What is Surveying?

“Surveying is the art of and science of determining the

relative positions of various points or stations on the
surface of the earth by measuring the horizontal and
vertical distances, angles, and taking the details of
these points and by preparing a map or plan to any
suitable scale.”

Surveying is the process of analyzing and recording

the characteristics of a land area span to help design a
plan or map for construction.
Surveying is the technique of determining the relative
position of different features on, above or beneath the
surface of the earth by means of direct or indirect
measurements and finally representing them on a sheet of paper known as plan or map.
Surveying also includes the technique of establishing points by predetermined angular
and linear measurements. From the plans, sections, and maps prepared by surveying,
the area and volume of a particular plot of land can be calculated. 

Work of surveyor
Surveyors determine legal property boundaries. They provide data and compile legal
documents—called surveys—for building, mapmaking, and real estate projects. Those
who work in this discipline might be called land, site, or property surveyors.
A Surveyor, or Property Surveyor, is responsible for measuring property lines and
surveying properties. Their duties include overseeing a survey team, using specialized
equipment to measure land boundaries and creating maps or charts for employers to
review.

Surveyor Duties & Responsibilities

 Conduct physical site surveys using a variety of equipment and tools.

 Prepare sketches and notes, and perform electronic data collection.
 Coordinate field staff and process field data.
 Interface with civil engineers, landscape architects, cartographers, or urban
planners.
 Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations
conducted at survey sites.
 Calculate areas of land parcels and easements using mathematics and computer
software.
  Research previous survey evidence, including maps, deeds, physical evidence,
and other records to obtain data needed for surveys.
 Prepare site surveying documents and present findings to clients.
 Use measurements of surveying equipment to determine property lines and
boundaries
 Research additional information about a property through titles, survey records
and land records
 Present land information and details to new property owners or investors
 Settle legal disputes regarding property ownership
 Record accurate property lines and plots with the local land use authorities

Characteristics of surveyor

Communication skills

Surveyors must provide clear instructions to team members. They must also be
able to receive instructions from architects and construction managers, and
explain the job’s progress to developers, lawyers, financiers, and government
authorities. For a surveyor, communication is key. Whether it’s speaking to
clients or producing a clear and concise report, excellent communication skills
are crucial.

Detail oriented

Surveyors must work with precision and accuracy due to the legal nature of the
documents they produce.

Physical stamina

Surveyors traditionally work outdoors, often in rugged terrain. Therefore, they

must be able to walk long distances for several hours.

Problem-solving skills

Surveyors must figure out discrepancies between documents showing property

lines and current conditions on the land. If there were changes in previous years,
they must figure out the reason for the changes so that property lines can be
reestablished.

Technical skills

Surveyors use sophisticated technologies such as distance- and slope-

measuring “total stations” and GPS devices to collect land survey data.
Time-management skills

Surveyors must be able to plan their time and their team members’ time on the
job. This is critical when pressing deadlines exist or while working outside during
winter months when daylight hours are short.

Visualization skills

Surveyors must be able to envision new buildings and distances.

HISTORY OF SURVEYING

The history of surveying dates back to ancient times, with a recorded land register in
Egypt in 3000BC, and re-establishment of farm boundaries following floods of the Nile
River and construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza recorded about the same time.

Under the Romans, land surveying was established as a profession and land surveyors
established the basic measurements under which the Roman Empire was divided, such
as a tax register of conquered lands (300AD).

Biblical references to land boundaries and landmarks can be found in: Deuteronomy
19.14 and 27.17; Proverbs 22.28 and 23.10; and Job 24.2

In eighteenth century Europe, a method of

surveying known as triangulation, which relied on
the measurement of angles, was used to build a
hierarchy of networks to allow point positioning
within a country.

In the early days of British colonisation of

Australia and New Zealand "much of the survey
work undertaken to open up the country and
provide land holdings to settlers was carried out
using Gunter’s chains, measuring wheels,
circumferenter, Kater’s compass and even
pacing where approximation sufficed … so long
as the corners of the land were clearly staked
and marked by the surveyor, the accuracies of
measurement and direction were left to chance"
Tableis of Surveying, 1728 (Hallmann 1994, 2.3)
Cyclopedia: historical surveying
instruments Over time, Gunter’s chain was replaced by steel
bands and invar tapes, and later by Electromagnetic Distance Measurement (EDM)
equipment, and subsequently Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, each in turn
capable of improved efficiency and greater accuracies of measurement than the
preceding forms. Likewise, compasses were replaced by transits, later theodolites and
then Total Stations, which combined angular and distance measurement in a single
survey instrument.

