Surveying and
mapping (2)
Most famous land surveyors
FORS 2323
Yanli Zhang · Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
Stephen F. Austin State University
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Outline
◼Why not only GPS?
◼What do land surveyors do?
◼Survey profession
◼How to become registered/licensed?
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Land survey
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Outline
Accurate distance
◼ Azimuth/bearing
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◼Why not only GPS?
◼What do land surveyors do?
New survey is always based on previous
survey, how can GPS units be used to
measure angle easily?
With current technology, can GPS units
meet the requirements for all conditions?
◼Survey profession
◼How to become registered/licensed?
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TSPS Youtube channel
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Outline
◼Why not only GPS?
https://www.youtube.com/user/TSPSTX
◼What do land surveyors do?
◼Survey
◼ What is Survey
◼ Survey history
◼ Survey classification
◼ Types of survey
◼How to become registered/licensed?
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What is surveying 1?
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What is surveying 2?
Surveying, which is also interchangeably
called geomatics, has traditionally been
defined as the science, art, and
technology of determining the relative
positions of points above, on, or beneath
the Earth's surface, or of establishing such
points.
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Surveying (geomatics) is a discipline that
encompasses all methods for measuring
and collecting information about the
physical earth and our environment,
processing that information, and
disseminating a variety of resulting
products to a wide range of clients.
(Elementary Surveying, Charles D. Ghilani
and Paul R. Wolf)
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History of surveying 1
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History of surveying 2
The Egyptian land register (3000 BC).
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A recent reassessment of Stonehenge (c. 2500 BC) suggests that
the monument was set out by prehistoric surveyors using peg and
rope geometry.
The Groma surveying instrument originated in Mesopotamia (early
1st millennium BC).
Under the Romans, land surveyors were established as a
profession, and they established the basic measurements under
which the Roman Empire was divided, such as a tax register of
conquered lands (300 AD).
The rise of the Caliphate led to extensive surveying throughout the
Arab Empire.
Egyptian rope stretchers. (From “Discovering Geometry: An Inductive
Approach,” M. Serra, 1997)
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History of surveying 3
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Survey classification 1
In England, The Domesday Book by William the Conqueror (1086)
Continental Europe's cadastre was created in 1808
 Founded by Napoleon I (Bonaparte)
 Contained numbers of the parcels of land (or just land), land
usage, names etc., and value of the land
 100 million parcels of land.
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Survey classification is based on the
assumption on which the computations are
based.
 Geodetic
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TX survey is derived from the Spaniard.
 Plane
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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveying
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Surveying
"In geodetic surveying, the curved surface of the Earth is considered by
performing the computations on an ellipsoid (curved surface approximating
the size and shape of the Earth)"
Surveying
"In plane surveying, except for leveling, the reference base for fieldwork and
computations is assumed to be a flat horizontal surface. The direction of a
plumb line (and thus gravity) is considered parallel throughout the survey
region, and all observed angles are presumed to be plane angles.”
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Federal Geodetic Control
Subcommittee
Survey classification 2
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Geodetic surveying
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 National
boundaries and control networks
 Higher accuracy required than plane
surveying
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Plane surveying
 Measurements
and computations are
assumed to be on a flat horizontal surface.
 Simplifies computation
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On a line 5 miles long, the ellipsoidal arc and chord
lengths differ by only about 0.02 ft
Under Federal Geographic Data Committee.
The Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee
(FGCS) exercises government wide leadership in
coordinating the planning and execution of geodetic
surveys, in developing standards and specifications for
these surveys, and in the exchange of geodetic survey
data and technical information. FGCS coordinates
agency responsibilities which include standards setting,
testing new geodetic instrumentation and operational
systems, coordination of user agency requirements, and
dissemination of government data to user agencies.
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NGS
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Plane surveying
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5 measurements
 Horizontal
distances
distances
 Slope distances
 Vertical
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Mission:
The Mission of NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
is "to define, maintain and provide access to
the National Spatial Reference System to meet our
nation's economic, social, and environmental needs.".
 Horizontal
 Vertical
angles
(zenith) angles
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Surveyor
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A surveyor is a professional person with the
academic qualifications and technical
expertise to conduct one, or more, of the
following activities:
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to determine, measure and represent land, three-dimensional
objects, point-fields and trajectories;
to assemble and interpret land and geographically related
information,
to use that information for the planning and efficient administration
of the land, the sea and any structures thereon; and,
to conduct research into the above practices and to develop them.
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http://www.nsps.us.com/page/TaskForce
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Specialized types of surveys 1
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Specialized types of surveys 2
Control survey
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 Establish
a network of horizontal and vertical
monuments that serve as a reference
framework for initiating other survey.
 Geodetic survey
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Land, boundary and cadastral survey
 Establish
property lines and property corner
markers
Hydrographic survey
◼ Construction survey
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Topographic survey
 Provides
line, grade, control elevations,
horizontal positions, dimensions, and
configurations for construction operations.
They also secure essential data for computing
construction pay quantities.
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 Determine
locations of natural and artificial
features and elevations used in map making.
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Specialized types of surveys 3
Outline
Alignment survey
◼ As-build survey
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◼Why not only GPS?
