Construction Layout - A Foundation for Success (Part 1 of 2)

Jonathan Terry, P.L.S.

Course Outline

Whether you're a professional engineer, land surveyor, construction layout contractor, entry-level employee working in a construction layout crew, party chief, construction manager, superintendent or architect, you'll benefit by a better understanding of this unique, essential component of any significant construction project.

By walking the reader through a typical, mid-sized project, covering bidding, contract negotiation, paperwork, interpersonal relationships, procedures, documentation, billing, site reconnaissance, geometric computations, and applying specific layout methods, the reader will not just be told about things but will see and experience the broad spectrum of construction layout and related disciplines through the eyes of its author. This approach makes remembering what's presented so much easier.

Tips (maybe even trade secrets) are freely shared - important lessons and experience learned by a surveyor licensed in 7 states, who's been an employee of developers, construction managers, architects, engineers and surveyors since 1963 and possesses a wealth of knowledge gained through founding and operating a successful construction layout business.

Neither fear nor swelling pride fosters success in this unique business. And, both attitudes are more common to providers of layout services than a quiet confidence born of real understanding. This course seeks to establish the latter.

Construction layout is a specialized, demanding function. It deserves study and the sincere respect it seldom gets. Its demands are uniquely complex and its rewards generous. This course is not merely the presentation of technique and processes (though these are included); it's an equipping, enabling source of knowledge and understanding.

This is Part 1 of 2 on Construction Layout - A Foundation for Success. The author strongly recommends that you take both parts of this course to have a complete understanding of the topic.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, licensed engineers and surveyors, their technical and field personnel and contractors performing construction layout will have gained a better appreciation for the unique demands of construction project control and will better manage the business, procedural, technical and relationship aspects of construction layout - and, will hopefully enjoy construction layout as much as I do.

• Learn important "trade secrets" from a person who's successfully founded and operated a business specializing in construction layout and established a construction survey division of a large construction management firm.
• Learn how the professional Team creating new development functions and the place of construction layout on that Team.
• Learn tips, tricks and special pieces of equipment that help you perform your layout more quickly without compromising precision.
• Learn how to confidently ask questions when you really don't understand the plans or know exactly what you should be laying out.
• Learn what plans to believe or not to believe and how to check dimensions when staking a major building.
• Learn how to perform marketing and sales in effective ways without assuming an exaggerated self-importance or high pressure tactics.
• Learn how to level the playing field in a competitive bidding situation.
• Learn effective proposal writing concepts for construction layout.
• Learn how to structure your proposal or bid to limit layout items that might never be requested.
• Learn how to handle the correction of errors you discover in the plans and how to stake those items correctly without assuming liability for the correction.
• Learn the advantages and disadvantages of both small firms and large firms in relation to seeking clients for construction layout contracts and how to promote your strengths when seeking contracts.
• Learn the "full-service" layout requirements for a mid-sized, commercial project and how to structure these in your proposal.
• Learn how your billing relates to your proposal and what documents should accompany your monthly statements to your clients.
• Learn how to easily keep track of set-fee, proposal item billing based on percentage of completion.
• Learn tricks for transferring column lines or offsets to column lines to upper floors on multi-story buildings.
• Learn how to set control for major buildings, so that you can repeat precise layout, even after your building or column offset stakes are destroyed.
• Learn staking requirements for traditional utility construction methods and for pipe construction guided by a laser.
• Learn how to limit liability through your proposal, your contract, your correspondence, forms and private records.
• Learn the importance of receiving full sets of plans early and of attending the pre-construction meeting.
• Learn what digital files you should obtain and why you need both paper and digital plan sets - and why you need to get these early.
• Learn how the construction management firm's employees differ in experience and roles and how to handle your relationships with the persons filling each role.
• Learn why asking questions is critical to your success and know what questions to ask of whom and when.
• Learn why you and your crews must be familiar with your contract/proposal and carry a copy to the site.
• Learn why a project Field Folder must be created, what goes in it, and why it's taken to the site with each visit.
• Learn safety tips and principles unique to an active construction site.
• Learn how to make money "in the rain" (or at least maximize down-time due to weather).
• Learn what the Geometric Plan was historically, what it is today and when to believe or not to believe in the integrity of a digital drawing file.
• Learn tips for selecting the personnel who will perform construction layout and managing crews sent to perform layout.
• Learn tips for adjusting equipment on the fly - or on the job site.
• Learn suggested staking techniques and relative precision typically required for the many different features you're laying out.
• Learn standard ways to mark stakes that get the job done, avoid confusion and protect you from the potential for huge back-charges (Mark a stake improperly and you've bought the farm!).
• Learn proven techniques for preserving your primary control (traverse control points) that are needed throughout the entire project's duration.
• Learn why flagging on stakes should be color-coded.
• Learn how color-coded file folders and certain standard forms give you the upper hand when clients misremember what was said or what actually took place.
• Learn rules of thumb that are useful when performing layout.
• Learn why Conversation Logs are essential records and how they can save you from client disputes and claims against you.
• Learn why Work Orders are necessary, how to use them for work authorization and for getting paid in a timely manner.
• Learn what paper field book documentation is appropriate and what notes belong in a data collector file.
• Learn how a standard rubber stamp impression at the start of each day's notes in the paper field book will train your crew to think like business people.
• Learn how to expedite layout by copying sketches directly to field book pages.
• Learn how and when to write CYA memos, e-mails and letters.
• Learn suggested disclaimers to include in your proposals and grade sheets to minimize disputes and back-charges.
• Learn typical staking and grade sheet preparation for single family residences.
• Learn typical staking and grade sheet preparation for residential driveways.
• Learn typical pattern of layout for curbing and parking lots and what sketches are necessary to avoid confusion over your stakes and to uniquely identify each stake on your grade sheet.