In all of these situations, the status of measurements of preceding times was subject to
alternative forms of evidence of ‘what the land boundary was intended to be, and where
it was intended to be located’: measurements and mathematics alone do not provide the
correct answers

THE VERY EARLY DAYS OF THE EARLY DAYS OF SURVEYING

SURVEYING

 1400 B.C.  1800 A.D. Beginning of the

 The Egyptians first used surveying industrial revolution.
to  The importance of exact
accurately divide land into plots for boundaries and the
the purpose demand for public improvements
of taxation. (i.e. railroads,
 120 B.C. canals, roads) brought surveying
 Greeks developed the science of into a prominent
geometry and position.
were using it for precise land  Science of Geodetic and Plane
division. surveying were
 Greeks standardized procedures developed.
for conducting  More accurate instruments were
surveys. developed.
 Greeks developed the first piece of  Compass Capable or determining
surveying directions and
equipment (Diopter). rudimentary angles.
 Transit Capable of turning both
horizontal and
vertical angles and directions
precisely.
 Chain Capable of measuring
precise distances
.
SURVEYING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Land survey cost in the Philippines depends on the scope of work and the case of the
land. That said, the land survey fee in the Philippines usually range from PHP 7,000 to
PHP 10,000.

Application of Land Survey Services

Land survey services are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for
ownership which helps settle property line disputes. They are also used for government
project purposes such as determining where roads and buildings shall be constructed.
 
Land survey services are also necessary for the following:
 
 Initial surveys and environmental impact assessments of potential sites for
construction
 Measuring exact coordinates of site features
 Establishing building lines and road alignments on site
 Photogrammetry or the process of producing digital images of sites
 Remote sensing or the mapping of land use with satellite photography
 Geomechanics or the monitoring of land movement 
 Draughting 2D and 3D charts and maps
 Hydrographic surveying or the gathering of data for canals, dredging operations,
and more

Geodetic Surveying
The NAMRIA is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the primary
geodetic control network of the country.
Prior to 1991, the geodetic network consisted of triangulation chains mostly along the
coast. The network was established during those times to provide horizontal control in the
conduct of hydrographic surveying for the production of nautical charts. The control network was
considered in the old standard as having second-order accuracy and referenced to the Luzon
Datum with Clarke 1866 as the reference ellipsoid.
Recognizing the need for a more accurate and homogenous national geodetic
framework, the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was utilized to establish a First
Order Network with the support of the Australian government in 1992. GPS stations were
established all over the country, consisting 330 first order stations, 101 second order stations,
and 36 third order stations. A total of 84 old stations were occupied. The network was
developed using multi-stations observed simultaneously. Each succeeding figure had common
stations with preceding figures. In this way, a network of well connected figures was built up. A
geoid model for the Philippines was also developed as part of the project. Considering the
implications of using a global geocentric datum which includes large shift in coordinates, the
horizontal datum was retained utilizing the same reference ellipsoid. The vertical datum has
been slightly modified by the adoption of a more realistic geoid/spheroid separation at the datum
origin. The resulting new framework is known as the Philippine Reference System 1992 (PRS
92). Transformation parameters from WGS 84 to PRS 92 and vice versa are available.
An executive order was issued by the government directing the connection to PRS 92 of
all surveys in the country by the year 2000. This deadline was extended to year 2006.
Densification of the GPS stations to make it more accessible to surveyors is still in progress.
Moreover, due to the prohibitive cost of GPS equipment, local surveyors still adopt the
conventional method in most property surveys.
In the pipeline is the setting up of an Integrated Geospatial Referencing Facility (IGRF)
in the country. The project includes:
a. Geographic Reference Stations: seven (7) permanent geographic DGPS reference
stations shall be established transmitting on HF band providing both land and marine coverage.
Sixteen (16) dual frequency receivers will be used in tying Real Time Kinematic (RTK) reference
stations to the national geodetic network. These would have facilities for continuous data
logging and would be set-up later for permanent or semi-permanent observations for
miscellaneous geodetic applications.
b. Coastal DGPS Reference Stations: eight (8) Permanent Coastal DGPS reference
stations shall be established to provide sea-based operators within the country’s water
transmitting on HF band. The coastal reference stations shall also have facilities for continuous
data logging of raw GPS and integrity data.
c. RTK Transition Zone System: Six (6) pairs of RTK transmitters/mobiles will provide
mobility and high accuracy to overcome the geographic boundaries and bridge the operational
gap between land and sea activities of NAMRIA and other users.

