Fundamentals of Surveying

ARCG112 - Surveying in Architecture

2019/20

Dr. João Pinelo Silva & Ms. Sónia Lamela

University of Bahrain | College of Engineering | Department of Architecture and Interior Design

BSc. In Architecture Program 2016/2017 | Semester I | ARCG 112 | Surveying in Architecture

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 Summary
- Definition of Surveying and Geomatics

- Plane surveying. Geodetic surveying

- Importance of Surveying

- Branches of surveying.

- Basic principles

- Units of measurement and scale

- Surveying mathematics

- Site plans

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 What is Surveying?

Surveying (Geomatics) is the science, art, and technology of determining the

relative position of points above, on or beneath the Earth surface.

In more general terms, is the discipline which encompasses all methods for
measuring and collecting information about the physical earth and our
environment, processing that information and disseminating a variety of results
product to a wide range of users.

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Basic Functions of Surveying

Mapping

Transfer information from the site (earth) to paper/computer.

Setting out

Transfer information from engineering plan to the site (earth).

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 Types of Surveying
Measurements

Linear Distances (Horizontal Vertical or Slope)

Tape

Electronic distance measurement devices (EDM)

Angular (Horizontal and Vertical angles)

Theodolite

Total station

Position ( X, Y, Z) or Latitude and Longitude coordinates

Global positioning System (GPS)(recent)

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 Importance of Surveying

As part of the design process…

Surveying is required to plan, construct, maintain highway, railroad, building,

bridges, tunnels, canals, irrigation system, dams, drainage, urban planning,
subdivision, landscape.

In general, it is an essential part of any architectural or civil engineering project.

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 Types of surveying

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, with regard to horizontal distances and
directions.

• Concerns small area projects and surveying work, where

Earth curvature can be (is!) neglected

• Measurements plotted will represent the projection on the

horizontal plane of the actual field measurements.

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 Types of surveying

Geodetic Surveying

Geodesy - The study of the size and shape of the earth and its gravity

The type of surveying that takes into account the true shape of the
earth. These surveys are of high precision and extend over large areas.

Concerns large area surveying works such as geodetic networks, etc.

Earth curvature is taken into account

Highest possible standard must be taken in this type of measurements,

( GPS).

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Common equipment
Tape
Theodolite

Total Station

Auto Level GPS

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Basic Principles of Surveying
The steps of mapping

On any area to be measured, it is always be possible to choose

two points A and B and measure the distance between them -
this is the base line.

The base line is drawn to scale on paper.

Other points can be located in relation to the base line by

taking other measurements.

When the whole area to be surveyed cannot be seen from the

base line, additional lines have to be defined (relative to the
base line), using new pairs of measurements. These are control
lines.

The points at the intersections of control lines and the base line
are called control points and together with lines constitute the
reference framework or control.

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 Basic Principles of Surveying
Using Linear Methods only

Trilateration (measurement of three distances)

• The process of locating the position of points by measuring

distances.

• In the figure below , the base line AB is measured by tape or

Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM)

• Length AB is drawn to scale on paper, and arcs representing

the length AC AND BC using compasses. The arcs intersect
at C.

• Method based on distance, most practical when linear

distances are measured. (Tape or EDM).

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 C?
B
On site A
Establish base line by measuring the distance between A and B
On paper
Draw the base line - line to scale with the distance AB
Draw a circumference from A with radius AC
Draw a circumference from B with radius BC

C
BC

AC

A B
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 C?
BC

AC

A B

C?

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 Surveying Mathematics
(a) Fundamentals of trigonometric Functions

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Trigonometric/Circular Functions

Functions of one angle

They relate
• the angle of a triangle to
• the length of its sides

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Fundamentals of Trigonometric Functions

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