UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS

MAY 2010
PROGRAMME

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

MODULE NAME

Surveying
Friday

DATE

MODULE CODE

CIVE 1005Y(1)

14 May 2010
TIME

13.30 16.30 Hrs

NO. OF
QUESTIONS SET

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Answer any 5 questions.
All questions carry equal marks.

DURATION
NO. OF
QUESTIONS TO BE
ATTEMPTED

3 Hours
5

SURVEYING CIVE 1005Y(1)

Answer any 5 questions.
All questions carry equal marks.
Question 1
(a)

Briefly explain how an automatic level can be checked for the presence of any
collimation error.
[5 marks]

(b)

The following levels were taken with a metric staff on a series of pegs at 100
m intervals along the line of a proposed trench:
BS
2.10

IS

FS

2.94

Remarks
TBM1 (128.75m)
Peg A
Peg B
Peg C
Peg D
Peg E

3.81

TBM2(124.07m)

2.85
1.80

3.51
1.58
2.24

1.68
2.27
3.06

If the trench is to be excavated from peg A, commencing at a formation level

of 26.50 m and falling to peg E at a grade of 1 in 200, calculate the height of
the sight rails at A, B, C, D and E, if a 3m boning rod is to be used.
[15 marks]
Question 2
The measured internal angles of a traverse ABCDEA are:
A
B
C
D
E

=
=
=
=
=

51 37 40
192 08 55
101 51 55
87 29 35
106 53 35

The lengths of the sides are measured in metres as AB = 88.335, BC = 65,205, CD =

76.405, DE = 112.960, EA = 125.400.
Calculate the corrected coordinates of stations B, C, D and E if the coordinates of A
are 50.235mE, 75.170 mN and the bearing of the line AB is 56 56 40.
[20 marks]

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SURVEYING CIVE 1005Y(1)

Question 3
A modern tacheometer was set up over a station P and vertical staves held at BM
and at A and B were observed with results shown in the table below:

Inst.
Stn.

Staff
Stn.

BM
A
B

Horz.
Circle
Reading
---28 12 15
93 51 55

Vertical
Angle

Staff readings

2 15 10
3 36 00
-2 42 30

Top

Mid

Bottom

2.310
2.466
2.552

1.887
1.600
1.455

1.464
0.732
0.388

The height of BM above datum is 325.36 m

Calculate:
(a)
(b)
(c)

the horizontal distance AB

the heights of points A and B above datum
the error (in mm) which would occur if the slope distance rather than the
horizontal distance of AB was plotted on a 1:500 scale plan
[20 marks]

Question 4
Reciprocal vertical angles were observed between two stations A and B as follows:
Mean observed angle
Height of instrument at
Height of signal at
Reduced level of A
Distance AB

A to B
B to A
A
B
A
B

= -1 02
= -2 59
= 1.35 m
= 1.33 m
= 3.10 m
= 4.50 m
= 175.4 m
= 11 600 m

Estimate the reduced level of B.

[10 marks]
What would be the error in that level if only the observation from B to A had been
taken and the assumption made that the refraction coefficient was 0.071? A length of
30.95 m at mean sea level may be taken to subtend an angle of 1 at the centre of the
earth.
[10 marks]

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SURVEYING CIVE 1005Y(1)

Question 5
A line ABCD was measured as a whole and in sections. Due to variations in
accuracy, the measurements have been assigned weights as shown below:
Line
AB
BC
CD
AC
AD

Observed Length(m)
39.2310
120.7160
61.2560
159.9350
221.2180

Weight
3
2
2
1
1

Find, by the method of least squares, the most probable length of AB, BC and CD to
the nearest tenth of a millimeter.
[20 marks]
Question 6
(a)

Explain clearly what is meant by (i) accuracy, (ii) precision and (iii) standard
error of a set of observations.
[6 marks]

(b)

An angle has been observed on three occasions as follows:

Set 1:
Set 2:
Set 3:
Calculate

165 47 08, 14, 12, 17, 09, 12.

165 47 11, 12, 13, 13, 08, 09.
165 47 11, 12, 13, 10.
the most probable value,
the standard error of a single observation and
the standard error of the mean.
[6 marks]

(c)

A rectangular plot of land is measured as 77.00 0.01 m by 148.00 0.03 m.

Calculate the expected error in the area.
[8 marks]

Question 7
(a)
(b)

(c)

Give four reasons for using photogrammetric mapping.

[4 marks]
With respect to vertical photographs derive:
(i)
the general expression for scale,
(ii)
an expression for the radial displacement of an image from the
principal point due to relief,
[6 marks]
An area of 300 km2 is to be air photographed at a scale of 1 in 7000, the
photograph being 230 mm by 230 mm. A longitudinal overlap of 60% and a
lateral overlap of 25% must be provided. Calculate the minimum number of
prints required if the flying strips are 20 km long.
[10 marks]
END OF QUESTION PAPER

/ph

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