 Documents
the precise final locations and
layouts of engineering works and record any
design changes that may have incorporated
into the construction. These are particularly
important when underground facilities are
constructed.
Mine survey
◼ Solar survey
◼What do land surveyors do?
◼Survey profession
◼How to become registered/licensed?
◼In general
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◼In TX
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In general
FS exam
Field experience
◼ PS exam
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https://pels.texas.gov/downloads/ExamAnnouncement1222.pdf
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In TX
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FS and PS exam
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FS exam
Meaning
 Fundamentals
 https://pels.texas.gov/sit.htm
 Principles
Field experience
◼ PS exam
◼ Texas Specific Surveying Exam (TSSE)
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Organized by NCEES
 The National
Council of Examiners for Engineering
and Surveying
 A national nonprofit organization dedicated to
advancing professional licensure for engineers and
surveyors. It develops, administers, and scores the
examinations used for engineering and surveying
licensure in the United States.
 https://pels.texas.gov/lsexams.htm
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TX PELS
of Surveying exam
and Practice of Surveying exam
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Become a professional surveyor
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Merge of Texas Board of Professional
Engineers and the Texas Board of
Professional Land Surveying in 6.2019
◼ Texas Board of Professional Engineers
and Land Surveyors
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While each state licensing board has its own
laws regarding surveying licensure, here is the
general process for licensure candidates:
1.
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3.
4.
5.
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Complete the appropriate level of education. Check your
state’s requirements: some require only a high school diploma,
while many others require a degree from an accredited fouryear surveying program.
Pass the FS exam (also known as SIT exam).
Gain acceptable work experience (typically four years). In most
cases, this must be completed under the supervision of a
licensed surveyor.
Pass the PS exam
Pass the TSSE (TX specific).
http://ncees.org/licensure/
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SIT
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Surveyor in Training certification
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If you are interested in land surveying, the Surveyor in Training
(SIT) certification is the beginning point which allows you time to
obtain additional education and/or experience as you move
towards licensure as a Registered Professional Land Surveyor
(RPLS).
You must qualify, and be approved by the Board, to take the
exam.
SIT certification is valid for 8 years and can be renewed annually
after this period.
Cannot prepare survey reports or sign and seal surveys
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https://pels.texas.gov/sit.htm
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SIT qualification options
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
hold a Bachelor of Science in surveying;
hold a Bachelor’s degree with 32 hours in civil engineering, land
surveying, math, photogrammetry, forestry, land law or the physical
sciences and one year of experience working under a RPLS;
hold an Associate’s degree in surveying and have two years of
experience working under a RPLS
have 32 hours in land surveying courses and two years of
experience working under a RPLS; or
graduated from high school, have four years of experience working
under an RPLS, and can prove you are self-educated in land
surveying.
https://pels.texas.gov/sit.htm
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Application
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Course list
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32 hour course work
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https://pels.texas.gov/downloads/surveying/sit/SITApplication.pdf
Civil Engineering
Math
Photogrammetry
Forestry
Land Law
Business
Physical Science
Computer Science
Cartography
Technical writing
Ethics
Surveying
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FS exam
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https://pels.texas.gov/downloads/surveying/sit/Approved-Courses-Check-List.pdf
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Link https://ncees.org/surveying/fs/
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FS exam
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PS
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PS is organized by NCEES
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Registration and authorization
 https://ncees.org/exams/ps-exam/#texas
 Hold
a current Texas Surveyor-in-Training (SIT)
certification and have passed the NCEES FS exam.
 Be approved to sit for the PS exam through an
approved RPLS application.
 Hold a current Texas RPLS registration (taking PS
exam for records purposes).
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https://ncees.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PS-Jan2019_CBT_final.pdf
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https://pels.texas.gov/lsexams.htm
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TSSE
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TSSE
 TSSE exams will
be offered 3 times per year (Spring,
Summer, and Fall). All applications submitted before
the application deadline will be considered for
approval to sit for the exam. Once you have been
notified that your application has been approved for
exams, you can register. You will need to submit the
TSSE Payment Submission Form with your $75 exam
fee to TBPELS.
https://pels.texas.gov/lsexams.htm
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In general
FS exam
◼ Field experience
◼ PS exam
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Next level: LSLS
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Texas General Land Office
Licensed State Land Surveyor
Study guide
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www.glo.texas.bov
Acts, Rules and boards
Laws, Statues and codes
◼ Gammel’s Laws of Texas
◼ Texas constitution
 Spanish and Mexican Land Titles
◼ Vernon’s Annotated Texas Statutes
◼ Texas Natural Resources Codes
◼ ...
Land Surveying practice
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CST program (national level)
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Certified Survey Technician
 Provides
a career ladder for technicians
credentials to technicians
 Provides a standard way for employers to
evaluate capabilities of prospective applicants
 Can be used as an assessment tool in
conjunction with survey education programs
Other tracks
 Provides
http://www.nsps.us.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=527&st
opRedirect=1
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TSPS
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TSPS
Useful links:
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https://beasurveyor.com/
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Scholarship
https://www.tsps.org/page/scholarships
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Summary
◼Why not only GPS?
◼What do land surveyors do?
◼Survey profession
◼How to become registered/licensed?
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