DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SURVEYING PRACTICAL TRAINING (CEVB211)
EXPERIMENT
PREPARATION OF CONTOUR PLAN GRID METHOD

NAME
NAVIND A/L VELMURUGU

ID NUMBER
CE096516

SECTION
04

NAME OF LECTURER
AL MAHFOODH ALI NAJAH AHMED, DR.

DATE OF EXPERIMENT
16 NOVEMBER 2016

DATE OF SUBMISSION
23 NOVEMBER 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS

No
.

Content

Page

1.

Introduction

2.

Objective

3.

Apparatus

4.

Procedure

5.

Result

6.

Discussion

7.

Conclusion

8.

References

9.

Appendix

1. Introduction

Firgure 1.1
Conturing is the process of locating these contour lines on the surface of the
earth is known as contouring. The method of establishing / plotting contours in a plan
or map is known as contouring. It requires planimetric position of the points and
drawing of contours from elevations of the plotted points. Contouring involves
providing of vertical control for location of points on the contours and horizontal
control for planimetric plotting of points. Thus, contouring depends upon the
instruments used (to determine the horizontal as well as vertical position of points).
One of the field method of contouring is indirect method. In this method, the spot
levels of selected guide points are taken with a level and their levels are computed.
The horizontal positions of these points are measured or computed and the points are
plotted on the plan. The contours are then drawn by a process called interpolation of
contours from the levels of the guide points. One of the most commonly used in
indirect method for locating contours is Grid method. In this method, the area to be
surveyed is divided into a grid or series of squares. The grid size may vary from 5 m x
5 m to 25 m x 25 m depending upon the nature of the terrain, the contour interval
required and the scale of the map desired. Also, the grids may not be of the same size
throughout but may vary depending upon the requirement and field conditions. The
grid corners are marked on the ground and spot levels of these comers are determined
by leveling. The grid is plotted to the scale of the map and the spot levels of the grid
corners are entered. The contours of desired values are then located by interpolation.
Special care should be taken to give the spot levels to the salient features of the ground
such as hilltops, deepest points of the depressions, and their measurements from
respective corners of the grids, for correct depiction of the features. The method is
used for large scale mapping and at average precision.

2. Objective
a) Perform a contour survey.
b) Plot contour line by using SURFER8.

3. Apparatus
a)
b)
c)
d)

Automatic level (1 unit)

Tripod (1 unit)
Leveling Staff (2 units)
Hammer, nails & spray

4. Procedure
a) Grid lines at 10m internal produced. The points at the grid marked intersection by
using pegs or arrows
b) Observation was began from a known reference point, nearest Bench Mark (BM)
or TBM. Otherwise, a reference point selected to be BM and the RL to be assumed
as 100.000m.
c) Notes : The observation are taken as Intermediate Sight (IS).
d) All observations were booked in the provided levelling form. Only by pen is
accepted.
Simplified Guide for SURFER8
a) File/New command was choosen.
b) Worksheet option in the New dialog box was clicked and to display a new empty
worksheet window OK button was clicked.
c) Data was inserted in the worksheet. For the first column, North coordinate was
inserted. For the second column, East coordinate was inserted. For the third
column, elevation value (meter) was inserted.
d) Data was saved.
e) Window menu was clicked and Plot1 was choosen.
f) Open button was clicked and Grid Data dialog box is displayed. OK button was
clicked.
g) By default, a message box appears after analysis of the inserted data. OK button
clicked.
h) Grid Report checked, a report was displayed. Report was closed.
i) Map/Cotour Map/New contour Map was choosen.
j) The Open Grid dialog box is displayed. Grid file was choosen.

5. Results
X

Backsigh
t

1.115

Intersight

Foresigh
t

Rise

Fall

Reduced Corrected Remarks

level
Reduced
Level
100

100

BM

1
2
3
4
4
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
0

0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
0

1.3126
1.34
1.565
1.736
1.53

0.1976
0.0274
0.225
0.171
0.009

1.745
1.375
1.195
1.04
1.025
1.135
1.138
1.285
1.399
1.545

0.155
0.18
0.155
0.015
0.11
0.003
0.147
0.114
0.146
0.935

0.61

Sample Calculation:
Checking : Rise and Fall method
BS - FS = 2.645 2.680 = - 0.035
Rise - Fall = 1.115 1.150 = - 0.035
Last RL First RL = 99.965 100.000 = - 0.035
Since, BS - FS = Rise - Fall = Last RL First RL = - 0.035
The levelling is therefore has been done correctly.
Error Correction
Error = Calculated RL Assumed RL
= 99.965 100.000
= - 0.035
Error distribution =

Error

= - 0.035
= - 0.0023

x
Number of setup . x

x
15 x

99.8024
99.775
99.55
99.379
99.37
99.525
99.705
99.86
99.875
99.765
99.765
99.615
99.501
99.355
99.965

99.8047
99.7797
99.557
99.3907
99.384
99.539
99.7213
99.8787
99.896
99.788
99.7906
99.643
99.531
99.3877
100

B1
C1
D1
E1
E2
D2
C2
B2
A2
A3
B3
C3
D3
E3
BM

Contour Map using SUFFER8