What is centering in construction? What is a center line plan?

Centering in construction

In construction, centering refers to a temporary support structure. It is a customized framework that is designed to be used in construction arches and shell space structures. In other words, it is a type of formwork, a temporary structure upon which stones of arches and vaults are laid during construction processes. A centering without a truss is known as common centering whereas a cross piece that connects centering frames is known as a lag or a boost. Centering is mostly made from wood or timber.

Centerline plan

A center line refers to a line that passes through the center of a column. A grid with similar lines for several columns forms a centerline plan. A centerline plan offers a better understanding of the exact positioning of a column on a site. A column may have different dimensions but it has the same centerline. Additionally, a centerline also denotes a circular feature such as a shaft or a hole.

Centerline is a frequently used tool in engineering drawing. Its basic purpose is to display circular and cylindrical features in a drawing. These circular and cylindrical features are found in abundance in mechanical parts such as bolts, pins and discs. The centerline is widely known for an item’s mean length. In trenchless construction projects, a centerline is the line that bisects the design path, pipe or other physical features and structures. The centerline represents the ideal path for a pipe or a bore to follow. A centerline helps to reduce pressure loss and prevents interference with surface activities.

A centerline is used to divide a plan into separate and equal parts. A centerline can be marked easily with the help of a baseline. The centerline plan is essential for project layout designing. The centerline plan assists with the completion of foundation work.