At the end of this course, the students should be able to:

1. Apply the basic surveying concepts, principles and theories on distance and angular measurement as
well as area computation.
2. Solve for distances, elevations and areas from a provided set of survey data.
3. Apply basic surveying concepts, principles and theories on determining horizontal and vertical
distances using stadia.
4. Compute for the missing data from an incomplete traverse data.
5. Acquire a working knowledge in design and lay-out of horizontal or vertical curves in highway or
railway.
6. Determine and use the appropriate methodology in calculating earthworks in various civil
engineering constructions.
• Define Surveying
• Be familiar with important surveying terms
• Identify the jobs of a surveyor
• Gain knowledge on the history of surveying
• Enumerate the surveying operations/types, their uses and recent technologies
❑ Surveying is the art of determining the relative positions of different objects on the surface and below
the surface of the earth by measuring the horizontal and vertical distances between them and by preparing a
map to any suitable scale. Thus in discipline, the measurements are taken in the horizontal plane alone.

❑ The art and science of determining angular and linear measurements to establish the form, extent, and
relative position of points, lines, and areas on or near the surface of the earth or on other extraterrestrial
bodies through applied mathematics and the use of specialized equipment and techniques.

GEOMATICS
It is an applied science concerned with the measurement, representation, analysis, management, retrieval
and display of SPATIAL INFORMATION describing both the Earth’s physical features and the built-in
environment.
 The aim of surveying is to prepare a plan or map to show the relative positions of the objects on the
surface of the earth. The map is drawn to some suitable scale. It shows the natural features of a country
such as towns, villages, roads, railways, rivers, etc. Maps may also include details of different
engineering works, such as roads, railways, irrigation, canals, etc.
SURVEYOR

A professional person with the academic qualifications and technical expertise to:
1. Determine, measure and represent the land, three-dimensional objects, point-fields and trajectories;
2, Assemble and interpret land and geographically related information;
3. Use that information for the purpose of planning and efficient administration of the land, sea and any
structures thereon; and
4. Instigate the advancement and development of such practices.

THE FIVE MAIN AREAS OF THE SURVEYOR’S WORK

1. Research, analysis and decision making
2. Field work (Data acquisition)
3. Computing (Data processing)
4. Mapping (Data Representation)
5. Stake-out
The early days of Surveying

o 1400 B.C.
The Egyptians first used it to accurately divide land into
plots for purpose of taxation.

o 2870 B.C.
The oldest historical records in existence today that bear
directly on the subject of surveying state that his science
began in Egypt.
⁻Over a 10 to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC
⁻Base is nearly perfect square
⁻Side of pyramid align with the true meridian
o 120 B.C.
Greeks developed the science of geometry and were
using it for precise land division.

o 1800 A.D. – Beginning of the industrial revolution

The importance of “exact boundaries” and the demand
for public improvements ( i.e. railroads, canals, roads) brought
surveying into a prominent position.
Today surveying affects most everything in our daily lives. A
few of the areas where surveying is being used are:

• To map the earth above and below sea.

• Prepare navigational maps (land, air, sea).

• Establish boundaries of public and private lands.

• Develop data bases for natural resource management.

• Development of engineering data

 A. PLANE SURVEYING B. GEODETIC SURVEYING

The mean surface of the earth is considered as Takes into account the true shape of the
a plane, or in which its spheroidal shape is earth.
neglected.
a. Land area is curved (earth as sphere)
a. Land are is considered as flat b. Lines are not straight
b. Lines are straight c. Triangles formed are spherical triangle
c. Triangles are plane triangles d. Instruments used are GPS, Signals and
Towers, Total Station, etc.
d. Instruments used are Chains, Tapes,
Theodolite, Total Station, etc.
i.e., Distance between two historical points
i.e., Setting out a building
1. Control Survey

Consists of establishment of the

horizontal and vertical positions of
arbitrary points.
1. Cadastral Survey

Cadastral surveys are generally

performed to subdivide land into
parcels for ownership under a land
title and to re-establish boundaries of
previously surveyed properties to
determine the physical extent of
ownership or to facilitate the transfer
of the property title.
2. City Survey

an extensive co-ordinated survey of

the area within the limits of a
municipally made for the purposes
3. Construction Surveys

It is used to establish the location and

alignment of highways, bridges,
buildings, pipes, and other man-made
objects.
4. Forestry Surveys

