DEPARTMENT OF SURVEYING ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION TO SURVEYING

By: Danbobi Chuluke (Bsc. In SURVEYING

ENGINEERING & Msc. In GIS and Remote
sensing(candidate))
1
 “The function of education is to teach
one to think intensively and to think
critically. Intelligence plus character -
that is the goal of true education”.

“የትምህርት ተግባር አንድ ሰው በጥልቀት እንዲያስብ እና

በጥልቀት እንዲያስብ ማስተማር ነው። ብልህነት እና ባህሪ -
ይህ የእውነተኛ ትምህርት ግብ ነው”።

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Chapter One
Introduction to Surveying
1.1 Definition
 Surveying is the process of determining the
relative position of natural and manmade features
on or under the earth’s surface, the presentation of
this information either graphically in the form of
plans or numerically in the form of tables, and the
setting out of measurements on the earth’s surface.
 It usually involves measurement, calculations, the
production of plans, and the determination of
specific locations.
 Surveying is the link between design and
construction.
 Cont…
 The surveyor may be called on to determine
heights and distances; to set out buildings, bridges
and roadways; to determine areas and volumes
and to draw plans at a predetermined scale.
 Surveying, which is also interchangeably called
Geomatics, has traditionally been defined as the
art, science, and technology of determining the
relative positions of points above, on or beneath
the Earth's surface or of establishing such points.
 It is an art in that only a surveyor who possesses a
thorough understanding of surveying techniques
will be able to determine the most efficient
methods required to obtain optimal results over a
wide variety of surveying problems.
 Cont…
 It is scientific to the degree that rigorous mathematical
techniques are used to analyze and adjust the field
survey data.
 Finally, surveying is technology in that it requires an
application of tools, methods and technical knowledge
to solve surveying problems.

1.2 Primary divisions of Surveying

 Primary divisions of surveying are made on the basis

whether the curvature of the earth is considered or
whether the earth is assumed to be a flat plane.
 Surveying is primarily divided in two types: Plane
Surveying and Geodetic Surveying.
 Cont…
A) Plane surveying
 In plane surveying, except for leveling, the
reference base for fieldwork and computations
is assumed to be a flat horizontal surface,
neglecting the curvature of the earth.
 All distances and horizontal angles are
assumed to be projected on to a horizontal
plane.
 Plane surveying can safely be used when one
is concerned with small portions of the earth’s
surface and the areas involved are less than
250km2
 In plane surveying, the angles of polygons and
 Cont…
 B) Geodetic surveying
 In geodetic surveying, the curved surface of the Earth is
considered by performing the computations on an
ellipsoid (curved surface) approximating the size and
shape of the Earth and a very high standard of accuracy is
maintained (curvature of earth is considered).
 The main object of geodetic surveying is to determine the
precise location of a system of widely spaced points on
the surface of the earth.
 Cont…

1.3 Importance of Surveying

 To mark boundaries and divide land; to
establish property boundaries of private and
public lands; The measurement of land and
the fixation of its boundaries cannot be done
without surveying.
 To map the Earth above and below sea level;
 To prepare navigational charts for use in the
air, on land, and at sea;
 To develop data banks of land-use and natural
resource information that aid in managing our
environment and
 Cont…
 The planning and design of all Engineering
structure projects such as railways,
highways, tunneling, irrigation, dams,
reservoirs, waterworks, sewerage works,
airfields, ports, massive buildings, etc. are
based upon surveying measurements.
 During execution of the project of any
magnitude is constructed along the lines and
points established by surveying.
 Cont…
 The economic feasibility of the engineering
feasibility of a project cannot be properly
ascertained without undertaking a survey
work.
 The execution of hydrographic and
oceanographic charting and mapping
requires.
 Surveying is used to prepare a
topographic map of a land surface of the
earth.
 Cont…