Cadastre and Property Surveys

Three (3) government agencies are involved in the survey and approval for titling of
lands classified as alienable and disposable. These are the Land Management Sector of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR), and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
Generally, it is the DENR that undertakes cadastral surveys of untitled properties either
by administration or by contract with private surveyors. However, for lands declared as agrarian
reform areas, the DAR undertakes its own cadastral surveys. The approval of these surveys,
however, is the responsibility of DENR. The Original Certificates of Titles are issued by either
DENR or DAR.
The LRA is in charge of the management of records of titled properties and is mandated
to approve subdivision, consolidation and relocation surveys of titled properties.
The Certificates of Titles are entered into the Register of Deeds in a particular
administrative subdivision.
 Presently, the land records in the aforementioned offices are still in the analog format.
For this reason, the LRA has embarked on a massive program to computerize land records and
management.

Types of Surveying
Surveying can mainly be classified into 2 groups-

 Plane Surveying
 Geodetic or Trigonometrical Surveying

Plane Surveying
Plane surveying deals with small areas on the surface of the earth assuming the surface
of the land to be plane. So, curvature of the earth is neglected. Plane surveying can
further be subdivided in the following ways:
Chain Surveying

 Area to be surveyed is divided into a number of triangles

 The length of the sides is measured and the interior details recorded
 Whole are then plotted on a drawing sheet to a suitable scale to produce the map

Traverse Surveying

 The plot of the plan is enclosed by a series of straight lines making angles with
each other.
 The length of the lines and angles are measured and plotted with details on a
drawing paper to a suitable scale to produce the map

Plane Table Surveying

 The observations and plotting are done simultaneously

 An art paper or sheet is fixed on a calibrated plane table
 The field observations are taken and recorded side by side on the paper and
eventually the map is prepared.

Ordinary Leveling

 The elevations of different points on the earth surface are determined.

 Provides all the elevation data needed for construction activities

Geodetic Surveying
Geodetic surveying deals with vast areas, so curvature has to be considered. Geodetic
surveying can be subdivided in the following ways:
Triangulation

 A network of well-defined triangles is formed on the plot of land to be surveyed.

 One of the lines is considered as the baseline, all other lines and angles are then
measured accordingly.

Reciprocal Leveling

 Used in leveling across streams, gullies, and other obstructions to eliminate

instrumental errors
 Level readings are taken from two setups at two different points
 The difference in levels between two sites with obstructions is determined
through this survey

Tacheometry or Stadia Surveying

 A telescopic sight instrument is used to measure distances

 It incorporates a theodolite controlled by an operator and a level staff held by
another surveyor at a distance.
 Both vertical and horizontal distances are computed through stadia (the two
horizontal markings on a theodolite) readings

Astronomical Surveying

 The meridian, azimuth, latitude, longitude, etc. of the plot to be surveyed is

determined with the help of celestial bodies.

Photographic surveying

 Maps are prepared from photographs taken from suitable camera stations; the
stations can be even airplanes.
 The output is a map, a drawing or a 3D model of some real-world scene or
object.

Classification of surveying

Surveys may be secondarily classified under no. of headings which define the uses or
purpose of resulting maps.

Classification based upon nature of field:

There are three types of surveying based upon the nature of field which are as follows:

1. Land Surveying: It can be further classified as i) Topographical survey ii)

Cadastrial Survey and iii) City Survey. It generally deals with natural or artificial
 features on land such as rivers, streams, lakes, wood, hills, roads, railways,
canals, towns, water supply systems, buildings & properties etc.
2. Marine Surveying: Marine or hydrographic survey deals with bodies of water for
purpose of navigation, water supply, harbor works or for determination of mean
sea level. The work consists in measurement of discharge of streams, making
topographic survey of shores and banks, taking and locating soundings to
determine the depth of water and observing the fluctuations of the ocean tide.
3. Astronomical Surveying: The astronomical survey offers the surveyor means of
determining the absolute location of any point or the absolute location of and
direction of any line on the surface of the earth. This consists in observations to
the heavenly bodies such as the sun or any fixed star.

Classification based on object:

Based on object, there are four types of surveying which are as follows:

1. Geological Surveying
2. Mine Surveying
3. Archaeological surveying
4. Military surveying

Surveying Measurements

Two types of measurements in surveying

1. Linear measurements
2. Angular measurements

Linear measurements are further classified as 

 Horizontal Distance

A horizontal distance is measured in horizontal plane if a

distance is measured along a slope, it is reduced to its
horizontal equivalent.

