :
Investigate the feasibility of the proposed project, to undertake
site investigation and prepare various solutions for the
employer’s consideration.
Act as independent arbiter and ensure that the works are
carried out in accordance with the drawings, specification, and
other conditions as laid out in the contract.

3. Contractor :
Chosen from the tenders submitted and a contract is formed
between the Employer and the Contractor.
 AIMS OF SETTING OUT

AIMS

 To position the works in their correct in all three dimensions

positions.
 Correct in size
 Correct in plan position
 Correct reduced level
 To ensure that they proceed quickly and smoothly. – in order to
minimized the cost.
 TECHNIQUES TO ACHIEVE AIMS

Horizontal Control
Points of known plan position (HORIZONTALLY) must be established
within or near the site from which the design points can be set out
in their correct plan positions.

Vertical control
Points of known elevation (VERTICALLY) relative to an agreed datum
are required within or near site from which the design points can be
set out at their correct reduced levels.

Positioning Techniques
Accurate methods must be adopted to establish design points from
this horizontal and vertical control.
PLANS AND DRAWINGS INVOLVE WITH
SETTING OUT

Site Plan

Setting Out Plan

Layout @ Working Drawings

Latest Amended Drawing

As-built Plan
PLANS AND DRAWINGS INVOLVE WITH SETTING
OUT
Site Plan
• Provide a series of horizontal and vertical control points which
may be used to help with any subsequent setting out.
• General arrangement of the new work in relation to the present
detail and form of site.

Setting Out Plan

• Shows the key dimension of the structure, all the information,
together with the angles and lengths necessary to relocate the
control points.

Layout @ Working Drawings

• The proposed scheme drawn on the site plan.
PLANS AND DRAWINGS INVOLVE WITH SETTING
OUT
Latest Amended Drawing
• As work proceeds, it may be necessary to make amendments to
the original design to overcome unforeseen problems. Any
alterations are recorded on a copy of the working drawings.
• Always use the latest version of any drawing but important to
keep the drawings which show the earlier amendments : may be
needed to resolve a dispute or for costing purpose.

As-built Plan
• The drawing which shows all the alterations that have taken place
during the course of the works when the scheme completed.
GOOD WORKING PRACTICES

 Keep careful records

 Adopt sensible filing procedures
 Look after instruments & use them safely
 Check the drawing/work
 Walk the site
 Fix the control points
 Inspect the site regularly
 Work to the program/specification
 Maintain accuracy
 Communicate
 Check the work
PRINCIPLE OF SETTING OUT

In practices, setting out techniques fall into three main categories:

 Horizontal Control Techniques

 Vertical Control Techniques
 Coordinate Positioning Techniques
HORIZONTAL CONTROL
TECHNIQUE
1) BASELINE
2) REFERENCE GRIDS
3) OFFSET PEGS
HORIZONTAL CONTROL TECHNIQUES

• In order that the design points of the scheme can be correctly

fixed in plan position, it is necessary to establish points on site
for which the E, N coordinates are known.

• These are horizontal control points and once they have been
located, they can be used with a positioning techniques to set
out E,N coordinates of the design points.

• 2 factors must be considered:

1. Control points should be located throughout the site; design
points can be fixed from at least 2 & preferably 3 of them
→ work can be independently checked.
2. Design points must be set out to the specified accuracy.
HORIZONTAL CONTROL TECHNIQUES

• Accuracy must be maintained throughout the control network and

this can be achieved by establishing different levels of control
based on one of the fundamental tenets of surveying. (working
from the whole to the part)

 Usually involves starting with a small number of very accurately

measured control points.
 Only primary and secondary control should be used to minimize
the chances of error propagating through the network.
HORIZONTAL CONTROL TECHNIQUES

• On some schemes, the same control points that were used in the
production of the site plan prior to design work are used for
setting out. (they must be resurveyed!)

• Horizontal control points should:

• be located as near as possible to the site in open positions for
ease of working.
• away (up to 100m) from the construction areas and traffic
routes on site to avoid them being disturbed.
• Clearly marked and painted with their reference number or
letter so that it can easily be found.