Forest Engineering is the application

of scientific, economic, social, and
practical knowledge in order to
invent, design, build, maintain, and
improve structures, machines,
devices, systems, materials and
processes concerning to Forest
5. Hydrographic Survey

Refers to surveys of bodies of water for the purposes of navigation or water supply.
6. Industrial Survey

It could involve the oil and gas industry, mechanics, the process industry, power plants, etc. The
projects may be large or small, and of varying duration.
7. Mine Survey

Utilizes the principles for land,

geologic and topographic
surveying to control, locate and
map underground and surface
works related to mining
operations.
8. Topographic Survey

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.
9. 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 line and pipelines
10. Construction Survey

Also known as staking, stake-

out, lay-out, setting-out – is to
stake out reference points and
markers that will guide the
construction of new structures.
• The planning and design of all Civil Engineering projects such as construction of highways,
bridges, tunnels, dams etc. are based upon surveying measurements.
• Moreover, during execution, project of any magnitude is constructed along the lines and
points established by surveying.
• Thus, surveying is a basic requirement for all Civil Engineering projects.
1. To fix the national and state boundaries;
2. To chart coastlines, navigable streams and lakes;
3. To establish control points;
4. To execute hydrographic and oceanographic charting and mapping; and
5. To prepare topographic map of land surface of the earth.
6. To collect field data;
7. To prepare plan or map of the area surveyed;
8. To analyze and to calculate the field parameters for setting out operation of actual
engineering works.
9. To set out field parameters at the site for further engineering works.
1. ASTROLABE (HIPPARCHUS)
2. TELESCOPE
3. TRANSIT
4. SEMICIRCUMFERENTOR
5. PLANE TABLE
6. DIOPTRA
7. DIOPTER
8. ROMAN GROMA
9. LIBELLA
10. VERNIER
11. COMPASS
12. GUNTER’S CHAIN
13. CHOROBATES
14. MERCHET
a. Total Station b. Satellite System
c. Geographic and Land information Systems d. Remote Sensing
e. LiDAR f. 3D Mapping using Drone Surveys
Surveying may be used for the following various applications.

❑To prepare a topographical map which shows the hills, valleys, rivers, villages, towns, forests ,etc. of a
country.
❑To prepare a cadastral map showing the boundaries of fields, houses, and other properties.
❑To prepare an engineering map showing details of engineering works such as roads, railways, reservoirs,
irrigation canals, etc.
❑To prepare a contour map to determine the capacity of reservoir and to find the best possible route for
roads, railways, etc.
❑To prepare a geological map showing areas including underground resources exist.
❑To prepare an archeological map including places where ancient relics exist.
Measurement is the process of determining the extent size or dimensions of a particular quantity in
comparison to a given standard.

In surveying, it is usually concentrated on angles, elevations, time, lines, areas and volumes.

❑DIRECT MEASUREMENT
Is a comparison of the measured quantity with standard measuring unit or units employed for
measuring a quantity of that kind.
Ex. Applying a wire or tape a line
• Determining a horizontal or vertical angles with a transit.

❑INDIRECT MEASUREMENT
It is not possible to apply a measuring instrument directly to a quantity to be measured an indirect
measurement is made.
METER
• International unit linear measure
• Proposed sometime in 1789 by French Scientist
• Defined as 1/10,000,000 of the Earth’s meridional quadrant (originally)
• May 20, 1875 treaty signed in Paris by representatives of 8 countries (3 from Europe, 4 American
Continent and 1 from Middle East) which created a permanent international Bureau of Weights
and Measures.
• Direct result, the standard linear measure was established as the INTERNATIONAL METER
which is initially based on an iron meter bar standardized in Paris (1799)
METER
• Was defined as the distance between two lines engraved across the surface (near the ends) of the
bar with an X-shaped cross-section, composed of 90% platinum and 10% iridium, when the
temperature of the bar is O° C.
• International meter bar – deposited at International Bureau in Servres, near Paris France.
• Oct., 1960, redefined at the 11th General Conference on Weights and measures, agreed upon 36
countries

METER – is now defined as a length equal to 1,650,763.73 wavelength of the orange-red light
produced by the burning the element krypton (with atomic weight of 86) at a specific energy level
in the spectrum.
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM UNITS (SI)
• The IBWM promulgated in 1960 the International System of Units (SI)
• Ultimate goal : to modernize the metric system by introducing a coherent and rational worldwide
system of units.
• Jan. 1, 1983 – English System was phased out in the Philippines
• Metric conversion or change over – signed into Law last Dec., 1978 by former Pres. Marcos.

