Introduction to

Engineering Survey

Sr. Dr. Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud

Department of Civil & Structural Engineering
Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment
National University of Malaysia

Goal
The goal of this course is to give knowledge, understanding and
synthesis in engineering survey.
The students will be exposed to the field works to develop skill in using
some surveying equipments such as leveling, theodolite and GPS.
Amongst the main topics discussed are traversing, tacheometry,
mapping, setting out, triangulation, geometric design, vertical and
horizontal alignment, volume of earthwork, mass-haul diagram,
photogrametry, GIS, GPS, remote sensing and hydrographic survey.
At the end of semester, students are required to have one week
surveying camp to carry out a comprehensive fieldwork surveying.
This course is a core subject in both programs offered by the
Department of Civil & Structural Engineering.

Course Objective
Understanding:
What is Engineering Survey?
Why Engineering Survey very important in Civil
Engineering?
Theory, concept and practical in Engineering Survey.
Adjustment and Survey calculation in Civil
Engineering.
Student will able:
To produce survey mapping and can intergrate with
the engineering design work.

Course Backgraound
Who Know about survey mapping and engineering survey?
Site Survey, observation.. Theodolite, GPS,.....etc
...........

Time Table
Lecture/Lab/Field work
3 hours/week ++
Time: 8.00am 10.00am (Tuesday) DK6
3.00pm 4.00pm (Wednesday) DK3
Lab/field work: Near Tasik Kejuruteraan

Course Content
Week

Topic

Lab

Introduction to Engineering Survey

Land Survey Equipment

Leveling

Bearing/angle, coordinate system

Theodolite & Traverse

Yes

Tachometry

Yes

Setting Out

Yes

mid sem

Land Acquisition

10

Land Area and Volume

11

Vertical and Horizontal Curve

12

Introduction to GPS

13

Introduction to Hydrographic & Photogrammetry

14

Introduction to GIS & Remote Sensing

15

Project Presentation

16

Survey Camp

Yes

Yes

Any problem ??

Contact info:
Near Meeting
room JKAS
Phone: ext. xxxx
h/p: 019-3163068

Contact info:
Pusat Pencerapan
Bumi (EOC)
Phone: ext. 6767
h/p: 019-3163068

Reference
Bannister, A., Raymond, S. dan Baker, R., 1998. Surveying, 7th
edition, Person Prentice Hall, London.

Campbell, J. (2001). Map Use & Analysis. United State of America:

McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Mario A. Gomarasca. (2009). Basics of Geomatics, Italy: Springer
Science + Business Media.

Nathanson, J., Lanzafama, M. T. dan Kissam, P. (2006). Surveying

Fundamentals and Practices, 5 th Edition, Person Prentice Hall, New
Jersey.
Thurston, J., Poiker, T. dan Moore, J. (2003). Integrated Geospatial
Technologies A Guide to GPS, GIS and Data Logging, Canada:
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
W. Schofield, (2001), Engineering Surveying - Theory and
Examination Problems for Students, UK: Elsevier.

Evaluation

Project and Assignment

Field Work
Quiz/test
Survey Camp
Final Exam
TOTAL

5 - 20 %
5 - 20 %
5 - 15 %
10 - 30 %
30 - 60 %
100 %

 . . . for thousands of years every man had

counted only his own territory but the
measure of the terrestrial circumference will
mark for the men the exit from the village; and
every man, transcending the connection to
his land, will become an inhabitant of the
Earth. . .
Eratosthenes (275193 BCE) Greek
mathematicianastronomergeographerpoet

Definition
Geomatics is defined as a systemic, multidisciplinary,
integrated approach to selecting the instruments and
the appropriate techniques for collecting, storing,
integrating, modelling, analysing, retrieving at will,
transforming, displaying and distributing spatially
georeferenced data from different sources with welldefined accuracy characteristics, continuity and in a
digital format.

The disciplines and techniques constituting

geomatics are;
1. Computer science:
to represent and process applicable information through the
development of technological instruments (i.e. hardware) and
of methods, models and systems (i.e. software).
2. Geodesy:
to determine the shape and size of the Earth; it defines on the
one hand the surface of reference in its complete form, the
geoid, as well as in its simplified form, the ellipsoid, and on the
other hand the external gravitational field as a function of time.

3. Topography: started with and part of geodesy, this is a

combination of procedures for direct land survey. Topography
is a combination of methods and instruments to
comprehensively measure and represent details of the Earths
surface:
i.

planimetry: to determine the relative positions of the

representation of points on the Earths surface with respect to the
same reference surface;
ii. altimetry: to determine the height of the points on the Earths
surface with respect to the geoid surface;
iii. tachymetry: for the planimetric and altimetric survey of the Earths
surface zones;
iv. land surveying: to measure areas, moving and rectify borders,
levelling zones of the Earth physical surface.

