Introduction to Surveying

Florence A. Galeon Assistant Professor U.P. College of Engineering

Outline
I. II. III. IV. V. VI. Definition of Surveying Brief History of Surveying Eratosthenes Discovery Uses of Surveys Types of Surveys Operations in Surveying

Definition of Surveying
Surveying is the science or art of making such measurements as are necessary to determine the relative position of points above, on, or beneath the surface of the earth, or to establish such points. (Breed, Hosmer, and Bone)
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Surveying is the art of measuring horizontal and vertical distances between objects, of measuring angles between lines, of determining the direction of lines, and of establishing points by predetermined angular and linear measurements. (Davis, Foote, Anderson, and Mikhail)
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Brief History of Surveying

As far back as 4000 BC, the Babylonians were already making records of land ownership on clay tablets which contained measurements of the land and the signature of the surveyor. They already have a standard unit of length Sexagesimal system was in use.

Early Surveying Units

The link (7.92 inches). The fathom (5.5 feet). The rod/ perch (3 fathoms or 16.5 feet). The chain (66 feet). The furlong or furrowlong (660 feet) The mile (5280 feet or 1760 yards). The league (3.125 miles or 16500 feet...also 198000 inches, 25000 links, 3000 fathoms, 1000 rods/ perches, 250 chains, 25 furlongs or furrowlongs).

Early standards of length were based on body measurements.

The cubit was the distance from elbow to finger tip, while the foot, palm and finger units are self-explanatory.

Brief History of Surveying

Clay tablet from ~3,100 BC showing how Babylonian landowners kept accounts. The face of the tablet is divided into five fields, each referring to a single parcel of agricultural land.
Inside each field are symbols giving surface measurements of the parcels.
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Brief History of Surveying

Around 2780 BC, pyramids in Egypt were constructed using standard units of measurement and simple devices for setting out the constructions. Ancient Egyptian surveyors were called harpedonapata (rope-stretcher). They used ropes and knots, tied at pre-determined intervals, to measure distances.
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The 3-4-5 triangle (later formalized by Pythagoras) was discovered to give a right angle easily by using a rope knotted at distances of 3,4 and 5 units (as above) and shaped (stretched) to form a triangle with a knot at each corner (vertex).
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The Earliest Surveying Instrument: The Plumb Bob

The observation that a heavy object hanging from a string causes

the string to hang perpendicular to the earth is easily made. By 2600 BC, we know the Egyptians had taken this concept and created the earliest surveying instruments: the plumb board, the A-Level, T-Level and plumb square. This was the first use of the plumb bob, against a wood frame that paralleled the surface being measured. The worker could then make a more precise visual judgment as to the trueness of plumb or horizontal level. These earliest bobs were stone and their shape, although often egg-like, really didn't matter. These simplest of tools remained virtually unchanged for the next 4400+ years.
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Sample Plumb Bobs

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An Early Instrument for Leveling

It was made from three pieces of wood in the form of an isosceles triangle. A plumb bob suspended from the apex of the frame aligned itself with a notch at the midpoint of the base only when the base was level.
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There was much application of surveying to measure land in Egypt as land is taxed and payments made to the Royal Granary. Actually, around 1250 BC Rameses II erected a tombstone to a surveyor/engineer. This can now be seen in Cairo Railway Station.

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Around 1800 BC Babylonian boundary stones proliferated and people were threatened with dire consequences if the marks were interfered with.
Maps begin to appear commonly in clay tablets.

Astronomy was practiced in Messopotamia, China, the Pacific and South America.
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Archimedes (by 250 B.C.) recorded that the circumference of the earth is 30 myriads of stadia (300 000 stadia). Stadia is an ancient Greek measure of a distance of 202 yards, or approximately 185 metres.

Eratosthenes supported this notion and by some complicated reasoning and calculations using the summer solstice, the sun, angles of shadows and the known position of two towns Syene and Alexandria (Syene was known to be 5 000 stadia due south of Alexandria), found the circumference of the earth to be 25 000 miles. It is in fact 24 881 miles - not bad!

