Setting

Setting out

Setting out is simply the physical transfer of building/structure drawing plan onto the

It is the reverse of surveying. It begins with plans and ends with the various elements
of a particular plan correctly positioned on site.

Setting out is one application of surveying. Most of the techniques and equipment
used in surveying are also used in setting out. Mistakes in setting out can be costly.
For setting out to be undertaken successfully good work practices should be
employed. Setting out is the responsibility of the contractor. The cost of correcting
any errors in the setting out has to be paid for by the Contractor, provided the
engineer has supplies reliable information in writing.

Horizontal Control Points should be located as near

as possible to the site in open positions for ease of
working, but well away from the construction area and
traffic routes to avoid them being disturbed.
Wooden pegs are often used for non-permanent
stations.
For permanent control points it is recommended that
they be constructed with concrete – as shown in the figure.

Baselines
A baseline is a line running between two points of a known position.
Any baselines required to set out a project should be specified on the setting out
plan by the designer and included in the contract.
Baselines can take many forms:-
 they can be simply two specified points joined
 they can run between two buildings
 they can mark the boundary with an existing building/development
 or they can mark the centre line for a new road.
The accuracy of the baselines method increases if two baselines at right angles to
each other are used.

Page 1 of 7
Offset pegs
Whether used in the form of a baseline or a grid, the horizontal
control points are used to establish design points on the
proposed structure. Once excavations for foundations begin,
the corner pegs will be lost. To avoid this, extra pegs called
offset pegs are used.

Vertical control techniques

In order that design points on the works can be positioned at
their correct levels, vertical control points of known elevation
relative to some specified vertical datum are
established.
Examples of setting out
Setting out a pipeline
The figure shows a sight rail offset at right angles to a
pipe line laid in a granular bedding trench.

Horizontal control: the working drawings will

show the directions of the sewer pipes and the positions
of the manholes. The line of the sewer is normally
pegged at 20 to 30m intervals using coordinate methods
of positioning from reference points or in relation to
existing detail. The direction of the line can be sighted
using a theodolite and pegs.

Vertical control: involves the erection of sight

rails some convenient height above the invert level of
the pipe. Erection and use of sight rails: the sight rail
uprights are hammered firmly into the ground, usually
offset from the line rather than straddling it. Using a
nearby TBM and levelling equipment, the reduced
levels of the tops of the uprights. Where the natural
slope of the ground is not approximately parallel to the proposed pipe gradient,
double sight rails can be used as shown in the figure.

Page 2 of 7
 Pipe laying: On completion of the excavation, the
sight rail control is transferred to pegs in the bottom of
the trench as shown in the figure.
Controlling Vertically
One of the most important second stage setting out
operations is to ensure that those elements of the scheme
which are designed to be vertical are actually constructed
be so, and there are a number of techniques available by
which this can be achieved. Particular emphasis is placed
on the control verticality in multi-storey structures.

The traditional method of controlling verticality is to

use plumb-bobs, suspended on piano wire or nylon.
Transferring height from floor to floor
Reduced levels must be transferred several times
as the construction proceeds from floor to floor. The
levels should be transferred to each new floor by
always measuring from the datum rather than from
the previous floor. Each floor is then provided with
TBMs in key positions from which normal levelling methods can be used to transfer
levels on each floor.
Alternatively, if there are cast-in situ stairs present, a level and staff can be used to
level up and down the stairs, as shown in fig. Note that both up and down levelling
must be done as a check.

Page 3 of 7
Setting out a Building

Setting out or ground tracing is the process of laying down the excavation lines
and centre lines etc. on the ground, before excavation is started based on the
foundation layout plan.

The steps involved in setting out a building are as follows:

Two corners of the building are set out from a baseline, site grid or control points.
From these two corners, the two other corners are set out
using a theodolite to turn off the right angels as shown
below. Diagonals are checked and pegs are placed at
each corner.

For setting out the foundations of small

buildings, the centre line of the longest outer
wall of the building is first marked on the
ground by stretching a string between
wooden or mild steel pegs driven at the ends.
This line serves as reference line.

