Research Number 1

Sources of error in Topographic Surveying

Submitted by:
Mondejar, Calvin Paulo A.

Submitted to:
Engr. Ira Balmoris

INTRODUCTION

Topographic Surveying is a type of land surveying that finds out the

countrys natural and artificial characteristics in which it is utilized for
knowing the grounds contours likewise its features on the earths surface
above sea level. In Topographic Surveying, a surveyor can map the ground
contours on either above earths surface (e.g. roads, railways, towns, etc.) or
below earths surface (e.g. manholes, canals, wells etc.). The purpose of
Topographic surveying is to get the height of instrument, fore sight and back
sight of given elevations equidistant at a bench mark at any place in the
ground, either in a flat source or in an elevated surface, in order to
determine the vertical distance from the point on the ground to the elevated
structure observed.
Errors in Topographic Surveying like measuring the distances and
angles are difficult to determine accurately because measuring the distances
and angles are not guaranteed to be exact and they are tend to be wrong or
error in value obtained. But errors in topographic surveying can be controlled
by the use of procedures in the manual and the instruments required to
survey a certain place. There are many types of error in topographic
surveying. Closure error is one example in which the value measured or
computed of a given data is contrast with the true value of a given data.
Closure of error includes angle of elevation, the elevation displacement, and
the horizontal distance. The difference of the computed values from the true
values of these data is inevitable even though their difference is very small
and the correction can be determined if the distance or angle computed is
greater or lesser than the true value of the distance or angle. The errors in
the measurement of horizontal distance, angle of elevation, and the vertical
distance have its own sources of error and these sources can be diagnosed in
order to determine the root cause of the specified error likewise to identify
the ways of improving the performance in measuring the distances and
angles.
This research paper will talk about the common sources of error in a
topographic surveying. It will focus on diagnosing the problem why surveyors
commit errors in measuring the horizontal distance, angle of elevation,
height of instrument, elevation, and other data needed by the surveying
work in order to know the root cause of each error committed at each
measurement of distances and angles.
This paper aims to answer questions that are all about the sources of
error in Topographic Surveying, its common mistakes, and recommendation
to lessen errors.
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1.) What are the sources of error in Topographic Surveying?

2.) What are the errors while conducting Topographic Surveying?

3.) What are the recommendations to reduce errors and improve
Surveying work?
The result of this study will determine the possible sources of error in
topographic surveying likewise it will also determine the recommendations
on how to lessen these errors to obtain a desired result.
Sources of error in Topographic Surveying
The sources of error in Topographic Surveying were diagnosed after the
results of computed horizontal distances, vertical distances, angle of
elevation, etc. were different from their true values or the surveyor
committed an error on the computed values. After diagnosing, the possible
sources of error while getting the values in Topographic Surveying are listed
below.
1.) Natural errors: Natural errors are an example of source of errors which
are caused by environmental conditions or significant changes in
environmental conditions. Wind speed, air temperature, atmospheric
pressure, humidity, gravity, earth curvature, and atmospheric
refraction are examples of natural error sources. Many of these
environmental conditions can be compensated for by applying a
correction factor to each measurement.
2.) Instrument errors: Instrument errors are caused by imperfectly
constructed, adjusted, or calibrated surveying equipment. Most of
these errors can be reduced by properly leveling the instrument,
balancing back sight/foresight shots, reducing measurement distances,
and observing direct and reverse positions (double centering).
Prolonged storage, exposure to rapid changes in temperature, and
jarring during transportation may lead to instrument maladjustments.
Collimation and other sighting errors can be determined and
compensated for by specific instrument adjustments. Before making
instrument adjustments or beginning surveying operations, allow the
instrument to adapt to the ambient temperature before proceeding.
3.) Human errors: Human errors are caused by physical limitations and
inconsistent setup and observation habits of the surveyor. For example,
minor errors result from misaligning the telescope crosshairs on the
target or not holding the target rod perfectly plumb. These errors will
always be present to some degree in every observation. However, by
following established setup and collection procedures, many potential
errors can be minimized.

Errors in Topographic Surveying

Before identifying the sources of error in Topographic Surveying, a
surveyor must know the errors. Errors in Topographic Surveying occur after
the said field work and this can be corrected by formulas provided for
correction. The outcome of the field work will determine the performance of
a surveyor. The errors in getting the values of distances and angles by
Topographic Surveying are listed below.
1.) Gross errors: These are the mistakes or blunders to which you cannot
find any technical reason or logic. These mistakes are generally
attached to the surveyor and occur due to carelessness, ignorance,
lack of practice and inexperience. Examples of Gross errors in
surveying include reading a tape incorrectly, incorrectly marking/noting
even the correctly measured reading, wrong or inappropriate use of
instruments, forgetting the reading or observations, unnecessary
approximation.
2.) Systematic errors: These are the errors occur by following some fixed
law and are not evitable. Their value may vary depending on certain
conditions but their source and reasons are well known and generally it
is better to apply the mathematical correction instead of wasting time
in finding a solution to avoid the error. Examples of Systematic errors
in surveying are measuring tape expands in length with increase in
temperature. It in neither possible to always conduct the survey on the
temperature the tape is designed for nor feasible to invent a tape that
is compatible in all temperatures.
3.) Constant errors: These are the errors which follow a fixed rule but do
not change at any time. In simple words, they always have the same
sign i.e. either positive or negative. A positive constant error can never
convert into a negative constant error. By constant we do not mean a
constant numerical value rather it means a constant sense of error i.e.
either positive or negative. Example of constant error in surveying is a
measuring tape that is permanently over-stretched due to rough and
prolonged use. Such tape will always result in shorter measurements.
4.) Random errors: These are the small errors that inevitable remain even
after removing all other errors. At times they are even too small to be
detected by traditional methods. Such errors occur due to following
reasons. Kinds of accidental or random errors include human errors,
negligible errors, and changing atmospheric conditions. Examples of

Random errors in surveying are incorrect observation of angle from

measuring instrument, placing of markers on slightly incorrect point,
etc.