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Eratosthenes Discovery

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The great Pyramids were presumably laid out using knotted ropes, simple levels and water trough levels for the foundations. The Egyptians used these techniques in the field while the Greeks (Pythagoras, Archimedes, Eratosthenes) proved the geometric reasoning behind the principles and demonstrated a clear relationship between mathematics and surveying.
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The Roman Level

Around 150 BC a school of surveying was established by the Romans to teach town planning, map making and building of roads and aqueducts.

Roman Level (Chorobate)

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Around 120 Ptolemy produced maps, and established the doctrine that if the earth was spherical then a proper representation could be obtained by a geometrical projection of that surface. He was also an astronomer and instrument maker, developed a cartographic philosophy that lasted centuries.

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1400 -1700
Developments occurred in 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. What could be mapped could be ruled Columbus adopted a radically new (but incorrect) radius of the earth, sailed westwards from the known world to prove a shorter route to India, ran into the Americas and called the indigenous people indians. Brilliant PR staff ensured he is credited with discovering America, while infact it was Vespucci Amerigo, as Columbus was too far south.
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1900s
Rapid development of the mapping sciences as a result of the 2 major wars (theres nothing like a good war to increase research and development). The military requirements of World Wars I & II provided the motivation for vast improvements in the design of surveying equipment and execution of surveying operations.

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Uses of Surveys
1.

The earliest surveys known were for the purpose of establishing boundaries of land.

Sample Political Boundaries Sample Property/Boundary Lines

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2.

The fixing of national and state boundaries.

Sample Disputed International Territories

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3.

The charting of coastlines and navigable streams and lakes.

Old & New Charts of Lake Michigan

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4.

The precise location of definite reference points throughout the country.

Sample Reference Monuments

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Adjoining Lots Common Points (Mohon)

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5.

The collection of valuable facts concerning the earths magnetism at widely scattered stations.

Sample Magnetic Map

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6.

The establishment and observation of a greater network of gravity stations throughout the country.

Sample Gravity Measurement and Map

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Sample Gravimeter and Locations

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Significance of Gravity Measurement to the Earths Shape

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7.

The establishment and operation of tidal and water level stations.

Tidal Monitoring Station

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8.

The extension of hydrographic and oceanographic charting and mapping into the essentially unmapped parts of the world.

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9.

The extension of topographic mapping of the land surfaces of the earth.

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Types of Surveys
Geodetic Survey that type of survey which takes into account the true shape of the earth
Takes into account the theoretical shape of the earth. Generally high in accuracy, and cover large areas.

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Geodetic Survey Illustrations

For the Clarke Spheroid of 1866 a = 6,378,206.4 b = 6,356,583.8

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Types of Surveys
Plane Survey that type of survey in which the mean surface of the earth is considered as a plane, or in which its spheroidal shape is neglected
Assumes that the survey area is a flat plane. Generally covers small areas. Most common method used.

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Operations in Surveying
1. Control Survey consists of establishing the accurate horizontal and vertical positions of arbitrary points for reference
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Reference Point

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2. Land Survey also

known as property or boundary survey, is performed to determine the length and direction of land lines and to establish the position of these lines on the ground

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Operations in Surveying

3. Topographic Survey is 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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Sample Contours

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Operations in Surveying
4. Hydrographic Survey It refers to surveying bodies of water for the purposes of navigation, water supply, or sub aqueous construction

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Operations in Surveying
5. Mine Survey utilizes the principles for control, land, geologic, and topographic surveying to control, locate, and map underground and surface works related to mining operations

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Operations in Surveying

6. Construction Survey It is performed to lay out, locate, and monitor public and private engineering works

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Operations in Surveying

7. 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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Some Transportation Lines That Require Route Survey

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Operations in Surveying

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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