Unit 7 Surveying, Measuring and Setting-out Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 7 Surveying, Measuring & Setting-out Assignment Brief

Introduction

Surveying is an essential function in the construction industry, providing services throughout a project’s lifecycle. It begins with collections of initial data on which to base design, then moves on to positional control of the construction process and finally records the ‘as built’ position for comparison with design. There is also a need for monitoring of adverse effects to the surrounding environment. The aspect that binds all of these functions is the control network, which forms the basis for all measurements, and this is a continuous thread throughout the unit.

In practice, surveying functions are divided between the ‘Land Surveyor’ to establish the positional reference and provide topographic data, and the ‘Civil Engineer’ to provide control of construction (setting out) and monitoring. Since there is dependence and commonality between them, this unit covers both contexts equally.   In this unit, students will explore the techniques used to set up controls and conduct initial surveys, including communication of results and methods of setting out the built environment. Students will be able to identify and analyse the sources of error and mitigation techniques used in common aspects of surveying.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

LO1 Explain the methods and technologies used in surveying for construction

LO2 Undertake a closed levelling and stages of a closed 2D traverse survey to establish station coordinates for horizontal and vertical control

LO3 Apply industry-standard techniques in the collection of survey data and setting out the coordinates of construction elements

LO4 Explore the causes of errors and techniques to improve accuracy in surveying and setting out.

Essential Content

LO1 Explain the methods and technologies used in surveying for construction

Applications of surveying in construction

Topographic (e.g., green field, brown field, green belt)

Cut and fill survey

Control of construction

Monitoring construction

As-built

Current and emerging technologies

Total station

GPS (Global Positioning System) and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

Drones/UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)

Laser scanning

Mobile 3D mapping

Photogrammetry

Survey outputs

2D drawings

3D data

Point cloud

Coding conventions

Graphic symbols

Vector outputs

File formats 

LO2 Undertake a closed levelling and stages of a closed 2D traverse survey to establish station coordinates for horizontal and vertical control

Types of control points and control networks

First order

Second order

Local and national grid coordinate systems

Types of traverse

Open traverse

Closed traverse

Methods of traverse

Standard methods of horizontal angle and electronic distance measurement

Physical positioning of instruments and targets

Plane table traversing (2D)

Levelling for height

Calculating accuracy of levelling and traverse observations

Calculations to obtain coordinates

Control station accuracy and national/industry standards

Health and safety in surveying and setting out

Assessing site conditions

Existing structures and safety

Working at height

Personal positioning

Working near machinery and mobile plant

LO3 Apply industry-standard techniques in the collection of survey data and setting out the coordinates of construction elements

Holistic view of topographic surveying and setting out

Terminology

Referencing control in data collection and setting out

Topographic and construction elements

Buildings and walls, outlines – footprint

Centre lines of structural elements

Boundary locations from national co-ordinates Road centre lines – kerbs and street furniture

Drainage – utility covers

Hard and soft landscape features

Ground levels, bank tops and bottoms

Positioning and orientating a total station

Free station

Known back sight

Resection

Set orientation

Redundancy and checking

Setting-out and data collection techniques

Obtaining and transferring topographic and setting-out data

Recording topographic detail

Setting-out structures and offsetting lines of structural elements

Horizontal and vertical control of construction

Determining accuracy in setting out

Comparing setting out accuracy with national/industry standards

LO4 Explore the causes of errors and techniques to improve accuracy in surveying and setting out

Errors in surveying and setting out

Collimation error in the horizontal plane

Instrumentation error (e.g., prism constants, reflector heights, atmospheric influences, calibration certification, setup errors, discrete setting out)

Observation error (e.g., two-face observation, pointing and focus, horizontal and vertical collimation)

Human errors (e.g., alignment of levelling staffs and hand- or tripod-mounted prisms, physical setting-out constraints)

Improvement of accuracy

Use of technology to provide checking methods

Testing procedures for instrumentation to be used in setting out and surveying

Using national/industry standards to determine accuracy

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Answer

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