UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

PAPER NO

EXAMINATION

DATE

Yearly 2006/2007
BECE/06S/7

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

Level 1

Wednesday
16 May 2007

SERIES

PAPER

TIME

May 2007

Surveying
[CIVE 1005Y(1)]

9:30 12:30 Hours

This paper contains EIGHT (8) Questions.

answer ANY FIVE (5) Questions.

Candidates are required to

Question 1
(a)

Using the measurement of a baseline as example, explain and illustrate the

meaning of the following terms: gross and systematic errors, accuracy and
precision.
[8 marks]

(b)

The following observations were recorded as part of a chain survey field work
with respect to four points A, B, C and D lying on a straight:
Line

Angle of Slope

Slope Distance (m)

AB

-4 00

95.20

BC

5 30

82.80

CD

3 00

24.50

(The correction due to the steel band being shorter by 20 mm was to be done
after measurement)
Calculate the true slope of the line joining A to D.
[12 marks]

Question 2
(a)

List and explain the temporary adjustments of a tilting level.

(b)

The level of an existing formation is to be checked and adjusted as necessary.

Points A, B, C, D, E, F and G were marked on the centre line at regular 20 m
intervals and the following readings (in metres) were recorded:
BS:

2.085 on TBM (325.105 m amsl)

IS on A, B and C:

0.943, 0.765 and 0.572

FS and BS at CP D:

0.374 and 1.175

IS on E and F:

0.962 and 0.750

FS on G:

0.542

[5 marks]

Book and reduce these readings, providing the usual checks.

Assuming the levels at A and G were correct, calculate the amount by which
the formation level have to be modified at the other points to give a uniform
gradient throughout.
[15 marks]

Page 1 of 4

Question 3
The following details refer to a theodolite traverse ABCD, run between stations A and
D whose coordinates are 1 000.00 mE; 1 000.00 mN and 340.00 mE; 1 264.00 mN
respectively. The line AB was due North.
Station

Included angle

Line

Length (m)

118 15

AB

438.00

108 40

BC

341.00

CD

491.00

Calculate the closing error and the fractional accuracy of the traverse.
Find also the adjusted coordinates of stations B and C.
[20 marks]

Question 4
A theodolite, set up on the boundary stone A (RL: 135.20 m amsl) of a plot of land,
was used to take observations to a staff held vertically on the remaining boundary
stones B, C and D as follows:
Staff
Station

Whole Circle
Bearing

Staff
Readings

Vertical
Angle

00 00

1.790;1.420;1.050

+7 10

40 00

1.888;1.420;0.952

+3 20

140 00

2.860;2.430;2.000

-2 40

If the height of instrument at A was 1.420 m, calculate the perimeter of the plot of land
and the reduced levels of B, C and D.
[20 marks]

Page 2 of 4

Question 5
A theodolite at P was sighted onto a beacon at station Q at the same time as a
theodolite at Q sighted onto a beacon at P. The horizontal distance between the two
stations P and Q is known to be 5 951.30 m.
The following measurements were recorded:
Angle of elevation at P

01 19 38

Angle of depression at Q

01 21 01

Height of beacon at P

2.85 m

Height of beacon at Q

2.36 m

Height of instrument at P

1.36 m

Height of instrument at Q

1.47 m

Determine the difference of level between the two stations and the refraction
coefficient, assuming radius of earth to be 6 370 km.
[20 marks]

Question 6
From a station P, the angles subtended by points Q, R, S and T were measured by two
observers A and B. The results are tabulated below:
Observer

Angle

QPR

16 02 51

RPS

40 34 08

SPT

22 11 04

QPS

56 37 01

RPT

62 45 09

In order to apportion weights to their observations, a separate test was carried out, in
which both A and B measured a given angle a large number of times. The analysis of
the test showed that the standard error of B was twice that of A.
Apply appropriate weights to the observations and determine the most probable
value of the angle to the nearest tenth of a second.
[20 marks]

Page 3 of 4

Question 7
Precise levelling was carried out from benchmark A (RL: 30.832 m amsl) to establish
benchmarks B, C and D.
The measured differences in level, together with the assigned weights are given in the
table below.
From

To

Rise(m)

A
B
C
D
D

B
C
D
A
B

5.977
8.550

Fall(m)

Weight

2.877
11.665
5.678

2
1
2
2
1

Determine, by the method of Least Squares, the most probable values of the reduced
levels of B, C and D to the nearest millimetre.
[20 marks]

Question 8
A resection was carried out at a station P by observing horizontal angles to three
stations A, B and C. P lies within triangle ABC.
The mean observed horizontal angles were are follows:
APB = 140 58 52 ;

BPC = 82 28 15 ;

CPA = 136 32 56

If the coordinates of the target stations were:

mE

mN

12 876.24

18 754.11

13 810.80

17 997.25

12 959.39

17 487.09

Compute the coordinates of P.

[20 marks]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
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