3.
0 GEOTECHNICAL AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING COURSES
TR 111: ENGINEERING SURVEYING I (2.0 UNITS)
Course Content:
Introduction: Definition of surveying; Purpose and scope of surveying; Branches of surveying;
General aspect of surveying: plain coordinate, coordinate systems, maps, plans and sections, map
reading, surveying plotting, map scales; Units of survey measurements.
Introduction to Theory of Errors: Accuracy and precision of survey measurements; Adjustment
of survey measurements.
Linear Measurements: Purpose of linear measurements; Equipment for linear measurements;
Precision of linear measurements; Ground and catenary taping; Errors in taping; corrections to
linear measurements; Standardisation of steel tapes; Standardisation base line.
Practical No.1: Linear measurements; Methods of linear measurements. Taping corrections
(slope, tape, temperature, tension, and sag).
Detail Surveying: Chain surveying, offsets, checks, booking; Compass surveying; Plane tabling;
Detail survey plotting.
Practical No.2: Detail/chain surveying; Ties & Offsets, detail survey, plotting of survey data
Levelling: Definition and principles of levelling; Instrument types and classes; Methods of
levelling; Field procedure; Adjustment and care of instruments; Accuracy and errors in levelling;
Sources of errors; Adjustment of levelling net; Bench marks and types of bench marks;
Practical No.3: Levelling; Levelling instruments and staff. Checking for Collimation (two peg
test). Adjustment and care of Instruments.
Practical No.4: Line levelling; Levelling computations and adjustments. Trigonometric levelling,
Accuracy and errors in levelling
Theodolite and Traverse Surveying:
Introduction: Definitions, magnetic bearing, true bearing and other kinds of bearings; Horizontal
and vertical angles. Theodolite: Basic design principles and, main parts of the vernier theodolite;
Types of theodolites; Setting and reading procedure f or horizontal and vertical angles; Errors in
angular measurements; Observing procedure to eliminate instrumental errors.
Traverse surveying: Objectives; Types of traverses; Monumentation of traverse stations; Field
procedure of running a theodolite traverse; Computation and adjustment of a traverse; Errors in
traversing and detection of gross errors.
Practical No.5: Transits and theodolites; Telescope, Circles and verniers, Instrument set-up,
Vertical and horizontal angles, Reference for horizontal and vertical angles, Laying off angles,
Prolonging a straight line, Intersection of two straight lines, Prolonging a measured line by
triangulation over an obstacle
Practical No.6: Traversing
Optical Distance Measurements (ODM): Tacheometry: Definition and purpose; Basic principles
of Tacheometry; Types of Tacheometry, stadia system, tangential systems, subtense bar system,
optical wedge system; Self reducing tacheometers.
Practical No.7: Stadia Tacheometry
Electronic Distance Measurements (EDM): Elementary theory of electromagnetic (in relation
to its application to EDM): waves, signal and its characteristics, electromagnetic spectrum,
velocity of wave propagation, wave transmission, transmitter and transmission aerial,
transmission medium, receiver and receiving aerial. Basic principles of EDM equipment;
Classification of EDM equipment; Errors of EDM measurements; Field operations of EDM;
Reduction and correction of EDM observations; EDM calibration; EDM base line.
Total stations: Field procedures for total stations in topographic surveys. Survey
drafting/plotting of topographical plans or maps
Practical No.8: Topographical surveying using Total Station
Assessment Mode: Coursework 40% + University Examination 60%
Recommended Textbooks:
1. Kavanagh, B.F. 2003. Geomatics. Prentice Hall. Ohio
2. Schofield, W., 2001. Engineering Surveying 5th Edition. Butterworth-Heinemann
3. Wolf, P.R. and Ghillan C.D., 2002. Elementary Surveying: An Introduction to Geomatics
11th Edition. Printice Hall. London
Recommended References/Textbooks:
1. Bannister, A. and Raymond, S., 1984. Surveying 6th Edition. Longman. London
2. Davis, R., Foote, F., Anderson, J. and Mikhail E., 1981. Surveying Theory and Practice
6th Edition. McGraw Hill. London
3. Irvine, W., 1980. Surveying for Construction 2nd Edition. McGraw Hill. London
