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Civil Engineering setting out 

Cost: £940 no VAT charged
Duration: 4 days
Locations: Bircham (Norfolk) and Glasgow (Scotland)
Dates: Various
Mandatory Entry Requirements: See below
Funding: See Grants and funding below

This 4- day course builds upon training from the final 3 days of the 5- day Site Levelling and Setting-out course, giving further learning and experience, and progression for delegates that have previously completed either the 3 or 5 day course.

The intermediate course can be taken as a standalone course for delegates that already have some setting-out experience.

The course builds confidence to those delegates that are not confident with the required maths and gives guidance and knowledge of the processes and techniques used to set-out points on site in the construction industry

There is an additional 3-day course ‘introduction to total stations’, for delegates that have no experience with the equipment.

Book this course

Please make sure that you have read and understood the entry requirements (see below) and booking terms and conditions for this course.

Who should attend

  • Trainee Engineers and Construction Managers
  • Graduate Engineers and Construction Managers
  • Site Managers who would like to be able to supervise, recruit for, check or carry out setting out activities
  • People with direct experience of the construction industry who would like to broaden their skills to include setting out.
  • People with previous experience of setting out who have been working in a different role for a number of years and would like to return to setting out.
  • Overseas site engineers and construction managers who are seeking employment in the UK, but do not have setting out experience due to differing division of responsibilities in different countries

Course content

The aim of this course is to give delegates an understanding of the principles of efficient and accurate setting out using a total station, which can be applied to all aspects of construction including site set-up, establishing control, engineers responsibilities, earthworks, roads, grids, buildings, foundations, piles, structural steel, structures, reinforced concrete, and the relevant checks and ‘as set-out’ recording. Real construction drawings are used for all practical exercises.

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

  • Set up the total station over a point
  • Laser safety
  • Establish primary control points
  • Check and manage control points
  • Establish secondary control points
  • Carry out basic angle and geometry calculations
  • Understand and calculate co-ordinates for setting-out
  • Understand how to use calculators and mobile applications for engineering problems
  • Understand and mitigate for sources of error when using a total station
  • Use techniques for improving and checking your accuracy and precision
  • View, edit, add and delete data on the total station
  • Set-up the position and orientation of the total station using the resection and occupied point programs
  • Set out points of known co-ordinates using the stake out function
  • Set out points in relation to a given line using the reference line function
  • Establish a site datum (TBM)
  • Set-out profiles to control height
  • Carry out a full independent check of setting-out compliance
  • Record details of points ‘as set-out’

Qualifications you get

CITB National Construction College Certificate.

Mandatory entry requirements

You will need a reasonable level of mobility and the ability to lift and move loads. Please tell us beforehand if you have a medical ailment that may affect your ability to do manual work

You will also need a good understanding of spoken and written English. Please contact us if you have any concerns in this area

This course involves some maths and delegates will develop an understanding of the following:

  • Falls and gradients
  • Whole circle bearings
  • Working with degrees minutes and seconds
  • Basic geometry
  • Basic angles
  • Basic trigonometry
  • Pythagoras
  • Co-ordinates

By booking a course, you are agreeing to abide by our Terms and Conditions.

Equipment you need to bring

  • Hard Hat EN397
  • Hi-Visibility Vest to BS EN 471, class 3 (in good order)
  • Gloves
  • Safety Boots EN345-S3 or EN345-S5
  • Clothes for all weather conditions
  • Writing equipment
  • Scientific calculator

What we will provide for you

  • All tools and equipment for practical sessions
  • All reference materials

Grants and funding

Grants may be available for eligible employers. For further information please visit our grant pages.

Book this course

Need more information?

Call 0344 994 4433 for more information about this course.