CE 2080 Surveying

Practice Questions
1. A line AB between the stations A and B was measured as 348.28 using a 20 m
tape, too short by 0.05 m. Determine (i) the correct length of AB (ii) the reduced
horizontal length of AB if AB lay on a slope of 1 in 25 (iii) the reading required to
produce a horizontal distance of 22.86 m between two pegs, one being 0.56 m
above the other.
2. A tape of standard length 20 m at 85F was used to measure a base line. The
measured distance was 882.50 m. The following being the slopes for the various
segments of the line:
Segment length (m)
slope
100
2 20
150
4 12
50
1 06
200
7 48
300
3 00
82.5
5 10
Calculate the true length of the line if the mean temperature during measurement
was 63F and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the tape material is 6.5 10
6
per F.
3. A base line was measured by tape suspended in catenary under a pull of 145 N,
the mean temperature being 14C. The lengths of various segments of the tape
and the difference in level of the two ends of a segment are given in Table
Bay / Span
Length (m)
Difference in level (m)
1
29.988
+ 0.346
2
29.895
- 0.214
3
29.838
+ 0.309
4
29.910
- 0.106
If the tape was standardized on the flat under a pull of 95 N at 18C determine the
correct length of the line. Take
Cross-sectional area of the tape = 3.35 mm2
Mass of the tape = 0.025 kg/m
Coefficient of linear expansion = 0.9 106 per C
Youngs modulus = 14.8 104 MN/m2
Mean height of the line above M.S.L. = 51.76 m
Radius of earth = 6370 km
4. A tape of 30 m length suspended in catenary measured the length of a base line.
After applying all corrections the deduced length of the base line was 1462.36 m.
Later on it was found that the actual pull applied was 155 N and not the 165 N as

recorded in the field book. Correct the deduced length for the incorrect pull. The
tape was standardized on the flat under a pull of 85 N having a mass of 0.024
kg/m and cross-sectional area of 4.12 mm2. The Youngs modulus of the tape
material is 152000 MN/ m2 and the acceleration due to gravity is 9.806 m/s2.
5. A 100 m tape is used to measure a distance at 705.76 m. The true length of the
tape is 100.02 m. What is the correct true length of the line?

6. The surveyor needs to set out two iron pins 600.00 m apart. The tape used is
known to be 100.02 m. What length should the surveyor measure in the field?
7. A rectangular building 25 m by 130 m is to be laid out with a 30 m long steel
tape. If during standardization the tape is found to be 30.03 m, what should be the
correct length and width to be laid out?

8. A line measured with a 50 m long steel tape was determined to be 645.22 m when
the average temperature during taping was 15.75 C. If the tape is of standard
length at 20 C and the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel is
0.0000116/1C, what is the correct length of the measured line?
9. A slope distance of 465.82 m is measured between two points with a slope angle
of 12 35. What is the corresponding horizontal distance between the points?

10. A steel tape with a cross-sectional area of 0.03 cm2 is 30.00 m long under a pull
of 5 kg when supported throughout. It is used to measuring a line 875.63 m long
under a steady pull of 10 kg. Assuming E = 2.0 106 kg/cm2, what is the
elongation of the tape due to increase in tension? What is the correct length of the
measured line?
11. Using a 25 m tape, a square lot was measured and found to have an area of 1
hectare. If the total error in area is 4.004 square meter short, what is the error in
each tape length?

12. A rectangular lot has a correct area of two hectares. Its length is twice its width. It
the lengths of sides were measured with a 50 m tape that is 0.02 m too long,
compute the error in the area of the lot in square meter.

