CE 211: Plane Surveying

Module 2 – Types, Uses and Development of Surveying

Week 2: September 3 - 9, 2021 | 1st Semester, S.Y. 2021-2022

Introduction
The approximate shape of the earth can best be defined as an oblate
tri-axial ovaloid. But, this course, concern only with a small of the earth which
seems to be a plane surface.
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Intended Learning Outcomes

• Appreciate Identify various types of surveying and its purpose by

acquiring the students a certain extent of field practice.

2 – 1. General Classifications of Surveying

Based upon the consideration of the shape pf the earth, surveys are divided
into two general classifications:
1. Plane Surveying – is that type of surveying in which the earth is
considered to be a flat surface, and where distances and areas
involved are of limited extent that the exact shape of the earth is
disregarded. With regard to horizontal distances and directions, a
level line is considered as mathematically straight, the direction of the
plumb line is assumed to be the same at all points within the limits of
the survey, and all angles are considered to be plane angles.
2. Geodetic Surveying – are surveys of wide extent which take into
account the spheroidal shape of the earth. A number of points of
known location and elevation are established to serve as controls for
subordinate surveys of lesser extent which are performed as plane
surveys.

https://slidetodoc.com/land-surveying-definition-of-surveying-in-the-state/

DIFFERRENTIATE THIS!
Differentiate Plane and Geodetic Survey as what you have observed in the
illustration given above.

…
(No need to submit.)
 2 – 2. Types of Surveying
Of the different types of surveys, the following are the more commonly
executed:

1. Cadastral Surveys – are usually closed surveys which re undertaken in

urban and rural locations for the purpose of determining and defining
property lines and boundaries, corners, and areas. These surveys are
also made to fix the boundaries of municipalities, towns, and
provincial jurisdictions.
2. City Surveys – are surveys of the areas in and near a city for the
purpose of planning expansions or improvements, locating property
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lines, fixing reference monuments, determining the physical features

and configuration of the land, and preparing maps.
3. Construction Surveys – these are surveys which are undertaken at a
construction site to provide data regarding grades, reference lines,
dimensions, ground configuration, and the location and elevation of
structures which are of concern to engineers, architects, and
builders.
4. Forestry Surveys – a type of survey executed in connection with forest
lands.
5. Hydrographic Surveys – refer to surveying streams, lakes, reservoirs,
harbors, oceans, and other bodies of water. These surveys are made
to map shore lines, chart the shape of areas underlying water
surfaces, and measure the flow of streams.
6. Industrial Surveys – sometimes known as optical tooling. It refers to
the use of surveying techniques in ship building, construction and
assembly of aircraft, layout and installation of heavy and complex
machinery, and in other industries where very accurate dimensional
layouts are required.
7. Mine Surveys – are surveys which are performed to determine the
position of all underground excavations and surface mine structures,
to fix surface boundaries of mining claims, determine geological
formations, to calculate excavated volumes, and establish lines and
grades for other related mining work.
8. Photogrammetric Surveys – a type of survey which makes use of
photographs taken with specially designed cameras either from
airplanes or ground stations. Measurements are obtained from the
photographs which are used in conjunction with limited ground
surveys.
9. Route Surveys – involves the determination of alignment, grades,
earthwork quantities, location of natural design, and construction of
highways, railroads, pipelines, canals, transmission lines, and other
linear projects.
10. Topographic Surveys – are those surveys made for determining the
shape of the ground, and the location and elevation of natural and
artificial features upon it.

TRY THIS!
Which Types of Surveys belong to Plane and Geodetic Surveying?

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(No need to submit)
 2 – 3. Uses of Surveying
Some of the numerous functions of surveying are given below:

• Topographical maps showing hills, rivers, towns, villages, forests etc.

are prepared by surveying.
• For planning and estimating new engineering projects like water
supply and irrigation schemes, mines, railroads, bridges, transmission
lines, buildings etc. surveying is required.
• Cadastral Map showing the boundaries a field houses and other
properties are prepared by surveying.
• Engineering map showing the position of engineering works like
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roads, railways, buildings, dams, canals etc. are prepared through

surveying.
• To set out a work and transfer details from map to ground knowledge
of surveying is used.
• For planning navigation routes and harbors, marine and hydro-
graphic surveying are used.
• To help military strategic planning, military maps are prepared by
surveying.
• For exploring mineral wealth, mine survey is necessary
• To determining different strata in the earth crust, geological surveys
are required
• Archaeological surveys are used to unearth relics of antiquity.

REFLECT THIS!
What do you think will be the result if no particular maps were being prepared
and no surveying required for engineering works prior to designing and planning
phase?

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(No need to submit)
 2 – 4. Development of Surveying Instruments

Surveying instruments were developed gradually. It is believed that, an

extensive use of surveying instruments came about during the early days of
the Roman empire. This remarkable engineering ability of Romans is clearly
demonstrated by their extensive construction of structures and buildings
which continue to exist even up to this modern era.

