Enhanced Setting Out Skills (4 days)

Description

Enhanced Setting Out Skills is a flexible four‑day programme designed for engineers who want to advance their practical and technical capabilities beyond the 5‑day Setting Out for Construction course. The programme builds on the foundations of the CITB Assured Training Standards (Levelling and Tape Measurement and Total Station for Construction) and develops higher level competence across digital levelling, interpreting construction drawings, robotic total station workflows, and GNSS.

This course can be taken as:

✔ A full 4‑day programme (best value £990+VAT)

Ideal for engineers who want a complete upgrade of their setting‑out skillset across all four disciplines.  You don’t need to attend all 4 courses in the same week, you can attend individual courses in different weeks (please email info@settingoutforconstruction.com once you have booked, to arrange this).

✔ Individual day modules (£350+VAT per individual day)

Perfect for those who only need to strengthen specific areas — such as levelling, drawings, robotic total station traverse, or GNSS — without committing to the full programme.

Each day focuses on a distinct technical discipline, allowing participants to tailor their learning to the needs of their role or project.

The individual modules are:

 Programme Structure (4 Days / Modular Options)

Day 1 – Total Station Traverse with On‑Board Workflow Focuses on using the robotic total station’s on‑board survey and calculation functions. Includes completing a traverse using on‑board tools, exporting raw survey data, and preparing it for post‑processing. (The 5‑day Setting Out For Construction and the 3-day Total Station for Construction courses cover manual traverse calculations; this module advances to automated workflows).

Day 2 – GNSS Awareness Covers GNSS operation in static and RTK modes, data management, coordinate‑based setting out, and practical GNSS workflows used on modern construction sites. This programme aligns with recognised industry standards and current working practices, supporting engineers involved in setting out, dimensional control, verification, and digital survey tasks.

Day 3 – Levelling Technologies for Construction Builds on the fundamentals taught in the 5‑day Setting Out For Construction course. Covers digital levels, laser levels, pipe lasers, and advanced levelling techniques used for control establishment and earthworks.

Day 4 – Reading Construction Drawings Develops the ability to interpret, extract, and apply information from construction drawings to support setting out activities.

Learning Objectives

Total Station Traverse with On‑Board Workflow (Day 1)

•  Navigate and operate the onboard traverse program to complete survey workflows efficiently.
• Complete a full traverse workflow in the field using onboard software and equipment.
• Explain how onboard traverse calculations relate to manual traverse methods and principles.
• Interpret onscreen traverse results, indicators and quality outputs to assess survey confidence.
• Identify errors, anomalies and poor observations and determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Set up, check and validate a backsight target over a known point.
• Verify traverse setup quality and troubleshoot common setup and observation issues.
• Explain the relationship between traverse workflows and GNSS/GPS survey methods.
• Export traverse data in a suitable format for use within survey processing software.

GNSS Awareness (Day 2)

• Use GNSS terminology confidently
• Explain the basic principles of GNSS technology
• Identify appropriate and inappropriate applications of GNSS in construction
• Carry out a site calibration to create a local coordinate system
• Recognise potential sources of error in GNSS and factors affecting accuracy
• Check and monitor the accuracy achieved on site
• Select and apply the correct scale factor for tasks
• Enter, edit, and manage data on the GNSS controller
• Connect and configure GNSS rover and controller
• Navigate menus, programs, and stored data
• Conduct a topographical survey and record results systematically
• Set out points of known coordinates
• Set out points relative to a baseline or reference line
• Set out points at chainages and offsets along a curve (e.g. road centrelines)
• Transfer data between controller and computer/software
• Extract line data (horizontal distances, level differences)
• Measure irregular areas and volumes such as stockpiles
• Import/export DXF, DTM, CSV, and Excel files for use in GNSS workflows

Levelling Technologies for Construction (Day 3)

Instrument Selection & Application

• Explain the purpose, strengths and limitations of digital levels, pipe lasers, laser levels and graded laser levels.
• Select the most appropriate levelling technology for different construction activities and explain when alternative methods should be used.
• Apply existing levelling principles across a range of modern levelling technologies.

Digital Levels

• Set up and operate a digital level to carry out level surveys and monitoring activities.
• Capture, record and manage digital level data correctly.
• Interpret digital level outputs and survey records to support site decision-making.
• Export digital level data for use in reporting and processing workflows.
• Identify common sources of error and apply appropriate checks to maintain confidence in results.

Pipe Lasers

• Explain when pipe lasers are suitable and when alternative methods should be selected.
• Calculate falls and gradients for pipe installation activities.
• Set up and operate a pipe laser to establish and maintain line and grade.
• Use Perspex targets correctly to interpret beam position and maintain control.
• Identify practical challenges and common sources of error.

Laser Levels

• Explain when laser levels are the appropriate tool and when they are not suitable.
• Set up and operate laser levels safely and accurately.
• Recognise common sources of error and apply verification methods.
• Supervise and support others to ensure correct setup and use on site.

Graded Laser Levels

• Position graded laser levels correctly relative to the required design plane.
• Configure and operate graded laser levels to establish and maintain specified falls.
• Apply workflows where two independent falls exist at right angles to one another.
• Verify outputs and maintain confidence in level and grade control.

Reading Construction Drawings (Day 4)

• Check if a drawing is to the scale shown on the drawing
• Check if a drawing is to scale when no scale is given
• Calculate a scale factor without a scale rule
• Calculate a scale which is not round number
• Take measurements from construction drawings
• Interpret drainage drawings (Layout, cross-sections, elevations, details and manhole schedules)
• Interpret reinforced concrete drawings
• Interpret road alignment and construction detail drawings
• Carry out calculations to check falls and gradients given are correct in relation to invert levels
• Use a systematic method to cross reference information on different drawings and
• Extract relevant information from a construction drawing and create a working sketch
• Define common terminology and abbreviations

Prerequisites

Learners are required to have an understanding of;

- Geometry and coordinate systems

- Establishing primary control points via traverse

- Understanding of the fundamentals of levelling and setting out by tape