Recommendations to reduce errors and improve Surveying work

There are ways that can improve the performance of the field work and
also to reduce the errors in measuring the distances and angles.
Recommendations are suggestions on things that should be done in
correcting the errors of the data taken in the field work. After knowing the
sources of errors in Topographic Surveying, one has to identify the possible
recommendations. After identifying, the possible recommendations to reduce
errors and improve surveying work are listed below.
1.) Solution to lessen Gross errors: There are no solutions recommended to
lessen Gross errors. Since there are no given corrections for this error,
the only way to lessen the error is to carefully conduct the field work
when following the procedures and checking the work every step of the
procedure or else the best way is to remove the error through
repeating the whole process of the surveying work.
2.) Solution to lessen Systematic errors: To lessen the systematic errors, a
surveyor has to obtain the errors precise value so that he/she can use
the correction. For example, a surveyor has to measure the precise
displacement in length if it is the tape is too short and too long so that
the correction can be applied and be solved mathematically. When the
correction is computed, the accurate value of the length can be
determined so that the systematic will be eradicated.
3.) Solution to lessen Constant errors: For constant errors, the solution is
the same as the solution in systematic errors in which one has to get
the precise value of error and apply the correction formula to solve for
the excess or less value of the error in order to get the correct
measurement of the distance.
4.) Solution to lessen Random errors: The solution to lessen Random errors
is to do some observation in conducting the field work carefully. An
experienced surveyor can remove the random or accidental errors for
the experience surveyors guaranteed no mistake in conducting field
works in surveying especially in measuring distances by using the tape
properly.

CONCLUSION
Based on the information gathered on this paper, Ive learned that
sources of error in topographic surveying are ways that can determine the
recommendations to improve the field work performance likewise to
eradicate or if not to lessen the kinds of error in this type of land surveying
as possible. Some kinds of sources of error like human errors and natural
errors are inevitable to unsustain because they cannot be redo again once
these types of sources of error were committed so the way that could
improve is to avoid them or to check each step performed carefully. Ive also
learned that it is really significant to know and to determine the types of
errors in topographic surveying because these errors can be solved through
correction formula provided what type of error sustained in performing the
field work. The correction formulas are only applicable for the systematic and
constant errors for the other two errors, the gross and random errors, are
kinds of errors that cannot be solved by correction unless they can be solved
through conducting the field work carefully.
Sources of error in Topographic surveying is definitely applicable to
surveying works that involve land surveying. Errors are inevitable to commit
every time an amateur surveyor performs a field work. An experienced
surveyor can do the field work with a low percentage of error in its
performance with no need of correction and careful taking each step of the
procedures in performing the field work unlike an amateur surveyor who still
needs to follow procedures.
One field work in the surveying manual is an application of Topographic
surveying, which is the determination of the height of a remote point. In this
field work, surveyors are tasked to measure horizontal distances between the
two stations assigned and the point where the leveling rod is located. Also,
they are also tasked to determine the height of the instrument, the angle of
elevation from each station to the remote point, and to determine the
vertical distance between the point on the ground and the remote point
above. After the data were determined, the outcome of the field work
resulted some errors.
The errors committed by surveyors in the field work were error in
measurement of horizontal distances of each station, measurement of the
height of a remote point, and other measurements. The difference between
the computed values of the distances and angles in the field work to its true
values are considered as systematic errors. Also, sometimes errors
committed were accidental or blunders. They are neither solved by
correction nor any type of equations. The best thing to do to lessen or
remove the accidental and blunder errors was to repeat the whole procedure

or to carefully perform each step of the procedure. Sources of these errors in

the field work can be determined if the error is either natural, instrument or
human errors. By diagnosing, the sources of errors, one can now recommend
the best possible way to lessen the error and to improve performance in
surveying work.
Recommendations are usually the key to improve everything in the
field work. They are important to determine why and how surveyors
committed errors in the field work likewise they tend to commit errors
because it is likely impossible to do the field work with no mistakes. With the
information recommended to lessen the errors written above, it is assured
that surveyors will never commit the same mistake next time and also their
performance in the field work will improve. The importance of every outcome
of every field work is to know the errors committed, determine their sources
of error, and identify the possible solutions to eradicate them.

REFERENCES:
http://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Highway_Develo
pment/Surveys/Survey%20Manual/Section%20III%20May%202013.pdf
http://cescientist.com/types-and-classification-of-errors-in-survey/
http://www.vermessungsseiten.de/englisch/vermtech/errors.htm
http://surveyingeospatial.blogspot.com/2010/01/part-4-types-of-errorsystematic-errors.html
http://uregina.ca/~sauchyn/geog411/topographic_surveying.html