Surveying I.

Lecture 1.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Outline

Introduction
Historical Surveying
Surveying - Science and Profession
Methods of height determination
Levelling
The surveyors level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Introduction

Lecturers:

Lectures
Dr. Szabolcs Rzsa
Department of Geodesy and Surveying,
K. building groundfloor 16.

Practicals
Dr. Lrnt Fldvry
Department of Geodesy and Surveying,
K. building groundfloor 16.

Mr. Albert Kiss

Department of Geodesy and Surveying
K. building groundfloor 16.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Introduction

Course details:
First part of a two-semester-course
4 hours/week (equally divided between lectures and
practicals)

Communication:
Activities involve lectures, practicals, tutorials and a field
practice
Lectures - provide the theoretical background of the topics
Practicals - practical sessions, in which Youll carry out
measurements and process them.
Tutorials - if theres a need for additional guidance in the
preparation for assessments. Please note that You have to
arrange an appointment in due time.
Field practice - a 9-day-long intensive course after the
course Surveying II.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Introduction

Attendance:

Please attend all scheduled lectures, seminars and

practicals
Please note: attendance falling below 70% may lead to
failing the course irrespective of the academic performance.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Introduction

Classroom tests:

Altogether 4 classroom assessments:

Practicals 1-4 (10 points)
Using a theodolite must pass
Practicals 10-11 (10 points)
Theory (involving the topics of the lectures) 80
points

Course Evaluation:
Excellent (5) 87-99
good (4) 75-87
satisfactory (3) 62-74
pass (2) 50-61
fail (1) 0-49

Youre required to achieve a minimum of 50% in each classrom

test to pass the course.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Introduction

Learning resources:

Some of the lecture notes are available for download on

the website of the department:

http://www.geod.bme.hu/index_e.html

However You shall write own notes during the lectures,

too.

Youll be suplied with computational sheets, field notes

etc. during the course.

Textbook:

A. Bannister - S. Raymond - R. Baker: Surveying (Seventh

Edition, Prentice Hall, 1998)
Cca. 16000 HUF

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Website

Lecture notes can be downloaded from:

http://www.geod.bme.hu/index_e.html

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Website

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Outline

Introduction
Historical Surveying
Surveying - Science and Profession
Methods of height determination
Levelling
The surveyors level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Historical Surveying

What is Surveying?
The art of making measurements of the relative positions of
natural and man-made features on the Earths surface, and
the presentation of this information either graphically or
numerically.

Since when?
The first surveying works date back to the antiquity, the
Greek provided the first account of surveying techniques.
Euclid founded the theoretical background for surveying by
the development of his geometry.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Historical Surveying
Eratosthenes
(ca. 250 BC)
Spherical Earth

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

Historical Surveying

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Outline

Introduction
Historical Surveying
Surveying - Science and Profession
Methods of height determination
Levelling
The surveyors level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Surveying - Science and Profession

Surveying vs. Geodesy

in most languages there are no distinctions between

the terms
in English (according to Vanicek - Krakiwsky):
Surveying: the practice of positioning
Geodesy: the theoretical foundation of surveying

Geodesy is the scientific background of Surveying as a

profession.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Surveying - Science and Profession

Surveying:
The art of making measurements of the relative positions of
natural and man-made features on the Earths surface, and
the presentation of this information either graphically or
numerically.

Geodesy:

Geodesy is the discipline that deals with the measurements

and representation of the Earth, including its gravity field,
in a three-dimensional time varying space.

Geodesy focus on the Earth and neglect any man-made

features on it (e.g. buildings, public utilities, etc.), while
surveying use the results of geodesy for positioning and
mapping of these features.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Basic principles of Surveying

Recall the definition of Surveying:

The art of making measurements of the relative The positioning is usually
positions of natural and man-made features on separated
the Earthsinto horizontal (2D)
and vertical
surface, and the presentation of this information either (1D) positioning.
graphically or numerically.
Nowadays 3D positioning can
be achieved using satellite
How to achieve this? techniques, too.

Lets determine the position (XP, YP) of point P!

Absolute vs Relative positioning
XP
Y
dBP
P Control points
(known coords;
dAP B marked on the field)
YP (XB,YB)

A
(XA,YA)
l AB
X

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Basic principles of Surveying

Lets determine the position of a third, unknown point (C).

We have two unknowns: XP, YP

We need two measurements: b

a
two distances

Y one distance and an angle

P
two angles

dBP

dAP
dAP b
B
(XB,YB)
a
a
A
(XA,YA)
X

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Classification of Surveying
According to the space involved:
Plane Surveying

relatively small areas Note: The two radii can supposed to be

parallel, when the l(A,B) is small.
surface of earth can supposed to be
flat
measurements plotted represent a
horizontal projection of the actual field
measurements

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Classification of Surveying
Geodetic Surveying

Dont forget! Size does matter!

large areas
surface of the Earth can not supposed to be flat
the curvature of the Earth is taken into account

Mostly used for establishing control networks, determining the size and shape
of the Earth and determining the gravity field of the Earth.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 How to create a countrywide coordinate system?
In order to use the relative positioning, a proper number of control points
are needed. These points:
are coordinated points;
are marked.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Control Networks
Why is it necessary to have a common countrywide coordinate
system?

