Vern's Travels Thru Time and Other Places 

How to do a layout.

By Lt. Vernon Catron 1^st New York Volunteer Engineers, Company A

Several months ago I was asked to write a brief series of articles on different aspects of surveying with period techniques by Major Poe. This is the third article in the series.

One of the things that engineers do is layouts for construction. I will describe how to layout footings for a building as this is a typical task. These steps can be applied to any construction project.

Your first task is to study the drawing and site plan for the project. You need to determine which property line to use to set your base side. Additionally you need to calculate the number of stakes and batterboards needed. Remember to use the largest rectangle possible for the outside walls.

Once you have done this you are ready to begin. From the property line set your first two corner markers for the base side. Run a string between these 2 stakes. Now set your end sections 90 from the base side using a 3/4/5 triangle (a triangle with sides 3', 4', and 5'). Now set your batter board stakes astride the wall lines. Once this is done mark the batter board stakes for the correct elevation. Now secure the batter boards to their stakes at the elevation marks. Using plumb bobs transfer the side lines up to the batter boards using nails to hold the string. Once you have the 4 sides up check for square by measuring diagonally both ways. Once this is done you can set up any other walls necessary off the basic outline. Once you have the building laid out mark the ground for the footings. Once this is done you can wind the string around the batter boards at one end to allow you to dig the footings. Once the footings are in return the strings to their places and now the masons can build the foundation walls.

Please note this is not to scale. Batterboards should be 3-4 feet from footings and are normally 3 feet long. This is to allow you to dig footings without disturbing the batter boards.

This web maintained and written by Vernon Catron, I am not responsible for opinions of others. For comments Email me.