13. From the data below, calculate the area of the arena by (a) the Trapezoidal Rule,
and (b) Simpsons rule:
Distance
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160

Offset left(m)
0
34.2
47
53.8
56.1
55.1
50
36.5
0

Offset right (m)

0
50.5
62.3
69.5
68
65.8
58.5
45.5
0

14. A field is defined by two straight boundaries AB (length 470m) and BC (length
550m), and an irregular third boundary AC (straight length 770m). the lengths of
the offsets from AC at defined chainages from A are as follows:
Chainage 0
110
220
330
440
550
660
770
from A
(m)
Offset
0
12.5
15
10.7
19.6
8.7
5
0
(m)
Determine the area of the field by both Simpsons Rule and the Trapezoidal Rule.
15. The areas within the contour lines at a site of a reservoir are as follows:
Contour (m)
Area (m2)
158
476000
156
431000
154
377000
152
296000
150
219000
148
164000
146
84000
144
10000
142
1000
The level of the bottom of the reservoir is 142 m. Calculate the volume of water in the
reservoir when the water level is 158 m, using Simpsons Rule.
16. Soil is to be excavated to a rectangular level plane ABCD having a RL of 100 m.
The excavation is to have better planes of 1 in s (1 vertical to s horizontal) where
s=3. The dotted line ABCD is the extent of the excavation, i.e., where the

batter planes intersect the natural surface. The rectangle ABCD (50 m by 30 m)
has been marked on the ground and RLs of the corners are shown.
It is required to calculate the positions of the limits of excavation, i.e., the
locations A, B, C and D.

17. The latitudes of a closed traverse failed to close by -0.27, and the departures
failed to close by +0.55. The sum of the horizontal traverse distance is 8930.27.
What is the error of closure? Express the error of closure as a ratio. Determine the
bearing of the error of closure.
18. In the traverse figure below, calculate the angular error of closure, and balance the
traverse angles. Angles shown are unadjusted.

19. Calculate the latitudes and departures for each course in this traverse. Bearings
shown are from balanced angles and distances are grid. Coordinates for Ashton: E
= 1,861,964.442, N=6,272,555.250. And also perform compass rule adjustment
on the latitudes and departures and list the balanced latitude and departure for
each course.

20. Find the area of the given figure by (all dimensions are in feet)
i) Double Meridian Distance method
ii) Area by coordinates method

20. AandBaretwostationsusedinsettingoutconstructionlinesofharbourworks.
The total latitude and departure of A, referred to the origin of the system are
respectively +542.7 and 331.2 and those of B are +713.0 and +587.8m (north
latitudeandeastdeparturereckonedaspositive).ApointCisfixedbymeasuring
from A a distance of 432 m on a bearing of 3460 14, and from it a line CD,
1152minlenghtissetoutparalleltoAB.ItisrequiredtocheckthepositionofD
byasightfromB.CalculatethebearingofDfromB.

21. Forthefollowingtraverse,computethelengthCD,sothatA,DandEmaybein
onestraightline:
Line
LenghtinMetres
Bearing
AB
110
83012
BC
165
30042
CD

34606
DE
212
16018

22. Following observations were taken from two traverse stations by means of a
tacheometer fitted with an anallactic lens. The constant of the instruments is
100.
Inst.
Staff
Height of Bearing
Vertical
Staffreadings

Station Station Inst.

A
C
1.38

22630

angle
+1012

8445

1230

1.42

0.765,
2.425
0.820,
2.860

1.595,
1.840,

CoordinatesofstationA:212.3N186.8W
CoordinatesofstationB:102.8N96.4W

23. WithatacheometerstationedatP,sightsweretakenonthreepointsA,BandC
asfollows:
Inst.at To Vertical
Stadiareadings
Remarks
angle
P
A
430
2.405,2.705,3.005 R.LofA=107.8m
Staffheldnormal

B
000
0.765,1.070,1.375 R.LofB=113.41m
Staffheldvertical

C
+230
0.720,1.700,2.680 Staffheldvertical
Thetelescopewasofthedrawtubetypeandthefocallengthoftheobjectglass
was25cm.ForthesightstoAandB,whichwereofequallength,thedistanceof
theobjectglassfromtheverticalaxiswas12cm.ForsighttoC,thedistanceof
objectglassfromtheverticalaxiswas11cm.