Many engineering tasks cover a large area (highways, bridges,

tunnels, channels, land registry, etc.), where the common coordinate
system (reference system) should be available.

The Control Network provide us with control points given in the

same refence system (coordinate system).

Thus measuring the relative positions of unknown points using these

control points, the coordinates of the new points can be computed
in the same reference system.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 The role of Surveying in Civil Engineering Practice
Surveyors are needed:

to maintain the geometric order during the

construction process

to provide fundamental data for the design and

planning process

to provide quantity control during the construction

process (for example: earthwork quantities)

to monitor the structure after the construction

(subsidence, deformations, etc.)
What is this?

Wrong geometry
Laying them inthe
theappropriate
structure is geometry,
not functional!
outstanding structures can be created!
Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1
The role of Surveying in Civil Engineering Practice

Surveying activities during the construction process

Before Construction Under construction After construction

Setting out on each Final (as-built)

Planning and
phase plan or map
data collection
of construction on the construction

Observations Field checks of Presenting

in the field construction documentation
to the client

Processing the Providing data Deformation

observations and services to Monitoring/
(office) the client Load Tests

Drawing maps,
plans or providing
numerical data

Presenting
documentation
to the client

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Outline

Introduction
Historical Surveying
Surveying - Science and Profession
Methods of height determination
Levelling
The surveyors level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Methods of height determination

Question 1:
What does the height (elevation) of a point mean?

Question 2:
What does it mean, when point B is at a higher elevation
than point A?

Answer 1:
The height of a point represents its energy level above a
reference level.

Answer 2:
For example water flows from point B to point A.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Methods of height determination

Definition of height systems:

The potential energy of a point should be represented by the height of

a point. Hence water should flow from the higher elevation towards the
lower elevation.

Should have metric unit.

What should be the reference of height determination? What

is the 0 level?

Since the height systems should represent the potential energy

level, we need a reference surface, which is an equipotential surface
of Earths gravity field.

The surface of calm water forms an equipotential surface

Mean Sea Level Kronstadt (Baltic Sea) is used in Hungary

(formerly Triest, Adriatic Sea).

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Methods of height determination

Equipotential surfaces

B
A HB
HA

MSL

equipotential surface

Gravity vector is always perpendicular to the equipotential surface.

Equipotential surface (=) horizontal surface

Gravity vector (=) vertical direction

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Methods of height determination

1D position determination - determining the height

We can not determine absolute heights above the reference level

Relative height determination - determining the height

differences

Levelling benchmarks are needed - control points for which the

elevation is known.
B

H BA H B H A

HB

HA

Reference level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Methods of height determination

How can we determine the height difference?

Two solutions:
setting a horizontal plane, and measuring the offset from this plane
measuring the slope and slope distance between the points

Levelling
Trigonometrical height determination
B

l AB
H BA H B H A

A a

HB

HA

Reference level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Outline

Introduction
Historical Surveying
Surveying - Science and Profession
Methods of height determination
Levelling
The surveyors level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 The principle of levelling

Line of sight
dA dB
(lA) lA

A (lB)
lB
HAB

HAB=lA-lB=(lA)-dA-(lB)+dB B

When dA=dB (spherical approximation, equal distance to A and B)

HAB=(lA)-(lB)
Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 2
1
 Levelling
Over short distances the horizontal line and level line coincide.
For a distance of 100m the effect of the curvature is less than 1 mm.

The levelling device (called level) must be set up so, that the line of sight is
perpendicular to the gravity vector (plumb line). -> the line of sight is horizontal.

Horizontal
line of sight

Graduated staff Level

Graduated staff

Difference
in height

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Levelling

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Outline

Introduction
Historical Surveying
Surveying - Science and Profession
Methods of height determination
Levelling
The surveyors level

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 The Surveyors level

Tilting level

Bubble tube
Diaphragm

Tilting screw
Circular bubble Tilting axis

Levelling head

Clamping screw - to fix the telescope in one vertical plane

Tangent screw (slow motion screw) - to finely rotate the telescope

along a vertical axis

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 Elements of Surveyors level

How to set the line of sight to be exactly horizontal?

More general: how to set anything to be exactly horizontal?

The bubble tube

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 The bubble tube

The radius determines the sensitivity of the bubble tube:

a a

R2
R1

R1 greater than R2

Sensitivity: how much the bubble moves due to a given

amount of inclination. The more the bubble moves, the more
sensitive the bubble tube is.

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1

 The bubble tube

The determination of sensitivity:

a a

R1 R1

l2 l1
a radians
L
a

l1 l2 a " a radians 206264.8

L L

Sz. Rzsa: Surveying I. Lecture 1