New Build

[mark downing]

Can anyone suggest a tutorial book or website that focuses on the initial instrument layout of a building? Specifically, I am hoping to find a text that includes a set of example drawings to work from. I am only interested in the initial transit or builders level procedures involved in layout, not building practices.

Apologies if this is not the forum for such a search.
Mark

[Richard Coers]

What's an instrument layout?

[Cameron Wood]

"Carpentry & Building Construction" Feirer, Hutchings

has a pretty complete run-down. It's a fat textbook & a bit dated, but builder's levels are a bit dated so it fits.

There are others but this is on hand.

[Jim Becker]

In addition to the more traditional, pre-electronics techniques that you'll learn from books like Cameron mentioned, do consider that many builders have moved on to laser based tools like those that Stabila produces to do entire building layouts to very close tolerances. There is always quick checks for square with tapes, etc., just to be sure, but these devices are providing accuracy to .125" or better over very long distances as well as insuring incredibly square corners. Other laser devices contribute as you move vertical for similar accuracy.

[Tom M King]

What is the shape and size of the building, and type foundation? I've built a lot of new buildings over the decades that I was doing that for a living, and the initial layout never even used a builder's level until any footings needed to be dug. Different types of foundations require different starting layout procedures. I never read about it in a book. I just did it. You just need a long enough tape measure to measure the diagonals with.

I understand some cities require it to be laid out by a surveyor. I didn't need that out here in the sticks.

[stephen thomas]

Most of my business was subcontract framing in the 70's, quickly morphing into millwork, renovations, and additions by the end of that decade.
Also built a few new houses, major additions, barns, and free-standing "other" buildings.
I bought a good builders level early on, but like others here, never found it useful for layout. It is too cumbersome & you always end up checking with tapes anyway.
What the transits and builders level gave us was ease of finding and setting elevations, everywhere. Maybe funny, but it's most convenient use was in sizing posts (columns) after the concrete footers or pads were poured for barns and decks.

Of course if we were doing the concrete work, it also was great to set references for levels.
Even if the owner wanted the posts embedded in the concrete, it was trivial after the fact to shoot a reference on each pole and measure up (or down) to cut length, mortises, pockets, etc and have them level the whole way 'round the building. If you have a transit, you can do verticals, but even that is a bit cumbersome unless it is something really critical in a large building.

Having been fascinated by math in my youth, i tried using a builder level or transit as a layout tool a few times and found it really does not make sense for small building construction. You either have to keep re-setting the tripod to different locations and picking up your last reference. Or try to find one initial place to set up with a plumb bob over a hub, and then use the scope's degree reference along with trig and tapes to all the ins, outs, offsets, etc corners. This ends up not being accurate on a small scale (sine of 12deg vs sine 12 deg 30' e.g. shooting merely the corner of a square feature, but one that that is not aligned with the scope 90deg set up ) , and again, cumbersome & time consuming.

If for some reason you need to accurately locate from 2 distant benchmarks, it could be useful. But most survey companies will do that with highly accurate GPS for very little cost these days if you get on their route & are not in a hurry (So they can make a trip to take care of 5 different surveys in one morning in your general area) , and they set reference stakes as well as give a print-out with local existing building features or, say "center of road" to measure from with a tape.

smt

[Tom M King]

Here is very similar to my method. If you need to use batter boards and strings, I can elaborate. I do a few things differently than this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m-G9qrDpng

[Cameron Wood]

I have a self-leveling transit that has worked well. Easy set up, laying out lines and points on a slope, accuracy over hundreds of feet, but the protractor scale could be more precise.

Nowadays, more often use a laser, which only takes one person, but it lacks distance and visibility.

Strings and diagonals are fine on a relatively flat site, but 30' high batter boards would be a problem.

[mark downing]

Thanks everyone. I should have clarified that I do not intend to put a building up. My inquiry into building layout and the use of instruments is only to satisfy my curiosity into how it is done, especially when odd shaped buildings on sloping grades are concerned. The idea of walking onto such a lot as the building foreman with a set of plans and knowing the correct procedures has always interested me.