Setting out a Building

Summary

This video guides viewers through the essential steps of setting out a house on a block of land, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a boundary survey from a licensed surveyor. It explains how to accurately mark the corners and boundaries of the property, establish right angles, and create profiles for excavation. The process includes using various measurement techniques and ensuring compliance with local council regulations. By detailing these steps, the video aims to equip viewers with the knowledge necessary for a successful and compliant construction layout.

Takeaways

• 🏡 Always hire a licensed land surveyor to conduct a boundary survey before starting construction.
• 🔍 Verify that you are on the correct block of land, as boundaries can be confusing in subdivisions.
• 📏 Council regulations dictate building lines and offsets; know these rules before setting out your house.
• 📍 Use survey pegs to mark key points on your property, but ensure they remain undisturbed during construction.
• 🔺 Establish right angles accurately using methods like the 3-4-5 triangle or the Pythagorean theorem for precision.
• ⚖️ Profile setup is essential for maintaining level measurements across your construction site.
• 🔗 Transfer measurements from your plans to the profiles to ensure that all aspects of the house are correctly marked.
• 📐 Check for squareness by measuring diagonals; adjust if necessary to maintain a correct layout.
• 🔧 Continuous profiles may be needed for more complex house shapes to maintain accuracy throughout the build.
• 🛠️ Clearly mark footing locations for different construction methods to ensure accurate placement during the excavation process.

Q & A

What is the first step in identifying the correct block of land in a subdivision?

The first step is to hire a licensed land surveyor to conduct a Boundary Survey, which includes placing survey pegs on the corners and other key points of the block.

Why is it important to conduct a Boundary Survey?

A Boundary Survey is crucial to ensure you are building on the correct block and to verify that the boundaries are accurately marked, as existing fences may not reflect true property lines.

What distinguishes a lot number from a street number?

The lot number refers to how real estate agents sell the block of land, while the street number may differ and represents the address for accessing the property.

What restrictions do councils typically impose on building on a block of land?

Councils usually specify building lines, determining how close you can build to the front of the block, and offsets, which indicate the distance required from boundary lines.

How can one establish a right angle during the layout process?

One method is using the 3-4-5 triangle method, where measurements of 6m, 8m, and 10m create a right angle. Alternatively, a full-size method using Pythagorean calculations can also be used.

What is the purpose of creating profiles during the layout process?

Profiles are set up to maintain a consistent reference height for construction and to ensure that pegs marking the building envelope remain stable during excavation.

What is a hurdle profile and why is it important?

A hurdle profile consists of horizontal ledgers attached to vertical pegs, ensuring a level reference for bricklayers during construction. It is crucial for maintaining accuracy in building height.

What methods can be used to transfer height references to profiles?

Height references can be transferred using a spirit level, a hydrostatic level, or an automatic level, ensuring that all profiles are set to the same level across the site.

Why is it necessary to check the setout for squareness?

Checking the setout for squareness ensures that the building is properly aligned and that diagonal measurements are equal, preventing construction errors.

What considerations are there for different footing systems in construction?

The type of footing system, such as strip footings or slab on ground, affects how the building is set out and requires adjustments to ensure that footings align correctly with the brickwork.