• Since design points are established from horizontal control points,

design points must be clearly visible from the control points and
as many should be capable of being set out from each of these.
PERMANENT CONTROL POINTS
• The construction & protection of
control points is very important. Steel bolt with station
marked on top

• Wooden peg are often used for

non-permanent stations.
500-600 mm
concrete block

• For longer life, wooden peg can be

surrounded in concrete but
preferably, permanent station
should be similar to the figure :
300-500mm 1000-
diameter 1500mm

Concrete pillar 1000-

with a plate 1500mm
grounded on top
for attaching
instrument
HORIZONTAL CONTROL TECHNIQUES

• Once established and coordinated, control points are used to

set out design points of the proposed structure.

• They are generally used in one of the following ways :

 Baselines
 Reference Grids
 Offset pegs
 BASELINES

 It is a line running between two points of known position.

 Any baselines required to set out a project should be specified on
the setting out plan by designer and included in the contract
between the Employer and Contractor.
 For example:
 Primary site control such as traverse station A and B in the
figure (next slide) can be used to establish a baseline DE by
angle α and distance ℓ values as shown.
 Design points can be established either by measuring and offsetting
from both lines or grid system can be set up to provided additional
control points in the area enclosed by the baselines.
Subsidiary offset lines can be set off at right angles from each end of the
baseline to fix two corners R & S of building. Once R & S have been pegged
out, the horizontal length of RS is measured & checked against its designed
value.
 BASELINES

 Baseline can be in many forms:

 The line that join two specified points
 The line that run between existing buildings
 The line that mark from the boundary of an existing
development
 The line that be the direction of a proposed pipeline or the
center line of a new road
 The accuracy of the baselines method increases if two baselines at
right angles to each other are used at the site.
 The use of two baselines in this way leads to the use of reference
grids on site.
EXAMPLE OF BASELINES
 REFERENCE GRIDS
A control grid enables points
to be setup over a large area.

1. Survey
Grid

Several
4. Secondary different grids
can be used in 2. Site Grid
Grid setting out.

3. Structural Grid
1. Survey Grid

 Drawn on the survey plan from the original traverse or

network.

 Grid points have known Easting & Northing related either to

some arbitrary origin or to the National Grid.

 Control points in this grid are represented by the original

control stations.
2. Site Grid

 Usually related in some way to the survey grid.

 Advantage : If the original control stations have been permanently

marked then the designed points will be on the same coordinate
system and setting out is greatly simplified.

Site Grid
points
3. Structural Grid

 Is established around a particular building or

structure which contains much detail, such as
columns, which cannot be set out with sufficient
accuracy from the site grid.

 Usually established from the site grid points &

uses the same coordinate system.
4. Secondary Grid

 Established inside the structure from the structural grid when it is no

longer possible to use the structural grid to establish internal features of
the building owing to vision becoming obscured.

Errors can be introduced in the setting out each time one

grid system is established from another : hence, where
possible, only one grid system should be used to set out the
design points.
 OFFSET PEGS

During excavation works for foundation begin, the corner of the

pegs will be lost. To avoid having to re-establish these from the
horizontal control points, extra pegs knows offset pegs are located
on the lines of the sides of the building but offset back from the
true corner positions.
VERTICAL CONTROL
TECHNIQUE

1) BENCH MARK (BM)

2) TEMPORARY BENCH MARK (TBM)
 VERTICAL CONTROL TECHNIQUES

 In order that design points on the works can be positioned at their

correct levels, vertical control points of known elevation (etc. BM)
relative to some specified vertical datum must be established on the
site.

 Temporary Bench Mark (TBM) can be establish from BM to the site.

