Site Preparation Instructions

Preparation of staging areas and building sites gets your project moving smoothly.

STEPS FOR PREPARING TO BUILD

Laying out the building site

[Detailed stakeout of building plan]

We ran short of time and hired a professional to come and do the excavation including leveling the site, digging the pad foundation holes, and spreading the stone foundation material. However, we had to stake out the excavation site and locate the holes to dig out. Here's a quick way to get the first staking done and be sure that it is square.

Workshop

Collect equipment and supplies needed

• Blueprint of site plan
• (2) 100’ Measuring tapes
• 4 3-4’ stakes
• Hammer
• Bright spray paint

1. Choose a spot approximately 5 feet to the North and 5 feet to the West of the area to be excavated.
2. Pound in a stake and spray paint the top foot or two of it.
3. Measure due East a distance 10’ longer than the foundation width (total 67’).
4. Place and paint another stake.
5. Calculate a distance 10’ longer than the foundation length (total 83’).
6. Calculate the diagonal measurement of the excavation site [Length(squared) x Width(squared) = Diagonal(squared)] (106'8").
7. Measure due South from the Northwest stake the distance calculated in step 5.
8. Set the second tape measure on the Northeast stake and measure the diagonal calculated in step 6 going Southwest.
9. Set your third stake where the two measured lengths meet each other.
10. Paint the stake.
11. Measure due South from the Northeast stake the distance calculated in step 5.
12. Set the second tape measure on the Northeast stake and measure the diagonal calculated in step 6 going Southwest.
13. Set your fouth stake where the two measured lengths meet each other.
14. Paint the stake.

Here is a drawing with dimensions for laying out site for excavation of the column pad holes. The green lines indicate where the storm drainage ditch is planned to run.

Additional delivery area and storage/equipment shed

(We set this area to the south of the workshop and lined it up with the first row of columns in from the West wall.)

Collect equipment and supplies needed

• Blueprint of site plan
• (2) 100’ Measuring tapes
• 4 3-4’ stakes
• Hammer
• Bright spray paint

1. Measure 21’ to the West from the Southeast stake along the South excavation line.
2. Set a stake there and paint it.
3. Measure 11’ to the East from the Southwest stake along the South Excavation line.
4. Set a stake there and paint it.[The distance between the stakes should be 10’ greater than the width of the storage shed foundation. (total 35’)]
5. Calculate the combined distance of the delivery area and the storage shed foundation (total 45’).
6. Calculate the diagonal measurement of this part of the site [Length(squared) x Width(squared) = Diagonal(squared)] (57').
7. Measure the distance calculated in step 5 due South from the stake set in step 2.
8. Set the second tape measure on the stake set in step 4 and measure the diagonal calculated in step 6 towards the Southwest.
9. Set your third stake where the two measured lengths meet each other.
10. Paint the stake.
11. Measure the distance calculated in step 5 due South from the stake set in step 4.
12. Set the second tape measure on the stake set in step 2 and measure the diagonal calculated in step 6 towards the Southeast.
13. Set your fourth stake where the two measured lengths meet each other.
14. Paint the stake.

We considered it important to plan for grassy waterways to keep storm water drainage from encroaching on the workshop floor at the Factor E Farm site. Working from theory, we developed some possible plans. In consultation with the excavator, we changed some of them.

• Updates will follow.

Preparing footings for Column Pads

[Excavate and fill column pad holes]