24. Theverticalanglestovanesfixedat1mand3mabovethefootofthestaffheld
verticallyatastationAwere+230and+548respectively.Findthehorizontal
distanceandthereducedlevelofAiftheheightoftheinstrument,determined
fromobservationontoabenchmarkis438.556mabovedatum

25. Thefollowingfigureswereextractedfromalevelfieldbook,someoftheentriesbeing
illegible.Insertthemissingfiguresandrebookallthefiguresusingriseandfallmethod.

Station
B.S
I.S
F.S
Rise
Fall
R.L
Remarks
1
2.285

232.46
B.Mno.1
2
1.650

X
0.020

2.105

4
X

1.960
X

5
2.050

1.925

0.300

232.255 B.Mno.2
7
1.690

X
0.340

8
2.865

2.100

X
X

233.425 B.M.no3

26. The following is the page of a level field book from which several values are missing .
Reconstruct the page and fill all the entries where X marks are present. Apply all
necessarychecks.
Station
B.S
I.S
F.S
Rise
Fall
R.L
Remarks
1
1.385

100.00
B.M
2

1.430

X
X

0.395
X

4
X

1.275
X

X
T.P.1
5
0.630

0.585
0.310

X
T.P.2
6

0.920

X
100.13

0.210
X

1.740

X
X

27. Computeandtabulatethebearingsofaregularhexagongiventhestartingbearingofa
sideAB=S50010E(StationCiseasterlyfromB)

28. Theforebearingandbackbearingofaclosedcompasstraverseareasfollows:
Line
Forebearing
Backbearing
0
AB
32 30
214030
BC
124030
303015
0
CD
181 00
1000
DA
289030
108045

29. Calculatetheareaofaplanfromthefollowingreadingsofaplanimeter.Initialreadingis
7.456andfinalreadingis1.218.Thezeroofthediscpassedthefixedindexmarkthrice
intheclockwisedirection.Theanchorpointwasplacedoutsidetheplanandthetracing
pointwasmovedintheclockwisedirection.TakeM=100cm2

30. Determine the area of a plan from the following readings of a planimeter. The initial
readingis7.462andthefinalreadingis2.141.ConsiderMas100cm2andcas20.5.The
zeromarkofthediscpassedonceintheanticlockwisedirection.Theanchorpointwas
placed inside the figure and the tracing point was moved in the clockwise direction
alongtheoutline.

31. An internal focusing telescope has a negative lens of 15cm focal length, and the fixed
distances from the objective to the diaphragm and vertical axis are 22.5cm and 10cm
respectively,thefocallengthoftheobjectivebeing20cm.Asubtenseintervalistobe
scribed on a staff held vertically 100m horizontally from the axis of the theodolite.
Determinetheexactspacingofthesubtenselines.

32. TheelevationofapointPistobedeterminedbyobservationsfromtwoadjacent
stationsof atacheometricsurvey.Thestaffwasheldverticallyuponthepoint,
and the instrument is fitted within an anallactic lens, the constant of the

instrumentbeing100.ComputetheelevationofthepointPfromthefollowing
data,takingboththeobservationsasequallytrustworthy:
Inst.
Height
of Staff
Vertical Staffreadings
Elevation
Station axis
point
angle
ofstation
A
1.42
P
+224
1.230,2.055,2.880
77.750m
B
1.40
P
336
0.785,1.800,2.815
97.135m
Also,calculatethedistanceofAandBfromP.

33. Following observations were taken from two traverse stations by means of a
tacheometer fitted with an anallactic lens. The constant of the instruments is
100.
Inst.
Staff
Height of Bearing
Vertical
Staffreadings
Station Station Inst.
angle
A
C
1.38
22630
+1012
0.765,
1.595,
2.425
B
D
1.42
8445
1230
0.820,
1.840,
2.860
CoordinatesofstationA:212.3N186.8W
CoordinatesofstationB:102.8N96.4W

34. A closed traverse was conducted round an obstacle and the following
observationsweremade.Workoutthemissingquantities:
Side
Length(m)
Azimuth
AB
500
98030
BC
620
30020
CD
468
298030
DE
?
230010
EA
?
150010

35. A four sided traverse ABCD has the following lenghts and bearings. Find the
exactbearingofthesideAB.
Side
Length(m)
Bearing
AB
500
Roughlyeast
BC
245
1780
CD
Notobtained
2700
DA
216
100

36. Thefollowingarethelatitudesanddeparturesofaseriesofsurveylinesinmeters.

Line
AB
BC
CD
DA
A line is to be set out from
from A it intersects AB.

