Construction Surveys

List of Figures

Readings: Chapter 23
Figures used:
23-1 to 23-10.

Material to be considered: 23-7.

Stages and Measurements of CS

Design stages: topographic Surveying, and site maps

Construction stage:
Setting-out and positioning works. 60% of surveying hours.
involves establishing lines and grades by means of stakes
and string lines to guide the contractor
During and after construction: as built drawings, a record and
a check.
Measurements involved: Horizontal and vertical angles,
elevations, horizontal distances.

CS Equipment

Laser Instruments:

to create a visible line, or plane of known elevation or tilt

The line or plane could be horizontal, vertical, or tilted.
Single beam lasers will project visible string lines or
plumb lines
Rotating beam lasers: a rotating single beam to create a
plane.
Examples:
Laser levels, laser theodolite and total stations, handheld EDM instruments (Figures 23-1 to 23-4)
Recent technology of prism-less total stations and
EDMs, and HDS High Density Surveys.
Machine Guidance

Laser is used to guide the blade

HDS Surveys

Total Stations: the ones designed for CS are

of lower angular resolution(10 or 20), and

shorter ranges(500 m)

Relative GPS: sub-centimeter accuracy with

real time kinematic GPS in horizontal, few

cm in vertical. Must maintain visibility with
satellites
Levels

Horizontal and Vertical Control

Before Construction: new control points around the site must be

established with high accuracy. Additional points inside the site are
then established. All points must be tied out for repositioning.
These initial points should:
Meet certain accuracy standards
Be clearly marked, referenced, and recorded
Be far enough to be safe during construction.
During Construction: additional control is extended by the contractor
as needed, around or inside the structure. These additional points
should be close enough to the structure so that workers with simple
equipment can use them

Staking out a Pipeline

Sanitary (sewage) sewers and storm sewers which

carry storm runoffs operate under gravity. The
grade in such pipelines is critical. City water, oil,
and natural gas pipes are not as critical.
The location of the line is determined after a
profile leveling is done.
The center line and an offset reference line are
established.
Precise alignment and grade are guided by laser
beams or battered boards.

Pipe Laying Laser system by Apache

Source: laserlevels.net

Staking Pipeline Grades

A- Cut and Fill:

The center line and an offset line are marked and stationed.
The actual profiling and staking are on the offset line, not the
CL.
Using profile leveling method, obtain ground elevation at
each stake, compute the depth of cut or fill to the invert level.
Mark that depth on the stake side facing the trench, mark the
station on the other side of the stake.
B- Line and grade:
Generally done using laser equipment.

Staking out a Building

First step is to locate the building by boundary surveying.

Stakes are placed temporarily at the corners as a check.
In a small size building, a set of batter boards and reference
stakes are first set. The boards are around the building
corners and nailed at a full number of feet above the
footing base or at first floor elevation.
Nails are driven into the batter board tops so that a string
connecting them will define an outside wall
See fig 23-7, and the example which illustrates staking out
the building in fig 23-8.
In a larger building, radial methods, the one you used to
lay out piles, are used used. Fig 23-9

Additional Control for Buildings

Elevations:

Visible benchmark(s) should be set. Additional control could be done

using marks on nearby buildings, or marks on interior structure
elements (columns, walls).
Horizontal:
temporary batter boards inside the site, marks on nearby buildings.
Plumbness:

Essential for multistory buildings: columns, elevator shafts, construction walls, etc.
Checked by a theodolite line of sight rotating in a vertical plane, or by lasers.
Two instruments, with perpendicular line of sights, could be used to guide the
construction of vertical members in real time.

CS Using Total Stations

We are simply trying to define (X,Y) and maybe (Z) of the center of the
TS. Once stored in memory, the TS can do further computations onsite.
Horizontal Orientation:

By azimuth: input occupied point coordinates and azimuth to another point.

By coordinates: input occupied point coordinates and another point coordinates
By resection: input coordinates of unoccupied points , at least three, output is
occupied point coordinates.

Vertical Orientation: if necessary, output is HI:

By adding the instrument height to occupied point elevation.
By adding the vertical distance to a benchmark elevation and prism height:
HI = elevB + hp - V

Staking out with a Total Station

First the instrument is oriented, and a file that

contains control points and stake points
information is downloaded into the total station.
For 2-D stakeout, the number of the desired stake
point is entered, the instrument will display
differences of angles and distances to orient the
prism.
For 3-D works, The difference in elevation between
the stake elevation and the required elevation (cut
or fill) is also displayed.