Building Construction and Furniture Making
School Based Assessment
Project 2: Site Plan Operation.
Assigned Task:
Work Activity: You are required to follow the outline of a simple site plan
given and use the information learnt of the steps to be followed to laying out
a building to complete this aspect of your SBA.
The process must include the following steps:
Establish base/building line
Establish corner profiles
Ensure layout is square
Establish trenches and wall widths
Source of Evidence: Pictures of the layout process. Writing up of
the steps and procedures that were followed to complete the layout process.
This should include the methods of checking squareness.
Steps and Procedures
Steps for Laying Out a Building Using the 3-4-5 Method
1. Locate the First Reference Point:
Start by marking a fixed point on the ground. This point will serve as
one corner of the building layout. You can use a stake or wooden peg
to mark this location. (Our fixed point was done from the Physical
Education storeroom and was made according to the dimension on
paper)
2. Establish the First Baseline:
From the first reference point, measure a straight line (let's call it Line
1) that corresponds to one wall of the building. This will serve as your
baseline.
Stretch a measuring tape or string along this line, ensuring it is straight
and properly aligned with the design plan.
3. Apply the 3-4-5 Method to Create a Right Angle:
Measure 3 units along Line 1 from your reference point (e.g., 3 feet or
meters).
From the reference point, establish a second line (Line 2),
perpendicular to Line 1, along which the second wall will be laid out.
Use a string line to temporarily mark this.
Measure 4 units along this second line.
To form a right angle, measure 5 units diagonally between the points
on Line 1 and Line 2. Adjust the second line (Line 2) until the diagonal
is exactly 5 units. When this is the case, you have a right angle (90°).
4. Mark the Second Corner:
Once you have established a right angle, mark the end of Line 2 with a
stake or peg. This becomes your second reference point.
5. Continue Around the Layout:
Repeat the 3-4-5 method for each additional corner of the building to
ensure all corners are square.
For rectangular or square buildings, all four corners should be checked
using this method.
Diagonal Method to Check if Corners Are Square
The diagonal method is another way to verify that all corners of a rectangular
or square building are properly aligned at 90°.
Steps for the Diagonal Method:
1. Measure Diagonal Distances:
o After laying out all four corners of the building, we measured the
diagonal distance between two opposite corners (corner A to
corner C) using a measuring tape or string.
o Then, measure the diagonal distance between the other two
opposite corners (corner B to corner D).
2. Compare the Diagonal Measurements:
o For the building to have square corners, the two diagonal
measurements should be exactly equal.
Establishing Wall and Trench Thickness
To begin this process we erected profile boards at each corner. A distance of
2’ (2 feet) was measured to erect the profile boards.
1. Wall Thickness:
Foundation Type: The thickness of the wall is dependent on the
material used. In our case we were laying out for a building that will
use 6” blocks.
We measured and marked 6” from each peg going in to establish the
thickness of the walls.
2. Trench Thickness (Foundation Trench Width):
The trench width was measured a distance of 6 inches to the left and
the right of the marks established for the wall thicknesses.
3. Making wall and trench thicknesses visible.
We then drove nails into the marked areas for wall thicknesses and
trench thicknesses. Strings were used to outline these thicknesses.
Summary of the Steps:
1. Locate and mark the first corner (reference point).
2. Establish the first baseline (Line 1) along one side of the building.
3. Apply the 3-4-5 method to form a right angle for the adjacent side
(Line 2).
4. Mark the second corner and repeat for all corners.
5. Use the diagonal method to verify that the layout is square.
6. Determine wall thickness according to building design or local codes.
7. Set trench width based on wall thickness (usually twice the wall
thickness).
Pictural Evidence
Establishing First baseline
Stretch a measuring tape or string along this line, ensuring it is straight and
properly aligned with the design plan.
Apply the 3-4-5 Method to Create a Right Angle
Erecting profile boards at each corner
Establishing wall thicknesses.
Checking diagonal after checking wall and trench thicknesses,