Intended Audience

This course is designed for engineers, land surveyors, architects, contractors, or anyone contracting, providing, reviewing or specifying construction layout services.

Benefit to Attendees

This course teaches both technical and practical skills, contract and business considerations, staking and grade sheets, client relations, functioning in and with the design/build team, and relates countless tips and trade secrets learned only through solid, real-world experience.

Course Author

The author of this course is a Licensed Land Surveyor who's obtained professional registration in eight states and served as assistant construction superintendent, teacher, writer, civil technician, site planner, land surveying department head for mapping firms, civil/consulting firms and developers, created and managed the construction layout division of a large construction management firm, founded and operated a successful construction layout business and separate land surveying business and worked as the employee of civil, surveying, and architectural firms, developers and state government. His career began in 1963.

Such a diverse background is rare and provides a breadth of understanding beyond that normally experienced in any single profession. Construction layout is viewed from many perspectives not commonly experienced by the land surveyor.

Construction layout is like a unique and fascinating jewel having many facets, each unique and worthy of careful study. As an object of study, construction layout must be placed in its proper setting - that is, in its relevance and relationship to the design/build process and the professional team that gets thing built. Understanding construction layout from this overview yields success. This is our goal.

This course provides an overview and perspective of critical value to land surveyors, but it's purposefully aimed at any person working in the disciplines listed below. It's not just for surveyors, but most surveyors should obtain a deeper and broader understanding of this challenging and rewarding discipline. The course will increase knowledge and broaden horizons of understanding.

Course Introduction

Construction Layout Part 1 presents "Foundational Principles for Success." It conveys knowledge that's taken decades of experience to learn - information and principles that most who know such things won't share freely with others. 'Trade Secrets' may be too strong a term for what's conveyed in this course, but much of the information is at least of the flavor of trade secrets. Success at construction layout is not achieved through technical expertise or measuring skills alone. Construction Layout exposes the architect, engineer or surveyor to a culture different from its own - to priorities and viewpoints unique to its genre, to a team experience requiring cooperation, effort and communications quite different from most other interactions within the professional design team.

Part 1 lays the foundations for understanding the 'world' of construction layout. For many who serve in design and surveying professions, experiencing the construction environment is like visiting another planet. It's a planet that has a lot to share with us, a lot to teach us. It's a fascinating place that functions to the rhythm of a drum beat starkly different from the drone of quiet designers' cubicles. It's the last step between conception and reality. On the construction site, dreaming ends, theory meets the real world and anything that doesn't work gets modified until it does.

When a design reaches the stage of construction, things get real. Construction layout is just plain fun!

But, it's a dangerous vocation, prone to frightening levels of liability exposures. Construction layout happens on a playing-field where the blame-game is played with high stakes. Many are afraid to perform construction layout services, and they're right to be cautious. It's not for the faint-hearted, for timid souls or novices. There's a lot to know besides cogo calcs and measuring skills.

This course introduces the big-picture - what you need to know to survive and even prosper performing construction layout - foundational principles for success.

Course Content

The course content is in a PDF file (0.9 MB) Construction Layout - A Foundation for Success (Part 1 of 2). You need to open or download this document to study this course.

Conclusion

Congratulation on completing Part 1.

We've covered lots of topics, haven't we? Taken together, they serve as foundational elements in building a solid, productive construction layout service or business. Your course author realizes that not all readers will apply every principle exactly as presented. This material is offered as food for thought, to provoke your own thinking on these matters and to focus your attention on ways that benefit your own area of practice.

The thoughts and principles presented in this course have greatly benefited your author by creating meaningful and happy business relationships, making money (quite a bit of it, really) and rewarding diligence with personal satisfaction through jobs well done.

This course continues in Part 2, where the course material transitions into specific guidance on typical layout methods and strategies. Part 2 uses the above material as a foundation and builds further to include:

• Interviewing and hiring construction layout personnel
• Useful equipment (some not usually carried even in equipped survey vehicles
• Typical sequence of layout and tips for establishing on- and off-site control
• Tips on when to or not to take great care with precision
• When to adjust and balance a traverse and when not to
• Ways to stake buildings and how to document to avoid confusion
• Checking and documenting critical (high liability) layout
• Requests for layout you should refuse
• How to handle unexpected requests for layout
• Tips and tricks related to equipment and methods
• Color-coding and labeling of stakes
• Important rules-of-thumb
• Essential record keeping
• CYA memos and correspondence
• Cut Sheets (Sometimes called Grade Sheets) and Sketches - documents designed to protect you and provide maximum clarity regarding what you've staked
• Work Orders - Multi-function documents that allow you to be responsive and still get paid for your trouble and keep good client relations
• The Team and your role on it
• Lots more.....

Part 2 is the other half of this course, and your instructor strongly recommends studying the remainder of the course to obtain the greatest benefit and fullest understanding. Part 2 builds upon the information and principles you've just studied.

Thank you for taking the time to study the course. Your course author wishes you success and welcomes your comments and suggestions.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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