Any existing horizontal control stations can be used as TBM.
 SIGHT RAILS

 consist of a horizontal timber cross piece nailed to a single upright

or a pair of uprights driven into the ground.
 upper edge of the cross piece is set to a convenient height above
required plane of the structure, usually nearest 100mm and should
be at a height above ground to ensure convenient alignment by
eye with the upper edge.
 The level of the top edge of the cross piece is usually written on
the sight rail together with the length of traveller required.
 Usually offset 2 or 3 meter at right angles to construction lines to
avoid them damaged s excavation proceeds.
SIGHT RAILS
 TRAVELLERS AND BONING RODS

 similar in appearance to a sight rail on a single

support and is portable
 Length from its upper edge to its base should be a
convenient dimension on the nearest half meter
 Used in conjunction with sight rails
 Are set some convenient value above the required
plane and the travellers are constructed so that
their length is equal to this value
 As the excavation proceeds, the traveller is sighted
in between the sight rails and used to monitor the
cutting or filling
 If the three travellers used together, it is called
boning rods
 PROFILE BOARDS

 Very similar to sight rails but are used to define corners or

sides of buildings
 sight-rails are often used when setting out house
foundations, when they are sometimes known as 'Profile
Boards'
 established outside the limit of excavation, and always in
pairs.
 they can then be used not only as sight-rails with a traveller
to check on excavation depth, but also to set levels for top
of concrete foundation, internal floor level, finished ground
level, etc
PROFILE BOARDS
COORDINATE POSITIONING
TECHNIQUE
COORDINATE POSITIONING TECHNIQUES

 For setting out by coordinates to be possible, a control network

consisting a coordinated points (with heights) must be establish on
site.

 When choosing the locations for control points on site, some

forward planning is needed to ensure that enough control is
available for setting out the project & that any possible problems
with control points becoming obscured as construction proceeds
are avoided.

 It must also be possible to check work by sighting key design

points from more than on.e control points
COORDINATE POSITIONING TECHNIQUES
 Setting out by theodolite and tape
COORDINATE POSITIONING TECHNIQUES

 Setting out by total station

COORDINATE POSITIONING TECHNIQUES

 Setting out by GPS

 SUITABILITY OF TOTAL STATION AND GPS
COORDINATE POSITIONING TECHNIQUES

 On small sites, the cost of using GPS equipment may be

prohibitive and it may not be appropriate for setting out minor
roads.
 Neither total station nor GPS receivers are best suited to
situations in which precise alignment is required.
 Best solution is using telescope of either theodolite or total
station by intersection of line of sight – distance not required
 For precise reduced levels (± 2mm), total station and GPS not be
suitable because they could not achieve this precision. The
appropriate technique that can be employ is conventional
levelling.
 SETTING OUT BUILDINGS
1ST STAGE
• MARK ALL DESIGN POINTS
METHOD:
BASELINE / GRID / OFFSET PEGS
INSTRUMENTS:
T.S / THEODOLITE+TAPE

2ND STAGE
• CONTROL VERTICALITY OF ERECTED STRUCTURE(S)
METHOD:
PLUMBOP / THEODOLITE / OPTICAL PLUMBING / LASER
INSTRUMENTS:
PLUMBOP / THEODOLITE / OPTICAL PLUMB / LASER
SETTING OUT BUILDING

 First stage of setting out :

1. Four corners will be mark / set out based on procedures

required to set out using either:
 Theodolite / EDM
 Total Station
2. Refer to diagram : From these two
corners, the two other
corners are set out
using a theodolite / TS
to turn off right angles
as shown.

Control Points

Baseline

2 corners of the building are set

out from a baseline, site grid or
control points.
SETTING OUT BUILDING

 The diagonals are checked & the nails repositioned on the

tops of the pegs as necessary.

 Using total station, each corner would be established by

bearing & distance methods from points in the control
network surrounding the proposed building.

 If possible, each corner should be fixed from two control

points & checked from a third.
SETTING OUT BUILDING
SETTING OUT BUILDING

 2nd stage :

 One of the most important second stage setting out

operations is to ensure that those element or
building which are design to be vertical are
actually constructed to be so, there are a number
of techniques available which are :

a. Plumb-bob methods
b. Theodolite methods
c. Optical plumbing methods
d. Laser methods
SETTING OUT BUILDING

 If the horizontal control on the ground floor slab can

be accurately transferred to each higher floor as
construction proceeds, then verticality will be
maintained.
CALCULATION

FORMULA to Calculate Bearing n Distance

Bearing = Tan -1 (∆dipat / ∆latit)

Distance = √[(∆dipat)2 + (∆latit) 2]