For accurate work, nails can be fixed at the

centre of the pegs. Two pegs, one on either
side of the central peg, are driven at each
end of the line. Each peg is equidistant from
the central peg, and the distance between the outer pegs corresponds to the width of
foundation trench to be excavated.

Each peg may project about 25 to 50 mm above ground level and may be driven at a
distance of about 2 m from the edge of excavation so that they are not disturbed.

When string is stretched joining the corresponding pegs (say 2-2) at the two
extremities of the line, the boundary of the trench to be excavated can be marked on
the ground with dry lime powder.

The centre lines of other walls, which are perpendicular to the long wall, are then
marked by setting out right angles.

Page 4 of 7
A right angle can be set out by forming a triangle with 3, 4 and 5 units long. These
dimensions should be measured with the help of a steel tape.

Alternatively, a theodolite or prismatic

compass may be used for setting out right
angles.

Similarly, outer lines of the foundation trench

of each cross-wall can be set out, as shown
in the figure.

For a big project, reference pillars of masonry

may be constructed as shown in figure.
These pillars may be about 20 cm thick, and about 15 cm wider than the width of the
foundation trench. The top of the pillars is plastered, and is set at the same level,
preferably at the plinth level. Pegs are embedded in these pillars and nails are then
driven in the pegs to represent the centre line and the outer lines of the trench.
Sometimes, additional walls are provided to represent plinth lines.

Miscellaneous Points/Tips for Setting out

 Get the overall site handed over to you by the client through competent
authorities as per the site plan.
 Check/Study the block plan and site layout plan carefully before starting setting
out. Specially check for the existing features and their consistency with the site
plan and proposed buildings.
 Walk over the site and check that there is no evidence of hidden features that
might affect the setting-out or construction of the works.
 Don’t trust the existing neighbouring boundary as they may not be
legally/correctly installed. Making them reference will result in faulty layout of your
plans.
 Install permanent bench marks and reference points.
 Check pegs from offsets, do not assume they are correct or remain undisturbed.
 Clear/Strip the site, remove the trees & their roots, all vegetation and bushes
before setting out as per the contract agreement.

Page 5 of 7
 Check the dimensions of the rooms, walls and building area and compare the
proposed plans with the area available. Do not scale the drawings. Use the
dimensions and check that intermediate dimensions agree with overall
dimensions.
 Calculate the centre lines of the walls if not already shown in drawings.
 Find out the diagonal of the rooms and the building using the centre lines. Note
that Rectangles have same diagonals.
 During excavation, the centre points marked during initial setting may get
removed. Therefore the centre lines are extended and the centre points are
marked about 2m away from the outer edge of excavation.
 Centre lines should be shown clearly by stretched thread or rope.
 The centre points fixed 2m away from the excavation are marked with set out
pegs.
 The width of excavation is also marked by thread with pegs at appropriate
positions.
 If the plan is much too complicated and follows zigzag pattern, then the centre
pegs are kept at suitable positions according to site conditions.
 One of the classic mistakes is getting the floor plan out of square.
 Adjust the errors internally if exteriors areas are fixed.
 Offset the line around the obstacle.
 Check levels by ‘eyeing-in’ on known levels.
 It is good practice to only square one corner and set out subsequent walls by
parallel measurements. This will ensure that if a true rectangle is not set out (and
all measurements are still accurate), the shape will be a parallelogram (rhombus)
and will therefore be easy to correct.
 Use spirit level frequently.
 Report any discrepancies found in drawings and/or at site in writing and keep a
copy.
 Confirm any oral instructions in writing.
 Set up a system of recording and communicating information.
 Set up the CAD system to ease in making copies of drawings, getting minor
details/blow-ups and working out details/angles/radius offsets etc.

Page 6 of 7
 Apply manual/traditional checks for work executed using modern survey
equipments.
 Never conceal your errors or your doubts.
 It must be remembered when setting out that, since dimensions, whether scaled
or designed, are almost always horizontal; slope must be allowed for in surface
taping on sloping ground.

Page 7 of 7