A carpenter is setting up forms for a rectangular concrete footing that needs to be 600 mm wide and 300 mm deep. The excavation is level, and the soil is stable. To ensure the footing is perfectly level and has the correct depth, what is the most appropriate method for accurately establishing the top edge of the formwork?

Question: A carpenter is setting up forms for a rectangular concrete footing that needs to be 600 mm wide and 300 mm deep. The excavation is level, and the soil is stable. To ensure the footing is perfectly level and has the correct depth, what is the most appropriate method for accurately establishing the top edge of the formwork?

Answer options: ✅ Setting up batter boards and string lines, then using a builder's level to transfer elevations.

• Using a tape measure to set the form height directly from the bottom of the excavation.
• Eyeballing the form height based on the surrounding ground level.
• Using a spirit level on a straightedge along the top of each form piece.

Correct answer: Setting up batter boards and string lines, then using a builder's level to transfer elevations.

Explanation: Batter boards with string lines and a builder's level provide the most accurate and consistent method for establishing exact elevations over a larger area, ensuring the footing is level and at the correct depth across its entire length. Measuring directly from the excavation bottom is prone to inaccuracies due to uneven soil, eyeballing is highly unreliable, and a spirit level on individual pieces only confirms local levelness, not overall elevation.