Latitude in m
99.405
195.375
154.840
41.760
station E on a bearing 3420.

Departure in m
298.095
70.110
119.520
129.540
Calculate at which distance

37. AnopentraversewasrunfromAtoEinordertoobtainthelengthandbearingsofthe
lineAEwhichcouldnotbemeasureddirectwiththefollowingresults:

Line
AB
BC
Length
102.5
108.7
0
W.C.B
261 .41
90 06
Find by calculation the required information.

CD
92.5
2820 22

DE
125.0
710 30

38. AclockwisetraverseABCDEAwassurveyedwiththefollowingresults:
LengthofABis101.01m,lengthofBCis140.24m,lengthofCDis99.27m.AngleBAEis
12801020,AngleDCBis8401810,angleCBAis10200430,angleEDCis121030
30
TheangleAEDandsidesDEandEAcouldnotbemeasureddirectl.Assumingnoerrorin
survey,findthemissinglengthsandtheirbearingsifABisduenorth.

39. Inatraversethefollowinglightsandbearingsweremeasured.
Side
Length
Bearing
AB
130.00
N38042W
BC
180.00
N45030E
CD
163.00
N62034E
DE
265.65

EA

75000W
Computethemissinglengthandbearing.
40. Inatraversethefollowinglengthsandbearingsweremeasured:

Side
Length
Bearing
Side
Length
Bearing
AB

N30030E
DE

S20015E
0
BC
140m
S80 15E
EF
155m
N85030W
CD
185m
S15015W
FA
115m
N18012W
Computethemissingsides.
41. Reproducedbelowisthepageinalevelbook.Fillinthemissingdata.Applytheusual
checks.
Station
B.S
I.S
F.S
Rise
Fall
R.L
Remarks
1
2.150

450.000 B.M(1)
2
1.645

X
0.500

2.345

4
X

1.965
X

5
2.050

1.925

0.500

6
7

1.690

X
X

0.120

451.730

B.M(2)
Staffheld
against
ceiling

B.M(3)

8
X

2.100

X
X

449.000
Sum
8.445
42. Completethefollowingtablegivenbelow.Ifanevengradientof1verticalinevery70
horizontalstarts1mabovepeg0,whatistheheightofthegradientaboveoritsdepth
belowpeg7?
Station Distance Backsight Intersight Foresight Rise
Fall
R.L
B.M

3.10

193.62
0
0

2.56

1
20

1.07

2
40
1.92

3.96

3
60
1.20

0.67

4
80

4.24

5
100
0.22

1.87

6
120

3.03

7
140

1.41

43. ThewholecirclebearingsofthesidesofatraverseABCDEFaregivenbelow.Compute
theinternalangles:

Bearing of AB=2900 45
Bering of BC=2500 48
Bearing of CD= 1960 12
Bearing of DE= 1750 24
Bearing of EF=1120 18
Bearing of FA=300 00
44. TwosetsoftacheometricreadingsweretakenfromaninstrumentstationAthereduced
levelofwhichwas15.05mtothestaffstationB.
a) Instrument P multiplying constant 100, additive constant 360mm, staff held
vertical
b) InstrumentQmultiplyingconstant95,additiveconstant380mm,staffheldnormal
tothelineofsight.

Instrument

At

To

Height of Vertical
instrument
angle
P
A
B
1.38
+300
Q
A
B
1.36
+300
What should be the stadia readings with instrument Q?

Stadia
readings(m)
0.714/1.007/1.300
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