INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

Surveying Problems Summary

1. True length and corrected length of tapes/chains due to errors...sag, temperature and tension corrections.

w = weight per unit length (N/m); T = tension applied (N); L = recorded length (m)

L = measured length (m) and t = difference between temperatures

L = measured length (m); A=Area of cross-section in mm2; E=modulus of Elasticity in N/mm2

2. Trigonometric problems like finding the width of the river if distances and angles are given
Draw the diagram correctly and apply Tan , sin and cos

3. Calculating back bearing, fore bearing, interior angles, magnetic bearing (if true bearing and declination are
given)
Fore bearing (F.B.) Back bearing (B.B.) = 180o
In a closed traverse ABCDE, interior angle of A = Back bearing of EA Fore bearing of AB
Magnetic bearing = True bearing Declination (East is taken as positive)

4. Errors in angle measurement

Local attraction
Check the two points where the difference between fore bearing and back bearing is 180o
Mark the two points as free from local attraction
Correct other points with respect to the corrected points such that difference between back bearing and fore bearing
is 180o
If, Sum of interior angles

180o

, subtract e from every angle

5. Latitudes and departures - including omitted measurements and closing corrections

Latitude =
Closing error,

; Departure =

; bearing,

Omitted measurements apply

Sravan (CE10B030)

and

and its direction or reduced bearing is

to find the missing measurements

CE2080 -Surveying 2012

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

6. Leveling
Rise and fall method

Height of collimation method -

Reciprocal leveling

Let measured elevation differences, h1=X1-(Y1-e) and h2=(X2-e)-Y2, where e is the error
True level difference between 1 and 2,

and error,

Trigonometric leveling - can be done using trigonometric identities

Curvature error,
where c is in meters and D is in kilometers
Curvature and refraction error,

Sravan (CE10B030)

CE2080 -Surveying 2012

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

7. Finding areas by the following methods

Mid ordinate method

m1

m2

m3 m4

m5 m6 m7 m8

mn

Average ordinate method

d
O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9
L

Trapezoidal method
(

On+1

Simpsons Rule (n=even)

[

n=odd

Double meridian distance method (DMD)

[

E(x5,y5)

D(x4,y4)
A(x1,y1)

B(x3,y3)

Co-ordinate method
[
[

B(x2,y2)

8. Finding areas by the following methods

Average End Area method

Sravan (CE10B030)

CE2080 -Surveying 2012

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

Mean Area method
(

Trapezoidal method
(

Prismoidal Rule
[

9. Finding cross-sectional areas of

Level surface

2-level section

w1

)(

)(

*(

w2

Side hill (cut and fill)

(

)(

)(

If center line in the the fill zone,

substitute h as (-h)

Cut

Fill
n

w2
m
1

w1

10. Finding cross-sectional areas of

Heights at every point will be given

g
h
f
b
e
c
d

For rectangular grid

(

Center line

Hd3

4
5
6

Sravan (CE10B030)

CE2080 -Surveying 2012

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

Where,
A Area of grid (rectangle)
= sum of the vertical depths/heights common to one prism-not one line (here rectangle)
Here
= sum of the vertical depths/heights common to 2 prisms-not 2 lines (here two rectangle)
Here
= sum of the vertical depths/heights common to 3 prism-not 3 lines (here three rectangle)
Here
= sum of the vertical depths/heights common to 4 prism-not 4 lines (here four rectangle)
Here
Similarly, if it is a triangular grid
(

11. Finding the coordinate or bearing of unknown point/line using area method
A
You may asked to find the coordinate of F or bearing of line DF such that it divides the
area in the ratio of 1:k
E

Use Double meridian distance or coordinate method to find the area of AEDFA and
DFBCD and equate them in the ratio of 1:k. You will have one equation with two
unknowns. The other equation can be obtained by the given condition. Here the
D
condition is that F lies on the line AB 2nd Equation
C
Solve the two equations for two variables to get the coordinate of point F, hence the bearing of the line can be found.

12. Curves (simple curve)

D1I and D2I are the tangents to the curve T1AT2
T1 is called as point of commencement (P.C.)
T2 is called as point of tangency (P.T.)
I is called point of Intersection (P.I.) with deflection and angle of
intersection
E is the external distance and M is the Mid-ordinate
Arc length T1AT2 is called as the length of the curve
T1T2 is called as the long chord
IT1 is equal to IT2 is called the tangent length
AI is the back tangent and IB is the fore tangent
For a simple curve
Tangent Length,
Length of the curve,
Long chord,
(

External distance,
Mid-ordinate,
Sravan (CE10B030)

)
)
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

Chainage of T1 = Chainage of P.I. T
Chainage of T2 = Chainage of T1 +
Setting out a circular curve:

Perpendicular offsets from tangents (see fig. for notations)

Radial offsets (see fig. for notations)

Offsets from long chord (see fig. for notations)

Rankins Method or Deflection/tangential angle method

Transition curves
Banking angle,
Maximum value of

is for roads and for railways

13. Tachometry (stadia)

For staff held vertical

For staff held normal to line of sight

S = staff intercept
D = horizontal distance
V = elevation difference
= angle that telescope makes with the horizontal
K = multiplicative constant =
C = additive constant =
f = focal length
Sravan (CE10B030)

CE2080 -Surveying 2012

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

i = stadia intercept (actual stadia distance on the telescope)
d = distance between object lens to instrument center

14. Tachometry (subtense method)

b = the length of the subtense bar PQ,

= the horizontal angle subtended by the subtense bar targets P and Q at the station A, and
= the vertical angle of R at O
hs = the height of the subtense bar above the ground.
hs = the height of the instrument.

15. Planimeter problems

M = Multiplying constant of the instrument. Its value is marked on the tracing arm of the instrument,
RF & RJ = the final and initial readings,
N = the number of complete revolutions of the dial taken positive when the zero mark passes the index mark in
a clockwise direction and negative when in counterclockwise direction
C = Constant of the instrument marked on the instrument arm just above the scale divisions. Its value is taken as
zero when the needle point is kept outside the area. For the needle point inside, -the value of MC is equal to the
area of zero circle.

16. Curves (compound curves)

Tangent lengths

Sravan (CE10B030)

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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

Where

Length of curves

Where
Chainages

17. Curves (Reverse curves)

d = length of common tangent

Case-2: Non-parallel straights; R1 = R2=R, given 1, 2, and L

Case-3: Non-parallel straights when R1 = R2, given 1, 2, L and R1 (or R2)

Sravan (CE10B030)

CE2080 -Surveying 2012

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MADRAS

Case-4: Parallel straights when 1 = 2, given R1, R2 and 1 (=2)

(
[

Sravan (CE10B030)

CE2080 -Surveying 2012