Where's my offset?
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 12:05 am
On a job site you'd hear, what's my offset? Similar questions both referring to something artificial, a mechanism for efficiency and practicality. One of my first moves when starting a new project is to pin the site, for that I need a surveyor.
During our first phone conversation we discuss offset, establishing one for every structure. They come to site prepared, marking the info on every peg they place. The peg gives you cut or fill info as well as offset from grid line, i.e. 3 meters or 3m.
The cut/fill part isn't that important, I can reestablish that in seconds. The offset, however, is a different animal. It's not something I want to be liable for, so I use a legal surveyor. They're insured, I'm not (they become my offset).
Those pegs become so important I'll even set up my own "grid line offset" to as many permanent structures as possible. This way I can check on my surveyors consistency while developing my own cognitive map of the site, always knowing the offsets.
My carpenters will ask, what's my offset? Every time they set a string line they will offset it, so it's out of the way. The method works well, but only if the offset is recognized and the structure is set accordingly. Which brings up an issue, an existential issue.
An issue of existence and the offset. Bringing to mind an example where we offset intentionally. When astronauts spend any time in space they offset for the lack of natural conditions. They do offset work for the absence of gravity.
They exercise so their muscles don't atrophy. They understand when important natural conditions can't be met, they need to compensate, they need to do offset work.
Moreover, recognizing the offset and not confusing it for the real thing, the natural thing, has to be part of the thinking. Athletes have come across this discovery in recent years.
The worlds fastest long distance runners trained without footwear. It's hard to imagine but that is the case. Which leads to the question, what else?
What else do we take for granted not seeing how we are running on the offset and not the real thing, the natural thing? I heard someone say we live in a "UN-inhabitable" society, which seems to resonate. Unnatural, however, seems more accurate. Working 50-70 hrs a week, where's my offset?
Here's my question, where else are we acting unnaturally, what offset is established? If any ...?
Offset
Gary
During our first phone conversation we discuss offset, establishing one for every structure. They come to site prepared, marking the info on every peg they place. The peg gives you cut or fill info as well as offset from grid line, i.e. 3 meters or 3m.
The cut/fill part isn't that important, I can reestablish that in seconds. The offset, however, is a different animal. It's not something I want to be liable for, so I use a legal surveyor. They're insured, I'm not (they become my offset).
Those pegs become so important I'll even set up my own "grid line offset" to as many permanent structures as possible. This way I can check on my surveyors consistency while developing my own cognitive map of the site, always knowing the offsets.
My carpenters will ask, what's my offset? Every time they set a string line they will offset it, so it's out of the way. The method works well, but only if the offset is recognized and the structure is set accordingly. Which brings up an issue, an existential issue.
An issue of existence and the offset. Bringing to mind an example where we offset intentionally. When astronauts spend any time in space they offset for the lack of natural conditions. They do offset work for the absence of gravity.
They exercise so their muscles don't atrophy. They understand when important natural conditions can't be met, they need to compensate, they need to do offset work.
Moreover, recognizing the offset and not confusing it for the real thing, the natural thing, has to be part of the thinking. Athletes have come across this discovery in recent years.
The worlds fastest long distance runners trained without footwear. It's hard to imagine but that is the case. Which leads to the question, what else?
What else do we take for granted not seeing how we are running on the offset and not the real thing, the natural thing? I heard someone say we live in a "UN-inhabitable" society, which seems to resonate. Unnatural, however, seems more accurate. Working 50-70 hrs a week, where's my offset?
Here's my question, where else are we acting unnaturally, what offset is established? If any ...?
Offset
Gary