GPS Surveying

Land Surveying

Land Surveying

The application of special

knowledge of principals of
mathematics, methods of
measurement, and law for
the determination and
preservation of land
boundaries

Circa 1927 Transit

 Land Surveying

Some types of Land surveying include:

– Boundary
• Original
• Re-tracement
– Design
• Utilities
• Planametric features such
as buildings sidewalks, etc.
• Topography (DTM’s)
– Route
– Aerial
– Geodetic
– Construction
– Control
– Monitoring movement
– Hydrographic
– Mine
– Flood Plain Boundary Survey Map
 Land Surveying

Surveyors perform the following types of tasks.

– Research
• Datum, coordinate systems, and, control
• Boundary information including deeds, plats, etc.
• Existing maps such as topos, railroad, highway and utility maps.
• Survey notes and plats.
– Archeology (sort of)
• Find evidence from earlier surveys
– stones
– wood posts
– trees
– mounds of stones
– pits
– scribed trees and rocks
– stage coach roads and culverts
– narrow gauge railroads
– mine shafts
– cabin foundations
 Land Surveying

– Measurement methods and techniques

• Linear
– Pace
– Wagon wheel
– tape/chain
– EDM
– GPS
• Angular
– Compass
– Solar Compass
– Transit
– Theodolite
– Total station
– GPS
– Scribe (take notes)
– Error Management. All measurements contain errors and many
documents do too!!!
• Determine accuracy of data
• Determine how to deal with existing errors.
• Apply appropriate techniques and methods to complete the project
with the intended results
• Acceptable/expected error from previous surveys
– Create models and maps
– Analyze Data.
– Draft maps
 Land Surveying

Datum and coordinate systems:

• Creating models/maps for local projects

flat planar surfaces were used.
– Paper is flat.
– The earth is flat.
– Coordinate geometry works great with planar surfaces.
• Sorry the earth is not flat.
• When working with GPS one is working with a non-planar surface.
• The earth is round(ish).
• Geodesists have studied the Shape of the earth and have
determined the basic shape of the earth is an ellipsoid. Many
ellipsoids have been defined (modeled over the years.
• GPS measurements are Cartesian 3d coordinates on an earth
fixed earth centered system.
 GPS ECEF Coordinates

• GPS ECEF Coordinates need to be referenced to a

model (datum) to relate them to the project surface.
 Horizontal Datums

• Horizontal Geodetic Datums

– Requirements
• Latitude
• Longitude
• Origin
• Azimuth for one line
• Ellipsoid Parameters
• One Radius
• The Flattening (ratio)
• Geoid Separation at the Origin
 Common Datums

• Common Datums
• NAD 1927
– Clark Spheroid 1866
• NAD 1983
– Geodetic Reference System 1980, GRS 80 (similar to
WGS s984)
 South Dakota State Plane

• South Dakota State plane Coordinates

• Lambert Conformal Projection (2 standard parallels)
• North and South zone
 Elevation Datum Factor

1. Elevation Datum
Factor converts
ground distance to
geodetic distance
(a project elevation
datum is used in a
local projection)
 Grid Distance

• Grid Distance = Geodetic distance X scale

factor
• Combined scale factor = SF X DF
 Grid Bearings

1. Grid Bearings are planar to the central

meridian of the projection.
 Local Coordinate Systems

1. Local coordinate systems can be developed

using projections at a local central meridian
and using an average elevation as the Datum
Elevation for distances.
Geoid vs Ellipsoid
 GPS Heights vs. Elevations

f ace
r
s Su
h’
H art
e e H E

N e H so
id
p
N E lli

N
eoid
e = Orthometric Height G
H = Ellipsoid Height
N = Geoid Height
e=H-N
 What is GPS?

• A super accurate system

• Developed and maintained by
US Department of Defense
• Satellite-based
• Signals are free
• Unlimited users
 How Accurate is it?

