Basic Surveyor Certificate

Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art and science of determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is called a land surveyor. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish maps and boundaries for ownership, locations, such as building corners or the surface location of subsurface features, or other purposes required by government or civil law, such as property sales. Surveying has been an element in the development of the human environment since the beginning of recorded history. The planning and execution of most forms of construction require it. It is also used in transport, communications, mapping, and the definition of legal boundaries for land ownership. It is an important tool for research in many other scientific disciplines. Course Content

• INTRODUCTION
• LINEAR MEASUREMENTS
• MEASUREMENT OF ELEVATIONS
• MEASUREMENT OF DIRECTIONS
• TRAVERSING, TRIANGULATION AND TRILATERATION
• PLANE TABLING
• ADJUSTMENT COMPUTATIONS
• PROJECT SURVEYS

Learning Points 

• Geoinformatics- definition, disciplines covered, importance. Field Surveying- definition & objectives; the concept of Geoid and reference spheroids, coordinate systems, plane and geodetic surveys.
• Methods of the location of a point- classification of surveys; principles of surveying Errors in measurements- sources, types of errors and their treatment. Random error distribution, accuracy, precision and uncertainty. Surveying instruments- temporary and permanent adjustment concept, the principle of reversal.
• Maps- types, importance, scales/CI, conventional symbols, and generalization; topographic maps map projection systems, sheet numbering systems, map layout.
• Direct and indirect methods; Chain and tape measurements- corrections to tape measurements; Optical methods- tacheometers, subtense bar; Electronic methods- EDMs, total stations.
• Various terms; Methods of height determination; Spirit levelling- different types of levels and staves; booking and reduction of data, classification and permissible closing error; profile levelling and cross-sectioning; curvature & refraction and collimation errors; reciprocal levelling. Contours- characteristics, uses and methods of contouring.
• Bearings and angles; Compass surveying- magnetic bearings, declination, local attraction errors and adjustments; Theodolites- different types, uses, methods of observation and booking of data.
• Purpose and classification of each; Compass and theologize traverses- balancing of traverses, computation of coordinates, omitted measurements. Triangulation- network, the strength of figures, fieldwork- racy, selection of stations, inter-visibility, satellite stations, measurements and computations; trigonometrical levelling.
• Merits and demerits, accessories; orientation and resection; methods of plane tabling; three-point problem and solutions; errors in plane tabling.
• Propagation of errors, variance and covariance; Least-squares principle and adjustment of field survey data by parametric and condition equation methods.
• Engineering project surveys- requirements and specifications, various stages of survey work Setting out of works- buildings, culverts and simple circular curves.