Site surveying and setting out (5 days)

This 5-day practical course teaches the principles and practices of setting out, using the level and total station, which can be applied to all aspects of construction including earthworks, roads, buildings, foundations, piles, structural steel, structures, reinforced concrete, houses.

This 5-day course combines the content of the 2-day Levelling and setting out and the 3-day Total station for construction courses into a single course. On completion of this course delegates can move onto our Civil Engineering Setting Out course, which is also suitable for more experience site workers. 

Who should attend

Suitable for:

• Trainee engineers
• Graduate engineers
• Construction managers
• Site managers who would like to be able to supervise, recruit for, check or carry out setting out activities
• People with previous experience of setting out but have been working in a different role for some time and would like to return to setting out
• Overseas site engineers and construction managers who are seeking employment in the UK but do not have setting out experience due to differing division of responsibilities in the country where they trained.

Course content

This course teaches the principles of setting out which can be applied to all aspects of construction including earthworks, roads, buildings, foundations, piles, structural steel, structures, reinforced concrete, houses.

The equipment used for the training is the Leica TS06, but the lessons can be applied to any total station.

Real construction drawings are used for all practical exercises.

Levelling and taping (Mon–Tue)

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

• List the sources of error in taping
• Incorporate checks when setting out using a tape measure
• Set out on sloping ground using a tape measure
• Set out right angles and rectangles using a tape measure.
• Record work correctly and in the industry standard way
• Incorporate robust checks to all levelling
• List the sources of error in levelling
• Carry out a level survey (existing features or as-built)
• Check that the level is in correct calibration
• Set elements to a fixed level
• Measure the reduced level of ceilings and soffits
• Transfer TBMs (install temporary benchmarks from scratch)
• Set up profile boards for level excavation.

Total station (Wed–Fri)

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

• Set up profile boards for drainage
• Set up batter rails for cut and fill
• Set up the total station over a point
• Carry out the relevant calibration checks (horizontal and vertical collimation error, trunnion axis, prism constant, optical/laser plummet, diaphragm orientation)
• List the sources of error when using a total station
• Use techniques for improving and checking your accuracy and precision
• View, edit, add and delete data
• Create a local coordinate system for a building on gridlines
• Use the total station for measuring and setting out reduced levels
• Describe a range of methods for plumbing columns and walls
• Set-up the position and orientation of the total station using the resection or occupied point programs
• Measure the horizontal distance and level differences between points using the tie-distance function
• Set out points of known co-ordinates using the stake out function
• Set out points in relation to a given line using the reference line function
• Set out points at a given chainage and offset along a radius, e.g. road centrelines using the reference arc function
• Understand the operating principles of theodolites/total stations
• Set jobs into the total station and input work data
• Set out points for drainage
• Carry out independent checking of setting out
• Carry out ‘as set out’ surveys
• Understand prism constants and how they impact upon accuracies.

Qualifications you get

• CITB National Construction College Certificate.