1. LINEAR, AREA& VOLUME MEASUREMENT

LENGTH – common units are km, m, cm, & mm.
- may also refer to other linear dimensions such as width, depth, thickness, height or
distance.
1. LINEAR, AREA& VOLUME MEASUREMENT
AREAS – square meter is used (small tracts of land, floor areas of buildings and structures)
- hectares – commonly used for large tract of land such as cities, provinces, sugar cane
plantation, rice field and forests.

VOLUME – cubic meter, liter & milliliter

1 ha = 10,000 sq. m = 100 acres
1 acres = 100 sq. m.
1 sq. km. = 1,000,000 sq. m. =10 ha
2. ANGULAR MEASUREMENT
- In the Philippines the sexagesimal units are used with SI for angular measurements because of
their practical importance and our familiarity with it.
a. Sexagesimal Units
b. Centesimal Units
❑ Constitute the only reliable and
permanent record of actual work done in
the field.
❑ Official record of survey, it must be
complete, legible, concise and
comprehensive and logically arranged
according to a recognized practice.

FIELD NOTEBOOK
❑ Should be of good quality rag paper,
with stiff board or leather cover made to
withstand hard usage and pocketsize.
 8. REAR TAPEMAN
1. CHIEF PARTY
9. FLAGMAN
2. ASSISTANT CHIEF PARTY
10. RODMAN
3. INSTRUMENTMAN
11. PACER
4. TECHNICIAN
12. AXEMAN
5. COMPUTER
13. AIDMAN
6. RECORDER
14. UTILITY MAN
7. HEAD TAPEMAN
ERRORS
is defined as the difference between true value and the measured value of a quantity.

MISTAKES
are in accuracy in measurements which occur because same aspect of surveying operation is
performed by the surveyor with carelessness, inattention, poor judgement and improper execution
SYSTEMATIC ERRORS (COMMULATIVE ERROR)

One which will always have the same sign and magnitude as a long as field condition remain
constants and unchanged.

For Example:
Making a measurement with 30-m tape which is 5 cm too short (same error)

Conform to mathematical and physical laws: such error can be computed and their effects
eliminated by applying corrections, employing proper techniques in use of instruments or by
adopting a field procedure which will automatically eliminate it.
Occur due to instrumental factors, natural causes, and human limitations of the observer.
ACCIDENTAL ERRORS

Are purely accidental in character. The occurrence of such errors are matters of chance as they
are likely to be positive or negative and may tend in part to compensate or average out according to
laws of probability.

❑ There is no absolute way of determining or eliminating them since the error for an observation of
a quantity is not likely to be the same as a second observation.

❑ Are usually of minor importance in surveying operations

1. INSTRUMENTAL ERRORS
Due to imperfections in the instrument used, either from faults in their construction or from
improper adjustment between the different parts prior to their use.

2. NATURAL ERRORS
Are caused by variations in the phenomena of nature such as changes in magnetic declination,
temperature, humidity, wind, refraction, gravity and curvature of the earth.

3. PERSONAL ERRORS
Arise principally from limitations of the senses of sight, touch and hearing of the human
observer which are likely to be erroneous or inaccurate.
❑ ACCURACY
o Indicates how close a given measurement is to the absolute or true value of the quantity measured.
o Implies the closeness between related measurements and their expectations.

❑ PRECISION
o Refers to the degree of refinement and consistency with which any physical measurement is made.
o Portrayed by closeness to one another of a set of repeated measurements of a quantity.
SURVEYING EQUIPMENTS TAPING ACCESSORIES
1. Steel tape 1. Range Pole
2. Brunton Pocket compass 2. Chaining pins
3. Dumpy level 3. Tape Thermometer
4. Wye Level
4. Spring Scale
5. Automatic level
5. Tape Clamping Handle
6. Hand Level and Clinometer
6. Plumb Bobs
7. Leveling Rods
8. Engineer’s Transit 7. Tape Leather Thongs
9. Theodolite 8. Wooden Hub/Pegs
10.Alidade
11.Subtense Bar
12.Sextant
13.Planimeter
14.Geodetic Total Station
15.Reflectors and Targets