Surveying and Setting Out

What this page covers

This unit collects study material on the practical side of surveying: measuring heights, distances and angles, then using those measurements to map land and mark out work on site. Most of the page is mind maps. Many are broad overviews of land surveying, while others follow a course week by week, such as the maps on basic surveying, direct distance and height measurement, and the theodolite and its uses.

Where to start

Begin with an overview. The mind map on setting-out and curve ranging and the maps on instrumentation and construction surveying give you the vocabulary. The note on detailed surveying explains what a detail survey is and why engineers carry one out before a design exercise. If you want a quick reference, the note on the levelling procedure is short and focused.

Using quizzes and flashcards

The quizzes follow the same order as the fieldwork. Week 4 - Levelling asks about balancing backsights and foresights and the checks you make when reducing level field notes. W5 Distance - Quiz matches characteristics to electronic distance measurement techniques. Angles W6 Quiz works through observations on both faces. W8 Areas, Volumes & Contours Quiz asks you to convert units and calculate areas.

1. Read a mind map on the topic.
2. Take the matching quiz.
3. Use a flashcard deck for the points you missed, such as the deck on traversing survey marks or the one on area calculation methods.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the strand Foundations of Civil Engineering and Construction, within the subject Civil engineering and construction. It suits university students and professional candidates most, and some resources suit school students. Teachers can use the maps and decks as ready-made material.

Many land surveying maps overlap, so open a few and compare them. Pick one topic from the list, work through its quiz, and then make your own mind map to fill any gaps.