Measuring levels, can a layperson do it?

[Grian]

Hello again knowledgable folk!

 

I'm going to need levels measured on the area where I'm applying to site a shepherd's hut, both for the planning application and for building control in order to get approval to connect to the septic tank, however I know from the house build that it costs loads to get this done. Is it something a layperson can undertake, and is the equipment expensive?

 

I did help by holding poles when the levels were done for the house, but please assume I know nothing because that is pretty much the case!

 

Thank you.

[markc]

Basic surveying shouldn’t cost much at all. You don’t need fancy instruments.

for your project a water level or basic laser is more than accurate enough.

and yes a layperson can do it.…. What is a lay person anyway?

Edited February 17, 2022 by markc

[Conor]

If it's a small area a solo surveyor should get it done in half a day and a basic drawing knocked up for a couple hundred quid. 

[Grian]

Thanks, I am on an island so that adds hugely to time and travel costs. I don't believe there is anyone local who will do it as they are all part of firms who work on big projects.

 

It looked easy enough when done for the house but I wasn't thinking ahead far enough to really pay attention to how it was done. I will have a look on ebay for laser equipment.

[markc]

Basic water level

https://www.instructables.com/member/retswerb/

[Grian]

22 minutes ago, markc said:

Basic water level

https://www.instructables.com/member/retswerb/

 

Thanks for the link, I will refer to Google for operating instructions  clearly I should have said could a not very bright layperson do it!

[Pocster]

41 minutes ago, markc said:

What is a lay person anyway?

Someone you lay ?

[joe90]

How accurate do you really need to be?. Use a spirit level and two poles with a friend!.

[Grian]

Ah!!!! That looks familiar, in a distant and unpleasant way, 'if the tree is 20ft away and Timmy is 4'7" how soon will the train reach the station?". Thank you!

 

Accurate enough to be 100% confident the drop is sufficient to work for foul water... The proposed hut location is a fair distance from the septic tank. Step 2 will be discovering the formula (forumula probably as I will ask here!) that tells me if poopies will make it that far. If not there is a plan b but I prefer plan a quite a bit more.

[Russell griffiths]

Your poo pipe will need to fall 1:40. 

So 1cm of fall for 40cm run of pipe

or 1m of fall for 40 m run of pipe. 

You will need to lift the man hole closest to the septic tank and measure down to the base of the pipe coming in. 

Try not to get poo on your tape. 

This is called the invert level. 

The lower into the ground this is the better for you if you are some distance away. 

[Grian]

8 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

You will need to lift the man hole closest to the septic tank and measure down to the base of the pipe coming in. 

Try not to get poo on your tape. 

This is called the invert level. 

The lower into the ground this is the better for you if you are some distance away. 

 

Oh that is good news, I hadn't taken into account that it is actually a little deeper at that point, that will help. Feeling a smidgen more optimistic. 

Will I also measure from the height where the toilet will be in the hut, or from ground level at that point? 

Thank you.

 

[Russell griffiths]

At the hut end you need a bit of imagination. 

I actually have a holiday cabin mounted on blocks above the ground, so similar to your hut, the pipe will come out of the hut and be visible for a bit before going underground, if you had a fall problem you could have the pipe above ground for the last bit and make the ground level up. 

[Grian]

Very cunning @Russell griffiths thank you!

[SteamyTea]

2 hours ago, Grian said:

Ah!!!! That looks familiar, in a distant and unpleasant way, 'if the tree is 20ft away and Timmy is 4'7" how soon will the train reach the station?"

SMP (simple mathematics project).  Can tell when you went to school.

The example I had was two men digging a tunnel, 1 and 2 metres and hour and the other at 3.5 metres and hour. What times does the cat put the tea on?

[joe90]

When I laid my drain pipe I taped a spacer block one end (see @Russell griffiths post above for measurement)  of my long spirit level so when the bubble said level the pipe sloped correctly ?

[Pocster]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

At the hut end you need a bit of imagination. 

I actually have a holiday cabin mounted on blocks above the ground, so similar to your hut, the pipe will come out of the hut and be visible for a bit before going underground, if you had a fall problem you could have the pipe above ground for the last bit and make the ground level up. 

This deep in a forest off the beaten track?. You take people there yes?

Edited February 17, 2022 by pocster

[Pocster]

10 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

SMP (simple mathematics project).  Can tell when you went to school.

The example I had was two men digging a tunnel, 1 and 2 metres and hour and the other at 3.5 metres and hour. What times does the cat put the tea on?

Can we apply SMP to @Onoff ?

 

A man tiles a bathroom; how long will it take him to make the ufh work?

[SteamyTea]

Just now, pocster said:

Can we apply SMP to @Onoff ?

 

A man tiles a bathroom; how long will it take him to make the ufh work?

Or a man measures a hole.

How long to sell the glazing?

[Pocster]

17 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Or a man measures a hole.

How long to sell the glazing?

A man lives in Cornwall 

 

How long will he live ?

[SteamyTea]

On 17/02/2022 at 14:25, pocster said:

A man lives in Cornwall 

 

How long will he live ?

Made it almost a week so far.

[Grian]

Proceeding at a typically glacial pace - I have the measurements!

Hut to Invert = 20.8 m with a 500 mm drop

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Grian

[Mr Punter]

That gives you a fall of about 1:40.  Even if your invert at the exit from the hut is 250mm because you want the pipe buried, you still have 1:80 which is just about acceptable.

[Radian]

On 17/02/2022 at 13:53, SteamyTea said:

SMP (simple mathematics project).  Can tell when you went to school.

The example I had was two men digging a tunnel, 1 and 2 metres and hour and the other at 3.5 metres and hour. What times does the cat put the tea on?

OK, a little late to this but can't resist correcting you 😁

[ToughButterCup]

On 17/02/2022 at 09:56, Grian said:

...

Is it something a layperson can undertake, and is the equipment expensive?

....

 

Here's a play list for you

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=levels+for+landscape

[Grian]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

That gives you a fall of about 1:40.  Even if your invert at the exit from the hut is 250mm because you want the pipe buried, you still have 1:80 which is just about acceptable.

 

Good point, thanks, of course it will need to be beneath the surface. Hopefully building control will find it acceptable.