Introduction

Dr. Hossam F. Hassan 1

What Is surveying?
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.
Art: select most efficient methods for a surveying problem.
Science: need mathematics to analyze field data
Role of Surveying
Planning, design, layout and construction of infrastructure.
Infrastructure: all the constructed facilities and systems that
allow human communities to function and thrive productively.
Surveying is the link between design and construction.
Roads, bridges, buildings, water supply, sewerage, drainage
systems, and many other essential public works projects
could never be built without surveying technology.
Distances and Angles
Simply stated, surveying involves measuring distance and
angles:

Zenith
angle
Computations
Computations of primarily positions, direction, area and
volume:
Applications of geometry, trigonometry and basic algebra.
The work of the Surveyor
Selecting the method, equipment, reconnaissance of site
and so on.
Field work or data acquisition. Making measurement
recording data in the field.
Computing or data processing. Performing calculations on
the recorded data to determine locations, areas, volume
and so on.
Mapping or data representation. Plotting measured and
computed values to produce a map, plan or chart, or
present the data in a numerical or computer format.
Marking. Placing monuments to delineate boundaries and
guide construction operations.
History of Surveying
Beginning in Egypt.
Herodotus says: Sesostris (about 1400 B.C.) divided the
land of Egypt into plots for the purpose of taxation.
Early surveyors were called rope-stretchers were appointed
to replace the bounds after flooding:
measurements were made with ropes having markers at unit
distances.
The magnetic compass was first used as a surveying
instrument in the 13th century, to establish the directions of
boundary lines.
Geomatics & Surveying
The term Geomatics is the same as Surveying but is now
more currently used due to technology advances and
diverse areas that this contains.
Defining Hz and Vl. Directions
The earth has the approximate shape of an oblate spheroid.
Solid generated by an ellipse rotated on its minor axis.
Polar axis is slightly shorter than axis passing through the
equator.
Defining Hz and Vl. Directions
We can consider the earth to be a perfect sphere with a
constant diameter + ignore surface irregularities and the
surface has an avg. level of the ocean, or mean sea level.

Plumb Bob
Defining Hz and Vl. Directions
The curved surface of the sphere is termed a level surface.
The direction of gravity is perpendicular or normal to this
level surface at all points.
it is incorrect to define vertical as simply "straight up and
down,".
Defining Hz and Vl. Directions
The horizontal direction is the direction perpendicular (at
an angle of 90°) to the vertical direction of gravity.
Most surveying measurements are carried out as if the
surface of the earth were perfectly flat.
Plane and Geodetic Surveying
The method of surveying based upon this assumption is
called plane surveying.
In plane surveying, we neglect the curvature of the earth,
and we use the principles of plane geometry and plane
trigonometry to compute the results of our surveys.
A survey that takes the earth's curvature into account is
called a geodetic survey. These types of surveys are
usually conducted on national levels.
Spherical Trigonometry
Geodetic Surveying
Geodetic surveying methods are generally used to map
large areas and to establish large-scale networks of points
on the earth for horizontal and vertical control.
The relative positions of these points are measured with a
high degree of precision and accuracy, both in longitude and
in latitude, as well as in elevation.
They are used as points of reference for many other local
surveys that require a lower degree of accuracy.
Surveying Applications
1. Property Surveying
It is performed to establish the positions of boundary lines
and property corners.
Surveying Applications
2. Topographic Surveying
To find relative positions (horizontal and vertical) of existing
natural and constructed features.
The data are plotted as suitably scaled map, called a
topographic map, or topo map.
The shape of the ground is shown with contours, or lines of
equal elevation .
Topographic Surveying Example
Surveying Applications
3. Construction Survey
Layout or location survey:
mark the position of new points on the ground.
Points represent the location of building corners, road
centerlines, and other facilities that are to be built.
Surveying Applications
4. Control Survey

