GLS518 INTERMEDIATE ENGINEERING SURVEYING

SETTING OUT

By:
Center of Studies for Surveying Science & Geomatics
FSPU
UiTM Perlis.
 OBJECTIVES
 Understand the roles of the various personnel involved in
setting out process
 Understand the aims of setting out
 Appreciate the good working practices that should be
undertaken in order that the aims of setting out can be
achieved
 Understand the procedures required to ensure that the
horizontal and vertical control requirements of the setting
out operations can be met.
LECTURE CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 PERSONNEL INVOLVED INSETTING OUT
 AIMS OF SETTING OUT
 TECHNIQUE TO ACHIEVE AIMS
 PLANS/DRAWINGS IN SETTING OUT
 GOOD WORKING PRACTICES
 PRINCIPLES OF SETTING OUT
 SETTING OUT BUILDINGS
QUESTION… FOR U TO PONDER
 SETTING OUT IS …??
 WHAT IS IT (THAT WE SET OUT)??
 WHEN DO WE PERFORM SETTING OUT ???
 WHAT DO WE NEED FOR SETTING OUT ??
 DATA…?
 INSTRUMENTS…?
 LABOUR…?
 INTRODUCTION
 Setting out definition :
Setting out is the establishment of the marks and lines to define
the position and level of the elements for the construction work so
that works may proceed with reference to them.
This process may be contrasted with the purpose of Surveying which
determine by measurement the positions of existing features

 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 (dist., position, size n shape)
from plan→ ground
INTRODUCTION

 Types of setting out works:

 Highway
 Invert level
 Bridges n Buildings
 Tunnel
 Drainage works etc.
PERSONNEL 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 :
Provides professional services.
Responsibilities:
• Investigate the feasibility of the proposed project
• Undertake site investigation
• 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.
Carry out the construction works.
AIMS OF SETTING OUT

 Various elements of the scheme must be

correct
 in all three dimensions (XYZ).

 Once setting out begin, must proceed quickly

 cost can be minimized.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN SETTING OUT
 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 & DRAWING ASSOCIATED WITH
SETTING OUT
 Site Plan
Provide a series of horizontal and vertical control points, all
existing details and contour for setting out.
General arrangement of the new work in relation to the
present detail and form of site.
Prepared by land surveyor.
 Layout @ Working Drawings
The proposed scheme (from engineer) drawn on the site plan.
Prepared by engineer, given to contractor.
 Setting Out Plan
Shows the key dimension of the site and structure, all the
information, together with the angles and lengths necessary
to relocate the control points.
PLANS & DRAWING ASSOCIATED 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 in SETTING
OUT
1. Keep careful records.
2. Adopt sensible filing procedures
3. Look after instruments and use them safely
4. Check the drawing
5. Walk the site
6. Fix the control points
7. Inspect the site regularly
8. Work to the programme
9. Work to the specifications
10. Maintain accuracy
11. Check the work
12. Communicate
SETTING OUT TECHNIQUE & DEVICES

 In practice, 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. Located throughout the site;so design points can be fixed from at least 2
& preferably 3 of them → work can be independently checked.
2. Must be set out to the specified accuracy.
 Accuracy must be maintained throughout the control network
→ Achieved by establishing different levels of control based
on 1 of the fundamental tenets of surveying (working from the
whole to the part)

 Starts with small number of very accurately measured CPs

 Only primary and secondary control should be used to minimize the

chances of error propagating through the network.

Example???
 On some schemes, the same control points used in the
production of the site plan are used for setting out (they must
be resurveyed!)

 Located as near as possible to the site in open positions for ease

of working, but well away (up to 100m) from the construction
areas and traffic routes on site to avoid them being disturbed

 Design points must be clearly visible from the control points

 Permanent Control Steel bolt with station
Points marked on top

 The construction & protection of

control points is very important.
500-600 mm
concrete block

 Wooden peg are often used for

non-permanent stations.

 For longer life, wooden peg can

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

Concrete pillar 1000-

with a plate 1500mm
grounded on top
for attaching
instrument
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
1) BASELINES

 Is a line running between 2 points of known position.

 Any baselines required to set out a project should be

specified on the setting out plan.
 Primary site control point
5

101 102
Secondary site Baseline
control points on Subsidiary line
baseline established 202
by bearing and
Design/
distance from 4 & 5 201
Corner Point
203

204

Subsidiary offset lines can be set off at right angles from each end of the
baseline to fix two corners 201 & 202.
Once they have been pegged out, the horizontal length of 201-202 is
measured & checked against its designed value.
 In some cases, the designer may specify a baseline that
runs between points on 2 existing buildings.
 Design points are then set out from this line either by :
 Offsetting at right angles
 Measuring bearings/distances from points on the line.

 The accuracy of this method depends greatly on 2 factors:

 How well the baseline can be established.
 How precisely the dimensions (of buildings) required to set out
the design points are known.
 The accuracy of the baselines method increases if 2
baselines at right angles to each other are used.

