INTRODUCTION TO SURVEYING

Engr. Ninia Reguindin, CE, M. Eng..

College of Engineering and Technology
Tarlac State University
What is Surveying?

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Geomatics
the science concerned with the measurement,
representation, analysis, management, retrieval
and display of spatial information describing both
the Earth's physical features and the built-in
environment.

Source: Dept. of Surveying and Spatial Information Science, Univ. of Tasmania.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Geomatics
includes disciplines such as:
• Surveying
• Geodesy
• Remote Sensing &
Photogrammetry
• Cartography
• Geographic Information
Systems
• Global Positioning Systems
Source: Center for Advanced Spatial
Technologies,
University of Arkansas.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Surveying

(Traditional Definition)

The art of making measurements of the relative

positions of natural and man-made features on the
earth's surface, and the presentation of this
information either graphically or numerically.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Surveying

(Modern Definition)

The art and science of determining angular and

linear measurements to establish the form, extent,
and relative position of points, lines, and areas on
or near the surface of the earth or on other
extraterrestrial bodies through applied
mathematics and the use of specialized
equipment and techniques.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
The Surveyor

A surveyor is a professional person with the academic

qualifications and technical expertise to:
o practice the science of measurement;
o assemble and assess geographic related information; and
o use that information for the purpose of planning and
implementing the efficient administration of the land, the
sea and structures thereon.

-International Federation of Surveyors

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Surveying throughout
History

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
In Babylon

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
In Egypt (the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza)

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
 Eratosthenes (276 BC-194 BC)

His measurements are with an error of less than 2%, but that was 2200 years ago!
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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
School of Surveying (150 BC)

School of surveying was established by Romans to

teach:

• town planning;
• map making; and
• building of roads and aqueducts

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
1400-1700

Developments:
- telescope design and construction
- measurement of magnetic declination
- measurement of time
- standardization of units of measurement
- determination of longitude
- surveying instruments and reference books
written on surveying methods

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
1900
The military requirement of World Wars I and II
provided the motivation for vast improvements in the
design of surveying equipment and execution of
surveying operations.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Uses of Surveys
1. Establishment of boundaries of land
2. Fixing of national and state boundaries
3. Charting of coastlines and navigable streams and
lakes
4. Precise location of definite reference points
throughout the country
5. Collection of valuable facts concerning the
earth’s magnetism at widely scattered stations
throughout the country

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Surveying
1. Plane Surveying
– the type of surveying in which the mean
surface of the earth is considered as a plane,
or in which its spheroidal shape is neglected.

2. Geodetic Surveying
– takes into account the
true shape of the earth.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Types of Surveys
1.Control Survey
– consists of establishment of the horizontal and vertical
positions of arbitrary points
2. Property Survey
– performed to determine the length and direction of lot
lines and to establish the position of these lines on the
ground.
3. Topographic Survey
– made to secure data from which may be made a
topographic map indicating the configuration of the terrain
and the location of natural and human-made objects.
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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
College of Engineering and Technology NOR
CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Types of Surveys
4. Hydrographic Survey
– refers to surveys of bodies of water for the purposes of
navigation, water supply, or subaqueous construction.

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School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering NOR
CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Types of Surveys
5. Mine Survey
– utilizes the principles for land, geologic and topographic
surveying to control, locate and map underground and surface
works related to mining operations.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Types of Surveys
6. Route survey
– refers to those control,
topographic and
construction surveys
necessary for the location
and construction of lines of
transportation or
communication, such as
highways, railroads, canals,
transmission lines and
pipelines.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Types of Surveys
7. Construction Survey
– performed to lay out, locate and monitor public and
private engineering works.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
 Types of Surveys
8. Photogrammetric Survey
– utilizes the principle of
aerial and terrestrial
photogrammetry, in
which measurements
made on photographs are
used to determine the
positions of
photographed objects.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Recent Technologies

• Total Station System

• Digital Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
• Satellite Positioning System (USA – NAVSTAR GPS, Russia –
GLONASS, European Union – Galileo)
• Geographic and Land Information Systems
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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Definition of Terms
Leveled Surface
• a curved surface every element of which is
normal to a line that is directed exactly toward
the Earth's center of gravity (plumb line).

Zenith
• direction away from the center of the earth and
above the observer’s head

Nadir
• direction towards the center of the earth

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Definition of Terms
Horizontal plane
• plane tangent to a level surface at a particular
point

Horizontal line
• a line tangent to a level surface. In surveying, it is
commonly understood that a horizontal line
of sight is straight.

Horizontal angle
• an angle formed by the intersection of two lines in
a horizontal plane.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Definition of Terms
Vertical plane
• a line perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
• a vertical line in the direction toward the center of
• the earth is said to be in the direction of the nadir.

Vertical line
• is a plane in which a vertical line is an element

Vertical angle
• angle between two intersecting lines in a
vertical plane

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Definition of Terms
Zenith angle
• angle between two lines in a vertical
plane where it is understood that one of
the lines is directed toward the zenith.

Nadir angle
• angle between two lines in a vertical
plane where it is understood that one of
the lines is directed toward the nadir.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Definition of Terms
Horizontal Distances
• distances measured along a level line.
• plumb line-to-plumb line distance.

Elevation of a point
• vertical distance above (or below) some
arbitrarily assumed level surface, or datum.

Contour
• an imaginary line of constant elevation on the
ground surface.

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Definition of Terms
Difference in Elevation
• vertical distance between two points.
• distance between imaginary level surface
containing high point and a similar surface
containing the low point.

Leveling
• operation of measuring difference in elevation

Grade/Gradient of a line
• slope of the line or rate of ascent or descent

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CEP233 – Fundamentals of Surveying
Thank you for listening!

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