Objectives of Surveying
 To determine the relative position of any objects or
points of the earth.
 To determine the distance and angle between different
objects.
 To prepare a map or plan to represent an area on a
horizontal plan.
 To develop methods through the knowledge of modern
science and the technology and use them in the field.
 To solve measurement problems in an optimal way.
 Cont…
1.4 Classification of surveying
1.4.1 Functional classifications of surveying
Surveys can further be classified based on the
purpose for which they are conducted.
a) Control surveying: for establishing the
horizontal and vertical positions of widely
spaced control points using the principles of
geodetic surveying.
b) Land surveying: conducted to determine the
boundaries and areas of tracts of land. These
are the oldest types, as land surveys have
been used since the early civilization. These
are also known as property surveys, boundary
surveys or cadastral surveys.
 Cont…

c) City surveys: These surveys are conducted

within the limits of a city for urban planning.
These are required for the purpose of layout
of streets, buildings, sewers, pips, etc.
d) Topographical surveys: These surveys are
required for depiction of topography of a
region. It includes natural features such as
hills, rivers, forest, and manmade features
such as towns, villages, buildings, roads,
transmission lines, and canals.
 Cont…
e) Route surveying: These surveys are special
types of surveys conducted along a proposed route
for highway, railway, sewer line etc. Route
surveying also includes the staking out and
calculation of the earth work.
f) Mine surveys: These surveys are conducted to
determine the relative positions and elevations of
mines, shafts, bore holes etc for underground
works. Mine surveys are useful to plan the working
of mines and to compute volumes of materials in
mines.
g) Hydrographic surveys: These surveys are
conducted on or near the body of water, such as
lakes, rivers, bays, harbors.
 Cont…

h) Engineering surveys: Engineering surveys are

conducted to collect data for the designing and
planning of engineering works such as building,
roads, bridges, dams, reservoirs, sewers and water
supply lines.
 These surveys generally include surveys discussed
above.
 There are further subdivisions as reconnaissance,
preliminary surveys, and location surveys.
 The first is of exploratory nature, the second is to
collect adequate data for design, and the third is
to set out work on the ground.
 Cont…
1.4.2 Classification of survey based on
instruments used
Based on the instruments used, the surveys can
be classified as:
a) Chain surveying: This is the simplest type
of surveying in which only linear
measurements
are taken with a chain or tape.
b) Compass surveying: horizontal angles are
measured with the help of a magnetic
compass, in addition to the linear
measurements with a chain or a tape.
 Cont…

c) Leveling: leveling instrument is used to

determine the elevations and relative height
of various points in the vertical plane.
d) Plane table surveys: Map is prepared in
the field itself by determining the directions of
various lines making linear measurements,
and plotting the details on the paper using a
plane table.
 Cont…

e) Theodolite surveys: used primarily used in

traversing and triangulation for providing
controls. Horizontal and vertical angles are
also measured using theodolites.
f) Tacheometric surveys: A tacheometer is a
special type of theodolite that is fitted with a
stadia diaphragm having two horizontal cross
hairs in addition to the central horizontal hair.
In tacheometric surveying horizontal angles,
horizontal distances and elevations are
measured with a tacheometer to determine
horizontal and vertical distances.
 Cont…

g) Photogrammetric surveys: Photogrammetry

is a science of taking measurements with the
help of photographs. These surveys are
generally used for topographic mapping of vast
areas.
h) EDM Surveys: linear measurements are made
with the help of EDM instruments. Trilateration
is a type of triangulation in which all the three
sides of each triangle are measured accurately
with EDM instruments. The angles are computed
indirectly from the known sides of the triangles.
Thus all the sides and angles are determined.
 Cont…
1.5 Basic measurements in surveying
Surveying basically, consists of the following
four measurements:
a) Horizontal distance: measured in a
horizontal plane and if the distance is
measured along slope, it is reduced to its
horizontal equivalent.
b) Vertical distances: measured along the
direction of gravity at that point. The vertical
distances are measured to determine the
difference in elevations (height) of the
various points.
 Cont…

c) Horizontal angle: measured between two

lines in a plane that is horizontal at that
point.
d) Vertical angle: measured between two
lines in a plane that is vertical at a point.