 Design points can be established either by measuring &

offsetting from both lines, or a grid system can be set up
to provide additional control points in the area enclosed
by the baselines.

 The use of 2 baselines in this way leads to the use of

REFERENCE GRIDS on site.
 2) REFERENCE 1. Survey
GRIDS Grid

4. Secondary
Control points (in grid system) - 2. Site Grid
Grid enable points to be
set up over a large area

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
 Relative to the survey grid (coordinate system).

 ADVANTAGE : If the original control stations have been permanently

marked then the designed points is on the same coordinate system
 Setting out is simplified.

Site Grid
points
3. Structural Grid

 Established around a particular building or

structure that 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.
3) OFFSET PEGS

 Whether used in the form of a baseline or grid, the

horizontal control points are used to establish design
points(corner pegs) on the proposed structure.

 As soon as excavations for the foundation begin, the

corner pegs will be lost.

 To avoid having to re-establish these from the horizontal

control points, extra pegs known as offset pegs are
located on the lines of the sides of the building but offset
back from the true corner positions.
 These pegs enable the corners to be re-established at a later date and
often used with profile boards in the construction of buildings.

 Offset pegs can be used in all forms of engineering construction to aid in

the relocation of points after excavation.

Offset Peg
Proposed
building

Corner Peg
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VERTICAL CONTROL TECHNIQUE
1) MASTER BENCH MARKS (MBM)
2) TEMPORARY BENCH MARKS (TBMs)
 Vertical Control Techniques
 Vertical control are points of known elevation
relative to some specified vertical datum must
be established on the site.
Examples:

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 Whatever datum adopted, Master Bench
Mark (MBM) should be established :
 To establish point of known Reduced Level near
to proposed scheme.
 Known as transferred or Temporary Bench
Marks (TBM)
 Any existing horizontal control stations can be
used as TBM.
 Must be checked at regular interval and
clearly marked on a copy of site plan (with its
RL)
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:
 Enough control is available for setting out the project
 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 one control points.
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:
1. Theodolite / EDM
2. Total Station
3. GPS Instrument
 From these two
2. Refer to diagram : 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.
 EXAMPLE: PROJECT
SCHEDULE/ GANTT CHART

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4/16/2020
 Using total station, each corner would be established by
bearing & distance methods from points in the control
network.
 If possible, each corner should be fixed from 2 control
points & checked from a 3rd.
 The diagonals are checked & the nails repositioned on the
tops of the pegs as necessary.
SETTING OUT BUILDINGS
1ST STAGE
→ MARK ALL DESIGN POINTS
METHOD: BASELINE/GRID/OFFSET PEGS
COORDINATES
INSTRUMENTS: T.S/THEODOLITE+TAPE
GPS
2ND STAGE
→ CONTROL VERTICALITY OF STRUCTUTE(S)
METHOD: PLUMBOP/THEODOLITE/OPTICAL PLUMBING/LASER
INSTRUMENTS: PLUMBOP/THEODOLITE/OPTICAL PLUMET/LASER
THE VERTICALITY CONTROL

 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
Principle of Verticality

 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.
 Requirements:
 Offset pegs have been established at the sides of
building(s).
 Ground floor slab have been constructed with
horizontal control lines transferred to it.
Ground floor slab

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1) PLUMBOP METHOD

 Traditional method using plumbop suspended on piano

wire/nylon.
 3-20kg weight
 Suspended over a reference mark on the ground floor
slab.
 Controlled for oscillation using:
 Theodolite/TS
 Transparent drum of oil/water.
 Advantages:
 Ideal for 1-2 storeys building height
 Inexpensive and straight forward in use.
Plumbop methods.

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 Structure’s beam verticality
can be checked and altered
using plumbop or spirit level.

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2) THEODOLITE METHODS

 Using the vertical plane of the theodolite to

control verticality by applying the following
methods:
 8 Points transfer
 4 Points transfer
 3 Tripod traversing
 Column verticality

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3) OPTICAL PLUMBING METHOD

 Can be applied in several ways:

 Using the optical plummet of a theodolite
 Use of theodolite with diagonal eyepiece
 Use specialized optical plumbing device.
 Requires holes/openings in the floor with
centering frames for accuracy.

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 Perspex target

Optical Plumbing
instrument

Ground stations

Application of optical plummet in

checking structure’s verticality
through floor openings.
4) LASER METHOD

 Use of visible/invisible beam laser in surveying

equipment during verticality control.
 Advantages in using laser method:
 Long vertical range
 Enable single operator
 Spot can be clearly seen
 Most commonly used methods are:
 Alignment laser
 Rotating laser

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Laser method for verticality
checks.

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Alignment laser and rotating
laser’s applications in
constructions.

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IN THE END, I KNOW
THAT SETTING OUT
IS….