Digital Layout is a technology designed to provide an alternative to using string lines to mark out your building site. Topcon’s digital layout tool technology provides millimetre perfect data by taking the building plan and digitally translating it into real-life measurements. Sites that see the best ROI from construction set out are projects that are three stories or more or have a permanent crane on site. By entering the parameters of your job site into the digital interface, you can calculate the exact locations for all the necessary elements of your build. Utilising a construction layout total station for the precise measurements for your trenches, cabling and wiring can all be set out accurately to the millimetre.
Aptella is at the absolute forefront of the construction set out movement, with its Topcon LN-150 construction total station. The Topcon LN-150 is the best total station for construction layout and it makes use of cutting-edge technology to calculate all the necessary measurements for your job site. Roughly 60% of sites place the liability of setting out onto a subcontractor, so it is essential that their measurements be accurate. Theoretically, a subcontractor can hire their own surveyor, but Australia is facing a national shortage of at least 1,500 surveyors – making organising one difficult. This is particularly troublesome when it comes to jobs with strict time constraints, as a surveyor may not be available to attend to the site within the deadline.
Toby, owner of Meadson Constructions, said of the construction set out tool from Aptella:
“Basically, we can have a total station set up every day without the reliance of a surveyor coming on site every day.”
By offering an alternative to string lines and minimising the need for in-demand surveyors, this revolutionary construction layout tool has made the process of setting out a site more cost effective and less labour-intensive. The traditional process for setting out using reference lines generally requires two to three workers, and when the time involved is doubled or even tripled, the expenses stack up quickly. Conversely, the LN-150 digital layout tool can be operated by a single trained user in a fraction of the time.
Entering the necessary data into the LN-150 is made incredibly easy by using the tablet. Once a couple of points are registered into the system, the LN-150 knows where it is relative to the points, and the user can then enter in all other relevant points and data. This is particularly useful when it comes to subcontractors, who need accurate site measurements to complete their part of the job as quickly as possible.
With quick and easy access to the necessary data and measurements, jobs can be completed in a way that minimises labour, time, and materials. Mitch Laughlin from Aptella emphasised this, saying, “By eliminating the need to set out string lines and wait for surveyors to check every stage after it’s built, when there may be mistakes and rework involved, saves everyone on the project time and money.”
Electricians stand to benefit significantly from the implementation of construction set out technology. The Topcon LN-150 layout construction total station could effectively remove the need to re-do any cabling or wiring. Because the entire job site will be operating off one set of measurements, the potential for another contractor to incorrectly measure out a cable trench in the foundations is minimised. No matter how many different contractors or subcontractors are involved in any part of the job, the measurements remain consistent. Gone are the days of finding incorrect measurements and markings partway through wiring a residential or commercial project.
The exact same problem can arise when marking out measurements to lay cable trays for the roof cavity. If the initial measurements are off, the trays will be incorrectly placed – an issue that will only be revealed when wiring is being installed through said cable trays. The LN-150 provides a solution to these frustrating and time-consuming issues.
The purchase of this total station for construction layout from Aptella also comes with a high level of customer support, including Tokara which features screen sharing capabilities to enable the Aptella’ support team to assist you with troubleshooting. Robert, Cadet Engineer at McNab, said that “Having a Tokara screen sharing system on the tablet lets Aptella take control of the tablet and fix any errors that we might not be able to understand ourselves.”
While string lines can seem cost-effective during the initial stages of construction, the problems that they can cause further down the line can be frustrating and expensive to resolve. Nothing kills the momentum of a large-scale project like having to backtrack and re-do work that was completed weeks or months earlier. This cycle is avoidable through the integration of construction set out technology, which can remove the potential headaches of incorrect work. Get in touch with the Aptella team today and secure a Topcon LN-150 digital layout tool for your next job.
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Aptella Pty Ltd
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