INTRODUCTION TO

ELEMENTARY
SURVEYING https://www.steckbeck.net/land-surveying.php

SURVEYING
Lhizel L. Claveria, PAE
SURVEYING
http://www.civilsiteengineering.com/civil-
engineering-services/professional-land-surveying/

– the art and science of determining

measurements to establish the form and
relative position of points, lines, and
areas on or near the surface of the earth
and other extra-terrestrial bodies.
(La Putt, 1987)
 SURVEYING http://www.civilsiteengineering.com/civil-
engineering-services/professional-land-surveying/

• determination of the relative spatial location of points on or near the

surface of the earth.
• 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.
• with mathematical calculations.
• determines distances, angles, directions, locations, elevations, areas,
and volumes
• construction of maps, profiles, cross sections, and diagrams.
 GENERAL
CLASSIFICATIONS
1. PLANE SURVEYING
– the earth is considered to
be a flat surface; the exact
shape of the earth is
disregarded.
2. GEODETIC SURVEYING
– the spheroidal shape of the
earth is taken into account
and has a very high precision
 TYPES ACCORDING TO
APPLICATION
1. CADASTRAL SURVEYS
– usually closed surveys to
define property lines,
boundaries, corners and
areas.
2. CITY SURVEYS –
surveys in and near a city
for land use planning,
fixing reference
monuments, determining
physical features, and
http://www.civilsiteengineering.com/civil-
engineering-services/professional-land-surveying/
 TYPES ACCORDING TO
APPLICATION
3. CONSTRUCTION SURVEYS
– undertaken at a construction site
to determine grade, reference lines,
dimensions, ground configurations,
location and elevation.
4. FORESTRY SURVEYS –
executed in connection with
forest management and
mensuration, and the production
and conservation of forest lands.
 TYPES ACCORDING TO
APPLICATION
5. HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS
– Used to map shorelines, chart the
shape of areas underlying water
surfaces and measure flow of
streams.
6. INDUSTRIAL SURVEYS –use of
surveying techniques in ship building,
construction and assembly of aircraft,
layout and installation of heavy and
complex machinery, and in other
industries where very accurate
dimensional layouts are required.
 TYPES ACCORDING TO
APPLICATION
7. MINE SURVEYS – determine
the positions of all underground
excavations and surface mine
structures, fix boundaries of
mining claims, determine
geological formations, calculate
excavated volumes and other
related mining works
8. PHOTOGRAMMETRIC
SURVEY – use of specially
designed cameras to capture an
aerial shot from an aircraft.
 TYPES ACCORDING TO
APPLICATION
9. ROUTE SURVEYS
– surveys for planning, design,
and construction of railroads,
highways, canals and other
linear projects.
10. TOPOGRAPHIC
SURVEY
– survey to determine the
shape of the ground, and the
location and elevation of its
features.
SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS
1. MEASURING TAPE - used to
measure distances, made of steel,
coated linen or synthetic material
2. MEASURING WHEEL –
designed to be pushed along by
surveyors to measure specific
distances
SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS
3. PLUMB BOB - used to
check if objects are vertical

4. RANGE POLES - used

to mark areas and to set
out straight lines on the
field; to mark points which
must be seen from a
distance, with a flag
attached to improve the
visibility
SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS
5. THEODOLITE – a
precision instrument for
measuring angles in the
horizontal and vertical planes;
used to determine horizontal
distances and elevations

6. TRIPOD – provides
strong, balanced location on
which to place certain types
of survey tools.
SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS

7. STADIA ROD – measure distance between

two points in conjunction with other survey tools
SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS

8. COMPASS – determines the direction

of a line; points to the magnetic north pole
9. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)
– measure electronic distances; picks up satellite signals
to determine coordinates of points
 SURVEYING
MEASUREMENTS
MEASUREMENT
- process of determining the extent, size or
dimensions of a quantity
TYPES of measurement:
1. DIRECT – result is obtained by the actual
measurement itself.
2. INDIRECT – result is obtained by
determining its relationship with other values.
THE METER
- International unit of linear:
1/10,000,000 of the earth’s
meridional quadrant (1789)
- Iron meter bar standardized in Paris
(1799)
- Length equal to 1, 650, 763. 73
wavelengths of the orange-red light
produced by burning the element
krypton (1960)
International System of Units (SI)
International System of Units (SI)
International System of Units (SI)
International System of Units (SI)
International System of Units (SI)
1. Linear, Area, and Volume Measurements

