Surveying For Highways: Eng. Suneth Thushara Highwy Design Division RDA

SURVEYING FOR
HIGHWAYS
ENG. SUNETH THUSHARA
HIGHWY DESIGN DIVISION
RDA
Surveying for Road Construction
• At the onset of any construction project, land surveying serves an integral role.
• Never is this more apparent than in a major civic task such as roadway construction.
• Such a pivotal project needs great precision to execute it perfectly.
• Fortunately, certified land surveyors working with modern, advanced technology can make
this happen.
• Land surveys for road construction are implemented at the start of the process as well as
throughout building and development.
• The land surveyors can assess land features and elevations, determine the presence of
underground obstacles, and identify potential hazards, helping to ensure a smooth process
for a well-built motorway.
Engineering Surveys for Highway locations
• Before a highway alignment is finalised in highway project, the engineering

survey are to be carried out. The various stages of engineering surveys are:
• 1-Map study (Provisional alignment Identification).
• 2-Reconnaissance survey.
• 3-Preliminary survey.
• 4-Final location and detailed surveys.
MAP STUDY
• From the map, alternative routes can be suggested in the office, if the topographic
map of that area is available.The probable alignment can be located on the map
from the fallowing details available on the map.
• 1-Avoiding valleys, ponds or lake
• 2-Avoiding bend of river
• 3-If road has to cross a row of hills, possibility of crossing through mountain pass.
• Map study gives a rough guidance of the routes to be further surveyed in the field.
MAP STUDY
RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY:
• 1-To confirm features indicated on map.
• 2-To examine the general character of the area in field for deciding the most
feasible routes for detailed studies.
• 3-A survey party may inspect along the proposed alternative routes of the
map in the field with very simple instrument like a bneylevel, tangent
clinometer, barometric…. To collect additional details.
Preliminary survey
• Objective of preliminary survey are:
• 1-To survey the various alternative alignments proposed after the
reconnaissance and to collect all the necessary physical information and
detail of topography, drainage and soil.
• 2-To compare the different proposals in view of the requirements of the
good alignment.
• 3-To estimate quantity of earthwork materials and other construction aspect
and to work out the cost of the alternate proposals.
Methods of preliminary survey:
• 1-Conventionalapproach-surveyparty:carries out surveys using the
required field equipment, taking measurement, collecting topographical and
other data and carrying out soil survey.
• 2-Modern rapid approach: By aerial survey taking the required aerial
photographs for obtaining the necessary topographic and other maps
including details of soil and geology.
• 3-Other studies: Drainage, Hydrological survey, soil survey, Traffic and
Material survey.
Location survey:
• 1-Transferring the alignment on to ground.
• 2-This is done by transit theodolite.
• 3-Major and minor control points are established on the ground and centre
pegs are driven, checking the geometric design requirements.
• 4-Centre lines tacks are driven at suitable intervals, say 20m interval in plane
and rolling terrains and 10m in hilly terrain.
Location survey:
Detailed survey:
• 1-Temporary benchmarks are fixed at intervals of about 250m and a tall drainage and
underpass structure.
• 2-Earthwork calculations and drainage details are to be work out from the level books.
• 3-Cross sectional levels are taken at intervals of 20min Plane terrain, 10min Rolling terrain,
10 min built –up area, 10 min Hill terrain.
• 4-CBR value of the soils along the alignment may be determined for design of pavement.
• 5-The data during detailed survey should be elaborate and complete for preparing detailed
plans, design and estimates of project.
RDA CORRIDOR SURVEY
GENERAL
• Detailed topographic surveys are necessary to develop Detailed Engineering
designs
• RDA is using Civil 3D design software for its road design
• Survey data and details need to be customized to the format required by Civil
3D software
EXISTING AND NEW ROAD
CORRIDORS
• Establishing the preliminary centre line
• Establishing the reference points, control traversing and detailed surveying
• (X,Y,Z) points for all ground points and other necessary points
• Sufficient number of points on the existing road surface and other cross
sectional elements.
• Should be able to correctly depict the ground model using tall the points
taken
CORRIDOR WIDTHS
• Corridor width is defined to limit the extent of survey work
• For straight stretches, equal widths on both left and right are taken
• Import features in the close vicinity like streams, drains, rivers, lakes
embankments etc should be taken.
• Structures falling partly within the corridor, full structure should be taken
• Curved stretches, more width in inner side of the curve.
GPS points
• If the length of the road is greater than 5km, Control points should be
established at 5km interval
• If the length of the road is 1km-5km, Control points should be established
at the start and end points
• If the length of the road is lesser than 1km, Control point should be
established at the start point
• Three points to be established and inter visible.
TS BETWEEN GPS
• TS established at maximum interval of 250m
• Intermediate points to cover all required features
• Consecutive points inter visible
• Monuments to be firmly fixed
CONTROL TRAVERSE USING TS
• Certificate of Accuracy of Instrument from Department of Surveys
• Every 5km stretch, traverse run between predetermined control points
• If only one GPS, traverse circuit.
• Determine adjusted N E coordinates for all traverse stations.
ESTABLISHMENT OF BENCH MARKS
• Heights from GPS are Ellipsoidal Heights

• Separate level survey to determine to BM levels
• TBM to be established in 250m approx.
• Having established N, E and Z of all GPS Stations and Traverse Stations,
proceed to detailed surveying
DETAILED SURVEYING
FEATURES & STRUCTURES
• All CPP, TSS positions
• All secondary TSS positions
• All PBM and TBM positions
• Edges of Ex. CW
• All temporary and permanent buildings, houses, hunts and other structures
• All roads including widths
• All fences, boundary walls, retainingg walls, gates etc
FEATURES & STRUCTURES
• Ex. Drains, streams, irrigation structures, channels, wells, rivers, bridges and
culverts, km and mile posts
• All electric transmission lines including substations, transformers, electric posts etc.
• Telegraph lines, telegraph posts, control boxes etc.
• All places of religious and historical significance, graveyards, play grounds etc.
• Steep embankments and cuttings
• All systematic and continuous plantations
MAJOR ROAD INTERSECTIONS
• Sufficient length along the crossing road
• Sufficient length along the existing road
• Corridor width is generally larger than that is defined for road.
BRIDGES & RIVERS
• Sufficient length along the river on both sides of the road to be covered.
COORDINATES OF THE GROUND
POINTS
• (N,E,Z) coordinates of sufficient number of ground points to depict the correct
topography.
• A cross section across the centre line of the culvert
• Sufficient number of points to represent the correct geometry of bridges, profile of
the river bed, topography of the river bank etc
• Location of under and over ground structures, sewer line, water line, telephone line
and poles, electric poles etc
• Location of individual trees.
RECORDING AND PREPARATION OF
DATA FILE
• File should be in *.txt (comma, delimited) format or *.xls format. The data
field format is PNEZD
• P-Point number
• N-North Coordinate
• E-East Coordinate
• Z-Elevation
• D-Description
PREPARATION OF COMPUTERIZED
BASE PLAN
• Survey should be plotted in AutoCAD
• Different layers should be used to plot different features.
• The points taken along the Ex. CL should be connected with a polyline
• The points taken along the Ex. LHS Tar Edge should be connected with a
polyline
• The points taken along the Ex. RHS Tar Edge should be connected with a
polyline
SOUTHERN EXPRESSWAY

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SURVEYING FOR

• Before a highway alignment is finalised in highway project, the engineering

• Heights from GPS are Ellipsoidal Heights

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