During the construction of any facility, from a large plant to a tiny garden house, we will definitely need a situational plan. What is it and where to get it when planning, for example, a summer cottage? And can you make it yourself?
A situational plan is a topographic plan in the form of a drawing of the land plot where construction is planned to be completed on a scale of 1: 1000, 1: 1500 or 1: 2000. In this drawing, all existing objects (buildings, roads, cable and pipe routes, ravines, rivers and streams, contours of adjacent sections) should be plotted. When erecting an object by a construction and installation organization, a situational plan includes linking it to its production base located near settlements and communications (electric and gas networks, structures and water supply and sewage networks). In addition, the drawing necessarily contains the main natural features of the construction site.
It is compiled on the basis of district planning projects, but if there is no general project, based on the data of individual development projects of the nearest sections, as well as based on engineering surveys.
Engineering and geodetic surveys in the regulatory literature are called a set of measures for geodetic survey of a site (field measurements) and cameral work (processing of data and processing of results). Surveying is required when compiling not only situational, but also topographic, as well as cadastral plans. To develop a situational plan, geodetic survey of the relief is not performed, only buildings, structures, roads and other landmarks are marked.
The owner of a land or garden plot who has conceived its arrangement, and even more so the construction of a house, cannot do without this document. When thinking about how to design a site, start with a situational plan. If such a document is not present, among others, when buying a site, it is easy to draw it up yourself. Take a sheet of paper in A4 size (landscape sheet) or A3 (double the size) - if the area is large. The drawing is most conveniently done on a scale of 1: 200. This means that every centimeter on paper corresponds to two meters on the ground. An ordinary plot of 10 to 20 acres in size on this scale fits well on a landscape sheet. With very small sizes of the plot, you can take a scale of 1: 100 (in one centimeter on paper - one meter on the ground). For a large plot, you need a sheet of A3 or even A2 format.
The situational plan of the land should contain an image of all significant objects - existing (including incomplete) buildings, the boundaries of neighboring plots, wells, roads, landscape elements. The distance between them can be determined using a large 20-meter tape measure. To begin with, it is best to sketch the terrain on a small piece of paper indicating the measured distances between objects, then make an accurate scaled plan. It is convenient to use graph paper.
The situational plan implies vertical elevation marks (possibly, they are available on the existing site drawing), as well as an indication of the cardinal points and wind rose. In the absence of a compass, the cardinal directions are not difficult to determine for yourself - the side where the sun is from noon to 2 p.m. will be southern. The opposite, respectively, is northern. The cardinal points are always plotted in the form of arrows, with the north looking up. Knowing the cardinal points and the prevailing wind directions will help you choose the right place for planting shade or light-loving plants, placing a lawn for sunbathing or a shady corner of relaxation, building a green wall of climbing plants to protect from the cold wind. Inspect the surrounding area, select the most advantageous landscape views and think about how to arrange an exit from the site to a neighboring picturesque meadow or into a shady forest. If your neighborhood is surrounded only by neighboring houses and the road, it is all the more important to consider the type and height of the enclosing structures in order to ensure comfort and privacy while avoiding the “stone bag” effect.
If you are developing a landscape design for an existing site with existing buildings and plantings, it is important to first identify all the problems and weaknesses of your garden. It is advisable to negotiate with friends and family members, take into account and write down all the wishes regarding the proposed changes in the layout. On the plan, you will definitely need to put the distance from the borders of the territory (adjacent sides of the fence) to the walls of the house (that is, "put the house on the plan"), as well as all "hard surfaces" - the lines of the paths, foundations, indicating the width. If there are large plantations (for example, large trees), they are marked on the plan with drawing a projection of the crown of the tree. This is necessary to determine shaded areas and select a place for planting (as you know, the roots of a tree are usually located in the outlines of the projection of its crown).
Large plant masses are best depicted on separate sheets of paper in more detail for subsequent detailed planning.