Course content

This course introduces principles of surveying engineering in theoretical manner. Topics included in this course are intended to provide a broad overview of surveying. Students will be introduced to the basic surveying calculations. The goal is that students will have a feel for the accuracy, precision and limitations of the survey data and, be able to make a judgment call that the data can be relied on.

Main topics of the course:

• Instrumentation:
  • Instrument control and error sources in total station;
  • Calibration of total station.
• Measurement methods, position determination - methods relevant for determining a point with ordinary land surveying equipment.
• Computations - computational processes relevant to land surveying:
  • Basic and simplified manual calculation of distance, direction angle and coordinates;
  • Calculation of corrections between terrain and map plane;
  • Datum, map projections and transformations - different ways of linking a point to the Earth, and how the Earth's surface can be projected onto the map plane.
• Accuracy:
  • Theory of errors in measurements related to quality elements which are introduced under instrument, measurement and calculation theory;
  • Introduction to Least Squares Method (LSM);
  • The Concept of Weighting;
  • Corrections.
• Programming of land surveying calculations.

Learning outcome

The aim of this course is to enable students to demonstrate that they have acquired the necessary instrumental skills and the theoretical tools to be able to carry out basic land surveying processes with simple quality controls.

Within the context of the course description, this course will contribute to students achieving the following outcomes. After completing the course, the student should have knowledge:

• Theory behind practical calculations in surveying;
• Apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve engineering problems:
  • Utilize analytical and computation approaches;
  • Demonstrate mathematical capacity for problem solving.
• Know the basics of the theory of errors and how to conduct simple adjustment of surveying observations.
• Know how to apply necessary corrections for observations.
• Explain the geodetic basis for specifying the height and coordinates of markers in the terrain.

Learning methods and activities

• classroom lectures
• exercises
• project-work
• guidance
• Mandatory requirements to be delivered for approval by the course supervisor.

Compulsory assignments

• Approved exercises

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

• GEOM1130 Introduction to geomatics

Course materials

• Skogseth, T., Norberg, D. (2014). Grunnleggende landmåling. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget (ISBN: 978-82-05-44943-3).