Two kinds: Horizontal and vertical

In a horizontal control survey, several points are placed in
the ground by the surveyor. The relative horizontal positions
of these points are established, usually with a very high
degree of precision and accuracy; this is done using
traverse, triangulation, or trilateration survey methods.
In a vertical control survey, the elevations of relatively
permanent reference points are determined by precise
leveling methods. Marked points of known elevation are
called elevation benchmarks (BMs).
Control Survey Example
Surveying Applications
5. Reconnaissance Survey
Preliminary survey conducted to get very rough data regarding a tract
of land.
Distances may be approximated by pacing

Spot elevations may be obtained with the use of only a hand level.
Examination of aerial photographs may also serve
as part of a reconnaissance survey.
Surveying Applications
6. Cadastral Survey
A cadastral survey is a boundary survey applied to relatively
large-scale rectangular Public Lands Survey system. For
political subdivisions.
Surveying Applications
7. Photogrammetric Survey
Photogrammetric surveying uses relatively accurate
methods to convert aerial photographs into useful
topographic maps.
Geographical Information System (GIS)
GIS is an information management process for organizing
spatially related data.
The data are stored in different layers.
One of the layers is a digital map.
The collection of the data is superposed onto the map
Relation between the different data on different layers can be
established and used in the analysis of the data.
Geographical Information System (GIS)
Units of Measurements - Angles
Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (Deg)
⚫ The most common system is the sexagesimal system:
⚫ A complete rotation of a line (or a circle) is divided into
360 degrees of arc()
⚫ 1 is divided into 60 minutes ()
⚫ 1 is further divided into 60 seconds of arc ()
⚫ 35° 17' 46" (35 degrees, 17 minutes, 46 seconds).
⚫ Calculator button “  “ to enter data and convert from
decimal degree to degree, minute, seconds and vice
versa.
Units of Measurements - Angles
Grades (gon; Gra)
⚫ The centesimal system: A complete rotation is divided
into 400 grades, or grads, written as 400g.
⚫ Calculator mode: GRAD
⚫ For conversions, 1g = 0.9°.
Units of Measurements - Angles
Radian (Rad)
One radian is equivalent to the angle formed between two
radii (R) in a circle. The arc length between the radii = R
The circumference of a circle = 2R, there must be
2 (about 2 x 3.14 = 6.28) rad in a circle.
6.28 rad = 360°, and 1 rad = 57.3°.
Units of Measurements - Distances
In the U.S. Customary system, the basic unit for distance or
length is the foot (ft).
In the SI system of units, length or distance is measured by
meters (m) or fractions of m.
The Gunter's chain, for example, has long been used as a
unit of linear measure for land surveys in the US.
One chain is equivalent to 66 ft.
One quarter of a chain is called a rod,
perch, or pole; = 16.5 ft.
The chain contains exactly 100 links.
Units of Measurements - Distances

SI US
Distance meter (m) foot (ft)
Area square meter (m2) square ft (ft2)
Volume cubic meter (m3) cubic ft (ft3)
Angles radian (rad), degree, radian (rad), degree,
minute, second minute, second
SI
Distance millimeter (mm) = 0.001 m,
centimeter (cm) =0.01 m
decimeter (dm) = 0.1 m
kilometer (km) = 1000 m.

Area Hectare = 10,000 m2

Angles Degree (1o)= 1/360th of a circle.

One degree (1°) = 60 minutes (60’)
1 min (1’) = 60 seconds (60”)
US

Distance foot = 12 inches

yard = 3 feet
rod = 16ft 6in
Gunter's chain = 66 feet
mile = 5280 feet
fathom = 6 feet
Area acre = 43,560 ft2 =10 sq. Chains
Angles Degree (1)= 1/360th of a circle.
1 degree (1) = 60 minutes (60)
1 minute (1) = 60 seconds (60)
 US to SI Units Conversion

US SI
Distance 1 inch 25.4 mm
1 ft 0.3048 m
1 mile (mile on land) 1.6093 km
Area 1 acre 0.40469 hectare (ha)
1 acre 4046.9 m2
• Note that 1 nautical mile (mile on marine) = 6076.1 ft = 1.852 km
• Note that the Middle Eastern unit for area is commonly used by the
Romanized symbol “feddān” (like acre) and in Arabic “feddan”:
1 feddan = 24 kirats
1 feddan = 4200.8 m2
1 kirate = 175.03 m2