• Depends on some variables

– Time spent on measurements
– Design of receiver
– Relative positions of satellites
• Can be more than 30 meters with non-
differential GPS
• Submeter to 5 meters with differential GPS
• Subcentimeter with survey products
• US Government can (and does) degrade
accuracy
 Space Segment Description

• 25 satellites
– 6 planes with 55° rotation
– Each plane has 4 or 5 satellites
• Very high orbit
– 20,000 km
– 1 revolution in approximately
– 12 hours
– For accuracy
– Survivability
– Coverage
Copied from ‘GPS Navstar User’s Overview’
prepare by GPS Joint Program Office, 1984
Control Segment
User Segment
 GPS in 5 Steps

3 4 SVs to solve
for X,Y,Z,t
4 Use message from
satellite for its location

Distance from
2 satellites (SV) using
speed of light
Correct for

5 Troposphere &
Ionosphere

Based on
1 Trilateration
 Satellite Signal Structure

L1 = 19 cm

λ
L2 = 24 cm

Carrier

Code
 Autonomous Positioning

Three Major GPS

Measurement Types
Autonomous position
using pseudo ranges
(distances) from course
acquisition code (± 30
meter) latitude/longitude
obtained
 Differential GPS

• Differential GPS
• Similar to Autonomous GPS, but corrected using
a simultaneous data from a base at a known
position.
– Can be real time (WASS)or post processed.
 Survey/Geodetic Grade GPS

• Carrier Wave GPS using triple differencing.

• Vector data measured.
• Accurate to + 1cm.
• Solving integer Ambiguity is key
(acquisition/lock).
• Dual frequency used to obtain acquisition on the
fly.
 Satellite Signal Structure

Carrier L1 L2
Frequency 1575.42 MHz 1227.60 MHz
Wavelength 19cm 24cm

Code Modulation C/A-code -

P(Y)-code P(Y)-code
NAVDATA NAVDATA

C/A - Coarse Acquisition Code

P - Precise Code (Y-Code when encrypted)
NAVDATA - Satellite health, satellite clock corrections, ephemeris
parameters and SV orbital parameters.
Triple Differencing
 The Integer Ambiguity

∆λ = First Partial Wavelength

N = Integer Ambiguity N

∆λ
Solving for the Integer
Ambiguity yields
centimeter precision
 Carrier Phase Results

s u r ed
Mea

ce d
du
Re

Baseline or Vector
(cm precision)
Azi = 212o 42’ 49.8244” ∆ X = -408.251 m
Dist = 557.05307 m OR ∆ Y = -84.830 m
∆Elev = 4 .8751 m ∆ Z = -369.413 m
 GPS Survey Methods

• Survey and geodetic Survey methods

• RTK (Real Time Kinematic) also post processed
Kinematic
• Static/Fast Static
 RTK

• RTK
• Equipment: Base receiver set (dual frequency) with radio transmitter
• At least 1 Rover receiver set (dual frequency) with radio
resiever.
• Data Collector set up with coordinate system.
• Note book, reference data, plans, etc.
• Time of observation: +_ 5 seconds with real time results
• Accuracy: Horizontal 0.03- 0.05 feet if integer count is solved
correctly.
• Vertical, +70% of shots accurate to 0.05 feet, but accuracy of 0.10
feet or more not uncommon even if integer count solved correctly. .
Use of geoid model and or proper calibration a must. Vertical
accuracy degrades fast in unfavorable conditions.
• Uses include Topo, layout, boundary search, setting boundary
corners. Rough grade stakes, etc. RTK is degrades quicker in
marginal conditions the static
 Static/Fast Static

• Static/Fast Static with Least Squares Adjustment

• Equipment: At least 2 carrier phase receiver sets
• (dual frequency a must if iono free fix solution needed
along base lines)
• 3 or more receivers preferred. Notebook or Data Sheets
• Computer with network least squares adjustment
program
• Time: 15 minutes to one hour normal and processing
• Accuracy: Horizontal 0.01 – 0.03 feet
Conceptual Network
Monument Systems
Concrete Monument for Densification
 Error Sources in GPS

• PDOP
• Human Error
• Atmospheric Delays
• Multipath
Good Satellite Geometry
Poor Satellite Geometry
 Atmospheric Effects

Ionosp
here
Tropos
p here

< 10 km > 10 km
Multipath
Existing Survey Monuments in Rapid City
GPS Network
 Thank You!

Questions ?