The essential introduction to GNSS for construction. Learn how to set out and survey with GNSS confidently and accurately. This practical course takes you from the principles of satellite positioning to creating a local site calibration and using GNSS for real-world engineering tasks.
Quick Facts
Duration: 1 day
Format: Classroom and practical site sessions
Location: UK & Ireland-wide training centres and on-site options
This one-day course is aimed at construction professionals who need to understand and apply GNSS technology on site. You’ll learn how to set out and survey using GNSS, while gaining a clear understanding of its capabilities, limitations, and best practice.
The course covers site calibration, error sources, and accuracy checks, ensuring you can work with confidence and avoid costly mistakes. You’ll also practice transferring data to and from controllers, computers, and survey software, preparing you for real-world GNSS use in setting out and surveying.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Levelling Skills
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
Who This Course Is For
Site engineers
Graduate and trainee engineers
Construction managers
Professionals already using GNSS on site without structured training
Anyone confident with total stations who wants to broaden into GNSS
Plus 12 months’ access to our full eLearning library
This covers everything taught on the course and much more, including total station, AutoCAD, machine control, and GNSS
You’ll also join our technical support and mentoring community, giving you ongoing help as you apply your new skills on site.
Funding
CITB has made several updates in recent months to how short-duration training is organised and funded. This has led many people to be uncertain about what they can claim. Funding is still available for many employers, and our courses continue to meet the CITB Assured training standards.
We are keeping fully up to date with the latest guidance, so if you are unsure about what funding applies to you, just contact us and we’ll explain it clearly and confirm your eligibility quickly.
Next Steps
This course is also available as in-house training anywhere in the UK and Ireland, and can be tailored to reflect your company's specific requirements.
Every learner on our practical courses receives a copy of Setting Out For Construction: A Practical Guide to Site Surveying, written by our founder and director Saffron Grant.
This industry-recognised textbook is packed with real-world examples, diagrams, and proven best practice methods. Many engineers keep it close at hand on site as a trusted reference throughout their career.
The book is also available to purchase separately for anyone wanting a comprehensive, practical guide to setting out.