Length: kilometer, meter, centimeter, millimeter

Area: Square meter, square centimeters, ares
(100 sq m),hectare (10 000 sq m or 100 ares)
Volume: cubic meter, cubic centimeter, liter,
milliliter
International System of Units (SI)
2. Angular Measurements
Radian- for plane angles, 2 rad = 360
Steridian – supplementary unit of a solid angle
a. Sexagesimal Units – degree, minute, second
b. Centesimal Units – grad (angular unit),
circumference of a circle is divided into 400
grads; grad is divided into 100 centesimal
units or 0.9 
International System of Units (SI)
Significant Figures
- digits necessary to express the results of a
measurement to the precision with which it
was made.
Significant Figures
Significant Figures
Significant Figures
State the number of significant figures in each
of the following measurements.
a) 230 cm: a)2 s.f.
b) 34.0 L: b)3 s.f.
c) 0.625 g: c) 3 s.f.
d) 0.0055 mL: d)2 s.f.
e) 5050. m³: e)4 s.f.
Rounding Off Numbers
- Process of dropping one or more of the final
digits so that the value contains only the
significant figures required for further
computation or for portraying the final
results.
RULES:
1. Digit is Less than 5. When the digit to be
dropped is less than 5, the number is written
without the digit.
Ex. 24.2444 to the nearest hundredth = 24.24
Rounding Off Numbers
2. Digit is Equal to 5. When the digit to be
dropped is exactly 5, nearest even number is
used for the preceding digit.
Ex. 26.175 to the nearest hundredth = 26.18
156.285 is equal to 156.28

3. Digit is Greater than 5. When the digit to be

dropped is greater than 5, the number is written
with the preceding digit increased by 1.
Ex. 226.277 to the nearest hundredth = 226.28
Rounding Off Numbers
1. Round off 75.52 to three significant figures.
Answer: 75.5
2. Round off 9.08352 to two decimal places.
Answer: 9.08
3. Round off 1345.54 to a whole number.
Answer:1346
4. Round off 7962400 to three significant figures.
Answer: To round off 7962400, use the first three significant figures. The
zeros must be maintained as placeholders. The answer is 7960000
5. Round off 0.000275 to two significant figures.
Answer: Round it off to the nearest even number. Round off upward to
0.00028
 SURVEYING FIELD
NOTES
•the only reliable and permanent record of
actual work done in the field
•the quality of field work is reflected directly
in the manner the field record is kept
•official record of the survey
•before any survey is made, the necessary
data to be collected should be considered
carefully and in the field all such required
data should be obtained
FIELD NOTEBOOK
• must be complete,
legible, concise and
comprehensive, and
logically arranged
according to recognized
practice

• should be intelligible to others without verbal

explanations
• field work observations should be recorded directly
in the notebook at the time observations are made.
TYPES OF NOTES
1. SKETCHES – drawn freehand and of
liberal size

2. TABULATIONS – best show a series of

numerical values observed in the field;
prevents mistakes, allows checking, saves
time, makes calculations legible to others,
and simplifies the work of the person
checking the field notes
TYPES OF NOTES
3. EXPLANATORY NOTES – provide a
written description of what has been done in the
field; usually placed on the right-hand page in
the same line with the numerical data; if
sketches are used, they should be placed closely
to that which they explain
4. COMPUTATIONS – graphical solutions using
accurately scaled drawings can be used;
should be clear and orderly that will be easily
understood by others
TYPES OF NOTES
5. COMBINATION
OF THE ABOVE
 Table of contents
must be included in
the beginning of the
field notebook
Fieldwork report
shall be submitted
based on those
written in the field
notebook
SURVEYING FIELD NOTES
Field notes should include:
Fieldwork No.
Fieldwork Title
Date and Time
Weather Condition
Survey Party
Instruments Used
Sketch
Results (Tabular Values/
Computations)
FIELD REPORT
Field reports should include:
Fieldwork No.
Fieldwork Title
Date and Time
Weather Condition
Survey Party
Instruments Used
Sketch
Results (Tabular Values/ Computations)
SURVEY PARTY
To execute a surveying activity, a group called the
survey party will be composed of the following
members:
1. Chief of party – over all direction, supervision,
and operational control.
2. Assistant Chief of Party – assistance to the
COP.
3. Instrument man/Technician – setting up,
leveling and operation of instruments
4. Recorder – keeps records of survey data and
sketches
SURVEY PARTY
5. Computer – performs all computation
during and after the survey
6. Head tapeman – responsible in the taping
operation
7. Rear tapeman – assistance to the HTM
8. Flagman – holds the range pole at selected
points for taping activity.
9. Rodman – holds the stadia rod at selected
points for instrument readings
SURVEY PARTY
10. Pacer – checks linear measurements made
by the tapemen.
11. Axeman/ Lineman – the person whose duty
is to clear the line of sight of trees, bushes,
and other obstructions; security and safety of
the members
12. Aidman – provides first aid treatment to
members
13. Utility men – assistance to the survey party