Excavation and Footing Layout in Hamilton

What was needed

The owner needed the building set out in stages as construction moved forward: stakes to guide the excavation, then marks on the poured footings showing where the foundation walls would go.

The surveying work we carried out

• A topographic survey of the property in 2025, before construction
• Layout of excavation stakes for the building
• Layout nails on the poured footings for the foundation walls, marked with orange paint

Site conditions

Our site photos show a deep excavation on a residential lot with poured concrete footings, form boards and lumber, soil stockpiles at the edges, a wooden fence and dense trees at the back of the lot. The instrument was set up at the edge of the excavation, where it could see down onto the footings.

Methods and equipment

The work was carried out with a Spectra Focus robotic total station on a tripod and a prism pole, set up beside the excavation. Foundation wall positions were set as nails on the footings, each marked with orange paint so the crew could find it.

Deliverables

• Excavation stakes
• Layout nails and paint marks on the footings for the foundation walls
• Topographic survey of the property (2025)

How the survey supported the next stage

Marks on the footings let the forming crew place the foundation walls from measured positions rather than tape measurements off the excavation.