Surveying and Setting Out for Site EngineersA five-day course covering site surveying, setting-out equipment and techniques, and quality control

This course will enable you to improve your understanding of site surveying and setting out equipment and techniques and appreciate the need to apply a Quality Control system to ensure results are correct, checked and documented to prevent costly mistakes on site.

The course is designed for site engineering staff, who may have graduated from university recently but have little practical experience, or who need to update their knowledge and skills to the latest survey equipment and techniques. The knowledge and skills learnt will help to prevent costly mistakes and improve delegates' site efficiency.

Also available as an online training course.

Please note the online version of this training course will be split into modules.

Aims & Objectives:

The delegates will understand the need to use survey equipment correctly, apply correct techniques to ensure all site survey work is checked to prevent costly mistakes, saving cost and time for projects.

Course Outline:

The course is designed to enable delegates to:

  • Introduction to Engineering Surveying and maps/plans
  • Understand the need for Quality Assurance/Control
  • Appreciate the Theory of Errors in Surveying
  • Know the difference between Accuracy and Precision
  • Understand the nature of errors and their effects on surveying and setting out
  • Use a tape measure (30m) accurately
  • Use an automatic level, record, reduce and check results
  • Understand errors involved in levelling
  • Undertake a Two-peg Test on a level
  • Set out heights using a level
  • Set out a line of profiles having calculated a simple drainage run
  • Understand the concept of different types of site survey control (primary & secondary etc.), and site grids
  • Understand the difference in coordinate systems used on site, and associated problems with Ordnance Survey National Grid
  • Undertake setting out calculations from grid coordinates
  • Set up and use Total Station/EDM equipment
  • Understand main sources of errors when using total stations
  • Set out points using a total station and coordinates
  • Undertake an as-built survey and compare with design criteria
  • Use Total Station functions; resection, remote elevation measurement, missing line, and offsets from a gridline (set out from line)

The course involves a series of presentations by PowerPoint and practical exercises (both in the training room and outside) to ensure delegates understand the theory and practice of site survey and setting out. Discussion encourages delegates to question their techniques and results to ensure they get the exercises right.

The delegates will improve their understanding of site surveying and setting out equipment and techniques, appreciate the need to apply a Quality Control system to ensure results are correct, checked and documented to prevent costly mistakes on site.

Intended For:

The course is intended as a revision/update course rather than for those new to site surveying, as it covers a very wide range of survey techniques and skills in only 5 days. It is designed for all involved in site surveying and setting out, though those indirectly involved (design team, supervisors and other site professionals etc.) would also benefit from an in-depth understanding of site survey work.

No pre-course reading is required.
Completion of a pre-course questionnaire covering existing knowledge and skills level of delegates, and expected outcomes is helpful.