Survey & Drone
Total Station Survey & Setting Out in Bangladesh
A total station is an electronic instrument that measures horizontal angles, vertical angles and distances to fix points from known positions. It is the standard tool for setting out piles, columns and gridlines, checking as-built work and surveying built-up or wooded areas where satellite positioning struggles. Accuracy depends on the instrument, setup and survey procedure.
Quick facts
- Standards
- Traverse from project control, in UTM, BTM or a local site grid
- Who needs it
- Contractors, developers, factory expansions, steel erectors and design consultants
- What you get
- Set-out points marked on site, as-built checks, topographic drawing and record sheets
- Instruments
- Total station with prism and reflectorless modes, auto level, tripods and prisms
Scope
What’s included.
Everything below is done by our own engineers and installation team, so one company answers for the result.
- Traverse from project control or site benchmarks
- Setting out piles, columns, gridlines and footings
- Building corner and boundary wall layout
- As-built checks of columns, slabs and anchor bolts
- Detailed topography in built-up or wooded areas
- Leveling for floor, drain and road gradients
- Survey drawing and set-out record sheets
What is setting out, and why does it matter?
Setting out transfers the design from drawings onto the ground. Piles, column centers, gridlines and foundation edges are marked with pegs, nails or paint so the contractor builds in the right place. Errors here are expensive: a pile in the wrong position or a misaligned grid can mean a structural redesign, not a quick fix.
We set out from established control rather than from a fence or a neighbor's wall, check every critical point from a second station, and record what was marked. The record sheet protects both owner and contractor if a question arises later about where something was built.
Total station or RTK GNSS: when to use which?
RTK is faster on open ground, but it needs clear sky. A total station works anywhere it has a line of sight, including inside a factory shed, between tall buildings, under trees and on steel frames. For tight tolerances over short distances, such as anchor bolts or machine bases, a well set up total station is usually the better instrument.
Most projects use both. RTK fixes the control points across the site, and the total station works from them for detail and setting out. The result is one consistent coordinate system for the whole project, from the first boundary check to the last column.
How do as-built checks help a factory expansion?
Before new steel, machinery or a conveyor line goes into an existing building, you need to know where the old columns, floors and openings really are, not where the original drawings say they are. An as-built survey measures them and highlights the differences, so the new design fits the first time.
During construction, periodic checks catch drift early: columns out of plumb, slabs at the wrong level or anchor bolts in the wrong place. Finding these before the steel arrives is far cheaper than cutting and re-fixing on site, and it keeps the erection program on track.
How it’s done
How we deliver it, step by step.
- 01
Review drawings
We check design drawings, gridlines and coordinates for conflicts before anyone goes to site.
- 02
Establish control
Control points are set and checked by closed traverse or tied to RTK control.
- 03
Set out or measure
Points are marked or measured from control, with critical points checked from a second station.
- 04
Record and sign off
Set-out sheets list each point, its coordinates and its check, for the contractor and engineer.
Price guide
What sets the price.
Every site is different, so we price from a survey, not a rate card. These are the factors that move the number, and the written quote shows each one.
- Number of points to set out or measure
- Number of site visits across construction stages
- Site access, obstructions and working hours
- Required tolerance and checking procedure
- Need for control points or a full traverse first
- Deliverables: record sheets, CAD drawings or reports
Service areas
Total station survey in Chattogram, Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj.
Our engineers survey, install and maintain on site across these cities and the industrial zones around them. For a site elsewhere in Bangladesh, ask and we will tell you plainly whether we can cover it.
- Chattogram
- Dhaka
- Gazipur
- Narayanganj
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the number of points, how many visits the construction stages need, site access, the tolerance you require and whether control has to be established first. A one-off setting out job differs from staged checks across a building program. We quote on the scope your engineer defines.
Instruments are graded by angle accuracy in arc-seconds and by distance accuracy, and good field procedure matters as much as the instrument. Over typical building-site distances, a properly set up total station measures to millimeter-level precision. We state the method and check results on every job.
Yes. Most modern instruments have a reflectorless mode that measures directly to walls, roofs and other surfaces. It is useful for facades and places you cannot reach safely. For setting out and high-precision work we still use a prism, because it gives a more reliable target.
Not always, but an independent check is common on larger jobs. A separate surveyor verifying the contractor's gridlines and pile positions catches errors before concrete is poured, and gives the owner or consultant an objective record if questions arise later.
An auto level only measures height differences along a level line of sight, which is ideal for floor levels, drains and road gradients. A total station measures angles and distances in three dimensions. We often use both on the same site.
Know your building is safe. Book in 60 seconds.
Tell us what you need and where. An engineer confirms your survey slot by phone or WhatsApp.
What happens next
- 1
We call or WhatsApp you to confirm a time.
- 2
An engineer visits and assesses your fire, electrical and security risks.
- 3
You get a written recommendation and quote. No charge, no obligation.
Your details stay private. No newsletters, no sales sequences.