Land Surveying

Definition of Surveying in the State of

Tennessee (T.C.A. 62-18-102)

Any service of work, the adequate performance of which

involves the application of special knowledge of the
principles of mathematics, the related physical and applied
sciences, and the relevant requirements of law for
adequate evidence to the act of measuring and locating
lines, angles, elevations, natural and man-made features
for the purpose of determining areas and volumes, for
the monumenting of property boundaries, and for the
platting and layout of lands and subdivisions thereof,
including the topography, drainage, alignment and grades
of streets, and for the preparation and perpetuation of
maps, records, plats, field notes, records and property
descriptions that represent these surveys.
 Famous Land Surveyors
George Washington
Surveyor General in Virginia, 1749
Thomas Jefferson
County Surveyor for Albemarle County, VA, 1773
Lewis and Clark
Expedition to explore and survey the west
Daniel Boone
Resolved Kentucky land disputes
Abraham Lincoln
Surveyor in Illinois when elected to state
legislature
 Land Surveying
The science of determining the relative
positions of points on the Earths surface.

Geodetic Surveys

Plane Surveys
 Geodetic Survey
Takes into account the true size, shape, and
gravity fields of the Earth
The geoid is the equipotential surface of the
Earths gravity field which best fits global mean sea
level
Provides significant
precision
Establishes highly
accurate control
networks

Images courtesy NOAA

http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/foundations/gravity_surveys/
 Plane Survey
Assumes the Earths surface to be a plane (flat)
More common than geodetic surveys
Precise enough for small-scale surveys in a
limited area, such as a construction site
Used to determine legal boundaries,
construction surveys, and small-area
topographic or control surveys
iStockphoto.com
 Geodetic vs. Plane Survey

Plumb Line
Plane Survey
Geodetic Survey
Line of equal elevation
Line of equal elevation

Rod
Rod
Horizontal Plane

Earths surface

Geoid or other Datum

 Types of Surveys
Control Survey
Topographic Survey
Property Survey
Site Survey
Construction Survey
Control Survey
Establish precise
horizontal and
vertical positions of
points that serve as
a reference for other
surveys

Photos Courtesy NOAA

Courtesy Department of Public Works, Seminole County, FL
 Topographic Survey
Gathers data on the location of natural and man-
made features, contours, and ground elevation
to create a topographic map

Courtesy USGS
Property Survey
(or Boundary Survey)

Establishes property
lines for a lot
Used to create a plat
 Site Survey
(Plot Survey or Lot Survey)
Combination of a property survey and
topographic survey
May be required to receive a construction permit
 Construction Survey
Locates points and elevations that can be
used to establish correct locations and
elevations for engineering and
architectural projects

Courtesy Isle of Palms, SC Recreation Department

 National Spatial Reference
System (NSRS)
Common set of reference points for all
surveys
Horizontal Datum = Collection of
points of known latitude and longitude

Vertical Datum = Collection of points Courtesy NOAA

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/geod

of known elevation esy/geo05_horizdatum.html

Benchmark (BM) = Permanent mark

that establishes a point of known
elevation
Wikimedia.org
 Reference System Data
Information on datum points available at
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-
bin/datasheet.prl
Example Data Sheet
 Optical Equipment
Requires a visual line-of-sight

iStockphoto.com iStockphoto.co
m

A theodolite measures A total station is an

vertical and horizontal electronic/optical
angles surveying instrument
 Optical Equipment
Automatic (Auto) Level
Commonly used on
building sites
Internal compensator
can automatically
level the instrument Kennedy

Measures difference in elevation between

the line of sight and a point
Kennedy

Other Equipment

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Professional Tape Measure

Kennedy

Courtesy USGS Kennedy

http://gallery.usgs.gov/photos/07_22_20
09_j51Qi76Hgb_07_22_2009_13
Kennedy Field Book
Leveling Rod Tripod
 GPS Technology
Global Positioning System
A global navigation satellite
system
Developed by the U.S.
Department of Defense Courtesy NASA

A constellation of satellites that

broadcast radio signals
Receivers intercept several
satellite signals in order to
determine precise location Widimedia.com
 GPS

Kennedy

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 Telescope
Auto Level
Mirror Sight

Diopter
Bulls Eye Adjustment
Level Ring

Horizontal
Eyepiece
Tangent
Knob
Horizontal Leveling
Angle Screws
Rotation Ring Kennedy
 Reading the Rod Beveled
hatch
marks
Vertical Stadia hairs
crosshair

Horizontal
crosshair

View through the telescope

Reading the Rod

Upper Stadia Reading = 5.30 ft

Rod Reading = 5.25 ft
Lower Stadia Reading = 5.20 ft
Stadia Readings
Estimate distance between rod
and instrument
Rod intercept is the difference
between stadia readings

Estimated distance

Stadia multiplier typically = 100

Indicated on inside of instrument
case or in Instructional Manual
Stadia Readings

Upper Stadia Reading = 5.30 ft

Lower Stadia Reading = 5.20 ft

Rod Intercept = 0.10 ft

 Stadia Reading

Upper Stadia = 5.13 ft

Rod Reading = 5.06 ft

Lower Stadia = 4.99 ft
Read the Rod
 Differential Leveling
The establishment of differences in
elevation between two or more points with
respect to a datum
Instrument
Rod
Rod

Point of
BM Unknown
Elevation
 Differential Leveling

Elev. 350.00 ft
 Differential Leveling
Start with point of
known elevation Rod reading
7.59 ft (BS)
Benchmark (BM) 357.59 ft (HI)

Point of Reference

7.59 ft
(POR)

357.59 ft
Sight to rod on BM
Backsight (BS)

Height of Instrument (HI)

HI = BM elev + BS
HI = 350.00 + 7.59 = 357.59 ft
 Field Notes
AUTO LEVEL READINGS
STADIA

(+) (-) TOP/BOT DIST

PT BS HI FS ELEV STADIA /Angle

BM 7.59 357.59 350.00 7.85 / 7.33 52 ft

 Differential Leveling

2.36 ft
Rod reading
Without moving the 2.36 ft (FS)
tripod,
Sight to rod on point Elev.
355.23 ft
of unknown
elevation
Point of Interest
Foresight (FS)
Identify elevation of
point
Elev = HI - FS
Elev = 357.59 2.36 = 355.23 ft
 Field Notes

AUTO LEVEL READINGS

STADIA

(+) (-) TOP/BOT DIST

PT BS HI FS ELEV STADIA /Angle

BM 7.59 357.59 x 350.00 7.85 / 7.33 52 ft

PT- A 2.36 355.23 2.54 / 2.19 35 ft
Differential Leveling
2.36 ft (FS)
7.59 ft (BS)
 Field Notes

AUTO LEVEL READINGS

STADIA

(+) (-) TOP/BOT DIST

PT BS HI FS ELEV STADIA /Angle

BM 7.59 357.59 x 350.00 7.85 / 7.33 52 ft

PT-A 2.36 355.23 2.54 / 2.19 35 ft
PT- B 4.17 353.42 4.40 / 3.93 47 ft
PT-C 12.91 344.68 13.21 / 12.61 60 ft
 Image Sources
Sanford, F. (2006). Seminole County geodetic control
points. Seminole County, Florida: Department of Public
Works.
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
Photo Library
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/cgs/marks1.html
Istockphoto.com