4.

Cartography: to supply a possible description of the shape and

dimension of the Earth and its natural and artificial details, by
means of graphical or numerical representation of more or less
wide areas, following fixed rules.

5. Photogrammetry: to determine the position and shapes of the

objects by measuring them on photographic images.
6. Remote Sensing: to remotely acquire territorial and
environmental data and to combine methods and techniques
for subsequent processing and interpretation (this definition
also fits digital photogrammetry).
7. Global Positioning System (GPS): to provide the threedimensional (3D) position of fixed or moving objects, in space
and time, all over the Earths surface, under any meteorological
conditions and in real time.
8. Laser scanning system: to locate objects and measure their
distance by means of the incident radiation in the optical
frequencies (0.315 m) of the electromagnetic spectrum.
9. Geographical Information System (GIS): to make use of a
powerful combination of instruments capable of receiving,
recording, recalling, transforming, representing and processing
georeferenced spatial data.

10. Decision Support System (DSS): to implement complex

Geographical Information Systems, meant to create possible
scenarios by modelling the ground truth and to offer a set of
solutions to the decision maker.
11. Expert System (ES): to consider instruments capable of
imitating the experts cognitive processes and their ability to
manage the complexity of reality by means of interdependent
processes of abstraction, generalization and approximation.
12. WebGIS: to distribute geographic data remotely stored on
dedicated machines for databases, according to complex
network architectures.

Introduction

Type of surveys;

Topographic Surveys

Produce maps and plans of the natural and man-made features

The main info in this survey is spot heights, scaling, contour & detail
features

Engineering Surveys

All the survey work during the construction and planning

Proposing location, on the ground marking (setting out) & finally asbuilt

Cadastral Surveys

Producing plans for properties boundary for legal purposes

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

New field in survey

Is an information management process for organizing spatial data.

Data in layer based and can overlay in one view

Importance of Surveying

Surveying plays an essential role in the planning, design, layout and

construction of our physical environment and infrastructure.

Surveying is the link between design and construction

Surveying is playing an increasingly important role in modern industrial

technology

Good accuracy in industrial laser equipment,

IBS technologies

UAV

LIDAR

Scale

The end product of a survey is usually the production of a scaled drawing

A Scale is a ratio between the drawing of an object and the actual object itself.

Example;

A line A-B in the drawing with scale 1:100 is;

Horizontal Distance A-B on the map

Horizontal Distance A-B on the ground

1
100

If the length A-B on the plan is 20.5cm, the actual distance on the ground is;
20.5 x 100 = 2050 cm = 20.5 m

Large scale is .... Small ration

- 1:50, 1: 100

Small scale is .....big ratio

- 1:50,000

Type of plans/maps

Department of Survey and Mapping (JUPEM) producing various maps an

plans.

Open and restricted /confidential maps

Types of maps is ;
a) Town Map
b) State Map

c) Topography map
d) Revenue Survey
e) Certified Plan
f) Remote Sensing

Town Map

Shows the details of the features such as roads, rivers, housing and landuse

Example of the map is map of Kuala lumpur- scale 1:15,000 & map of Johor
Bahru -1:12,500

Can be used for early planning to know the main features on the site

State Map

A large area compare to State map

Small scale such as 1 : 500,000

Example of State Map scale is 1:125,000.

Can only show , main road and river, location of town/village and important
land mark

Topographic map

A topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and

quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines in modern
mapping, but historically using a variety of methods

Topographic map show both natural and man-made features

Useful to civil engineering work-planning of

road alignment and cut-fill volume

The main features in topographic map is;

Contour

Road network

Main river

Landuse

Settlement

Output from contour data

Revenue Survey

Useful to;

Calculate land tax and land compensation

Plan the identify a nearest lot

The main information in revenue survey map is, boundary line, lot number,
area & PA no

Scale unit is 2 chain per inch or 32 chain per inch

New map scale in metric is 1:1000 and 1:2000.

Certified Plan

Certified Plan (C.P) is a detail plan showing all the connecting lots

The main features in this plan is lots boundary, bearing and distance, road and
river reserved , coordinate and north direction.

Useful to;

Plan the detail

planning and design

Calculate the total area

of construction site

Identify and plan the

drainage and road system

Produced by Department of
Survey and Mapping.

Remote Sensing Image

A real picture and view from the top

Recieved via satellite

Malaysia agency - Agensi Remote Sensing Malaysia (MACRES).

Malaysian satellite is TiungSAT-1 and RazakSAT

Example of image satellite is;

SPOT, LANDSAT, IKONOS, ERS-1, dan RADARSAT

New accurate image satellite is QuickBird ~ 0.67m resolution

END