The following instruments were early fore-runners of our present-day

surveying instruments.
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1. Astrolabe. The Astrolabe of Hipparchus is

considered to be one of the best known of
the measuring instruments that have come
down from ancient times. The instrument
had a metal circle with a pointer hinged at
its center and held by a ring at the top,
and a cross staff, a wooden rod about 1.25
meters long with an adjustable cross-arm
at right angles to it. It was originally
designed for determining the altitude of
stars.
https://thonyc.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/the-astrolabe-an-object-of-desire/

2. Telescope. The invention of the telescope in

1607 is generally accredited to Lippershey. 1609,
Galileo constructed a refracting telescope for
astronomical observations. However, it was only
when cross hairs for fixing the line of sight were
introduced, that the telescope was used in early
surveying instruments.
https://www.pngitem.com/middle/iRiTmoi_tripod-old-telescopes-zoom-lens-galileo-telescope-transparent/

3. Transit. The invention of the transit is

credited to Young and Draper who
worked independently from each other
sometime in 1830. Both men were able to
put together in one instrument the
essential parts of what has long been
known as the universal surveying
instrument.

http://www.surveyhistory.org/first_transit.htm

4. Semicircumferentor. An early surveying instrument

which was used to measure and lay off angles, and
establish lines of sight by employing peep sights.
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/360/0611/20/semi-circumferentor-combining-
compass_360_6efb9f09a721f1a8dd0a7d1f0f6b0f75.jpg

5. Plane Table. One of

the oldest types of
surveying instruments used in field
mapping. It consists of a board attached
to a tripod in such a way that it can be
leveled or rotated to any desired
direction.
https://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/plane-table-set.html
 6. Dioptra. The dioptra, which was perfected
by Heron of Alexandria., was used in
leveling and for measuring horizontal and
vertical angles. It consists essentially of a
copper tube supported on a standard and
could be rotated in either a horizontal or
vertical plane.

7. Roman Groma. The Roman surveyors used

the groma as an instrument for aligning or sighting
points. It consisted basically of cross arms fixed at
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right angles and pivoted eccentrically upon a

vertical staff. Plumb lines were suspended from the
ends of the arms. By employing the groma two lines
t right angles to each other could be established on
the ground where it is set up.
https://www.vgwacademy.com/groma/groma.html

8. Libella. The Assyrians and Egyptians are

believed to be the first users of the
labella. The instrument had an A-frame
with a plumb line suspended from its
apex and was used to determine the
horizontal. Archeologists believed that
the horizontal foundations of the great
pyramids of Egypt were probably
defined by this device. https://www.byhandandeye.com/libella-vs-laser/

9. Vernier. The vernier is a short auxiliary scale

placed alongside the graduated scale of an
instrument, by means of which fractional parts of
the smallest or least division of the main scale can
be determined precisely without having to
interpolate. It was invented in 1631 by a Frenchman
name Pierre Vernier. Surveying instruments employ
either a direct or retrograde vernier.
https://www.smlease.com/entries/mechanical-design-basics/what-is-least-count-and-how-to-calculate-least-count/

10. Diopter. An instrument developed by the

Greeks sometime in 130 B.C., and known
to be their most famous surveying
instrument. The diopter was used for
leveling, laying off right angles, and for
measuring horizontal and vertical angles.
Since the telescope was not yet invented
during the time the diopter was used,
peep sights were employed for sighting
and in aligning the device.
https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/2000/prague-final-papers/hanek-svejda.htm

11. Compass. The magnetic compass came

into wide use during the 13th century for
determining the direction of lines and in
calculating angles between lines. It was first
introduced for use in navigation. The compass
consists of a magnetized steel needle mounted
 on a pivot at the center of a graduated circle. The needle continues
to point toward magnetic north and gives a reading which is
dependent upon the position of the graduated circle.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1006-2441

12. Gunter’s Chain. The Gunter’s chain, which

was invented by Sir Edmund Gunter in 1620,
was the forerunner of instruments used for
taping distances. It is 66 ft long and
contains 100 links, so that distances may be
recorded in chains and in decimal parts of
the chain. Each part,
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called a link, is 0.66 ft or

7.92 inches long.
https://constructionhow.com/study-of-various-
chain-survey-instruments

13. Chorobates. This instrument was designed for

leveling work. It consisted of a horizontal straight-
edge about 6 meters long with supporting legs,
and a groove 2.5 cm deep and 1.5m long on top.
Water is poured into the groove and when the bar
is leveled so that water stood evenly in the groove
without spilling, a horizontal
line is established.
https://www.berntseninternational.com/home/blog-builder/the-romans-master-of-all-they-surveyed

14. Merchet. The merchet was a device for

measuring time and meridian. It was first used
by the Chaldeans in about 4,000 B.C. It
considered of a slotted palm leaf through
which to sight and a bracket from which a
plumb bob was suspended. By sighting
through the slot and past the plumb bob
string, a straight line could be projected.
https://www.tumbex.com/artdork66.tumblr/post/626064116765884417/the-merkhet

TRY THIS!
Name the equivalent/ counterpart of the early fore-runners mentioned above
to the present-day surveying instruments.

…
(No need to submit)

References
• Introduction to Surveying, Elementary Surveying, 3rd Edition by Juny
Pilapil La Put
• https://civiltoday.com/surveying