Setting out

[Rich H]

Afternoon all. I've got a job coming up where the garden designer (gawd bless 'em) has oriented the paving at 60° to a swimming pool (how many cuts?!)

The first stage of the project though is to set out a new summerhouse cum pump room which will run parallel to the paving but about 8m from the pool and kitty-corner from it.

The lines from the pool to the new slab site are all obstructed by trees and shrubs that they want to keep until they're ready to do the paving.

I've allowed a whole day to set out the position and levels, etc. but here's where I need help. Does anyone know of a way of calculating a 30/60° angle using measurements? What angle does a 3:4:5 triangle give you?

[Pablo]

A 3;4;5 would give you 45deg . If the designer (Bless em I know how you feel) has drawn to scale and also drawn the angles correctly then easy way to transfer the angle onto the ground would be to extend the lines to the boundaries on the plans measure the points where they hit and then mark them on the ground with pegs. Run a line between the 2 and hey presto. You may be a few deg out but that will not be noticed you could then quite easily also make up a jig but once the line is in it would be easy to run everything else square from that. Bound to be a way of calculating the angle but way above my head and probably slower too.

[GB_Groundworks]

might be out of the price range for this job but we have just started using a survey company to set out, albeit the site has to be surveyed first for the architect/designer but once its all drawn they come back and mark any point you want to within 1mm-3mm with geodimetre or gps. they just set a slab out for us for a house and was £250 for 2 of them for a morning to set it out.

not really necessary for landscaping but a godsend for big jobs.

[Rich H]

Thanks lads.

Giles - that would be great but the job value doesn't really warrant it.

Pablo - that's exactly what I think I'll end up having to do. BTW 3:4:5 can't give you 45° - you need the two 'straight' sides to be the same length for that

EDIT:

Just found my answer on the web - instead of a 3:4:5 you use a 1:1.73:2 triangle (where 1.73 is the root of 3). So I'll I need to do is peg out a line in the corner position and parallel to the pool and take my angle from there.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Pablo]

Rich you're absolutly right the 3:4:5 gives you the 60 deg but once you get the 90 you can easily get the 45deg from that my brain was one step behind my typing fingers.

[Tony McC]

[87-1235666499]

As a newbie I have to say that this is a terrific series of posts culminating in Tony's masterpiece at the end, to my mind a really excellent example of how the web and a forum like this can help with problems - at the least you can get confirmation that you have reached the right conclusion.

Rich H's last line made me laugh out loud - what could possibly go wrong indeed?

Best
WOP

[arsie]

60 degrees is one of the easiest to do accurately. All you need is to make an equilateral (equal sides) triangle. Each of the internal angles will be 60 degrees.

For example, measure out any length along the side of the pool (say A-B). Then make two pieces of string or whatever of the same length. Attach one of the strings to A and one to B and then walk away from the pool with each of the strings fully stretched. Then walk inwards. Where the strings meet (point C) is such that lines AC and BC will be at 60 degrees angle to the pool.

QED

[henpecked]

60 degrees is one of the easiest to do accurately. All you need is to make an equilateral (equal sides) triangle. Each of the internal angles will be 60 degrees.

For example, measure out any length along the side of the pool (say A-B). Then make two pieces of string or whatever of the same length. Attach one of the strings to A and one to B and then walk away from the pool with each of the strings fully stretched. Then walk inwards. Where the strings meet (point C) is such that lines AC and BC will be at 60 degrees angle to the pool.

QED

Wrong screen name, should be smart-arsie



Great how geometry can save you a shed load of measuring /cutting.

Good post

HP

[Dave_L]

Wrong screen name, should be smart-arsie

It could be arranged!!

Agree, top bit of advice there.....so simple!