Site plan

[edit] What is a site plan?

A site plan is typically a large scale drawing that shows the full extent of the site for an existing or proposed development. Site plans, along with location plans, may be necessary for planning applications. In most cases, site plans will be drawn up following a series of desk-based studies and site investigations.

See also: Location plan.

[edit] What scale should a site plan be?

Depending on the size and complexity of the project, site plans are likely to be at a scale of 1:500 or 1:200. However, for very small projects, larger scales may be used, and for large projects smaller scales, or even several drawings may be required, perhaps pulled together on one very small scale plan.

[edit] What should a site plan include?

The information shown on a site plan will vary depending on the nature of the project, however, certain key information is likely to appear on most site plans:

• Title block, giving the project name, drawing type, author, revision number, status, date, the scale used, and so on.
• Notes highlighting changes from previous revisions.
• Directional orientation. This could be a compass or a north-pointing arrow.
• Key dimensions.
• Key materials.
• Site boundaries and delineation of adjacent properties, including where necessary, adjoining or adjacent structures, and surrounding streets.
• The location of the building, buildings or other built assets (such as bridges, tunnels and so on) in relation to their surroundings.
• Trees, tree protection orders, and the main elements of the landscape.
• Parking areas with dimensions or capacities, traffic flows, and signage.
• Roads, footpaths, ramps, paved areas, and so on.
• Easements such as right-of-ways, right of support, and so on.
• Buildings to be demolished or removed.
• The general extent of earthworks, including, cutting and filling, the provision of retaining walls, and so on.
• The general layout of external services, including drainage, water, gas, electricity, telephone, manhole covers, and so on.
• The layout of external lighting.
• Fencing, walls and gates.
• The location of miscellaneous external components such as; bollards, fire hydrants, signage, litter bins, and so on.

Where the site is complex, some of this information might be shown on additional specialist site plans, such as; structural site plans, site history, site lines, services site plans, landscape drawings, access and traffic flows, ground conditions and geology, and so on. Site plans may be accompanied by site sections, showing the topography of the site.

With the adoption of building information modelling (BIM), site plans are likely to form an integral part of the project information model and may be prepared in 3D, perhaps based on a point cloud survey or as light detection and ranging (LIDAR, a combination of the words ‘light’ and ‘radar’).

Site plans might be prepared for both the existing site and the proposed site, and sometimes for intermediate stages if the development is to be phased, or where it is necessary to show information about the phasing of construction works.

See also: Site layout plan for construction.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• 3D laser survey.
• As-built drawings and record drawings.
• Block plan.
• Concept drawing.
• Condition survey.
• Development appraisal.
• Elevations.
• Ground conditions.
• Laser scanning.
• Levelling.
• Location plan.
• Pre-construction information.
• Scale drawing.
• Site appraisals.
• Site information.
• Site layout plan for construction.
• Site survey.
• Soil survey.
• Surveyor.
• Types of drawings for building design.

[edit] External references

• DIY Data - Planning and drawings
• Planning Portal

Comments

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Great explanation on what is Site plan.