 Vertical Distance

A vertical distance is measured along the direction of gravity at that point.

The vertical distance is measured to determine difference in elevations in
various points.
Angular Measurements

As the name itself suggests, the two sides meeting at an angle are measured.
The angle between them is measured and represented in degrees or radians.

Systems of units

1 foot = 12 inches 10 chains = 1 furlong = 660 feet

1 yard = 3 feet 1 link (of a chain) = .66 feet = 7.92

inches
1 pole = 16.5 feet
100 links = 1 chain = 66 feet = 4 poles
1 rod = 1 pole = 16.5 feet
1 mile = 5280 feet
1 perch = 1 rod = 1 pole = 16.5 feet
1 mile = 1760 yards
1 chain = 66 feet
1 mile = 320 poles
1 chain = 4 poles = 66 feet
1 mile = 8 furlongs
1 furlong = 660 feet
3 miles = 1 league
1 furlong = 40 poles

Units of Measure

 Acre - The (English) acre is a unit of area equal to 43,560 square feet, or 10
square chains, or 160 square poles. It derives from a plowing area that is 4 poles
wide and a furlong (40 poles) long. A square mile is 640 acres. The Scottish acre
is 1.27 English acres. The Irish acre is 1.6 English acres.
 Arpent - Unit of length and area used in France, Louisiana, and Canada. As a
unit of length, approximately 191.8 feet (180 old French 'pied', or foot). The
(square) arpent is a unit of area, approximately .845 acres, or 36,802 square
feet.
 Chain - Unit of length usually understood to be Gunter's chain, but possibly
variant by locale. Chains equal to 2 poles (one half the standard length) are
 found in Virginia. The name comes from the heavy metal chain of 100 links that
was used by surveyors to measure property bounds.
 Colpa - Old Irish measure of land equal to that which can support a horse or cow
for a year. Approximately an Irish acre of good land.
 Engineer's Chain - A 100 foot chain containing 100 links of one foot apiece.
 Furlong - Unit of length equal to 40 poles (220 yards). Its name derives from
"furrow long", the length of a furrow. See Gunter's chain.
 Gunter's Chain - Unit of length equal to 66 feet, or 4 poles. This unit was
apparently defined as one tenth of a furlong, a common unit of length in the old
days. The mile was redefined from the old Roman value of 5000 feet to 5280 feet
in order to be an even multiple of furlongs. A mile is 80 chains.
 Hectare - Metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters, or 2.471 acres, or
107,639 square feet.
 Hide - Old English unit of area usually equal to 120 acres.
 Labor - The labor is a unit of area used in Mexico and Texas. In Texas it equals
177.14 acres (or 1 million square varas).
 League (legua) - Unit of area used in the southwest U.S., equal to 25 labors, or
4428 acres (Texas), or 4439 acres (California). Also, a unit of length--
approximately three miles.
 Link - Unit of length equal to 1/100 chain (7.92 inches).
 Morgen - Unit of area equal to about .6309 acres. It was used in Germany,
Holland and South Africa, and was derived from the German word Morgen
("morning"). It represented the amount of land that could be plowed in a morning.
 Perch - See pole .
 Point - A point of the compass. There are four cardinal points (North, South,
East, West), and 28 others yielding 32 points of 11.25 degrees each. A survey
line's direction could be described as a compass point, as in "NNE" (north
northeast). To improve precision, the points would be further subdivided into
halves or quarters as necessary, for example, "NE by North, one quarter point
North". In some areas, "and by" meant one half point, as in "NE and by North".
 Pole - Unit of length and area. Also known as a perch or rod. As a unit of length,
equal to 16.5 feet. A mile is 320 poles. As a unit of area, equal to a square with
sides one pole long. An acre is 160 square poles. It was common to see an area
referred to as "87 acres, 112 poles", meaning 87 and 112/160 acres.
 Pueblo - A Spanish grant of less than 1000 acres.
 Rancho - A Spanish grant of more than 1000 acres.
 Rod - See pole
 Rood - Unit of area usually equal to 1/4 acre.
 Vara - Unit of length (the "Spanish yard") used in the U.S. southwest. The vara is
used throughout the Spanish speaking world and has values around 33 inches,
depending on locale. The legal value in Texas was set to 33 1/3 inches early in
the 1900's.