Civil Engineering Final Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
What is the level ? - ✔✔a telescope rotatable about a vertical axis
What does a level do? - ✔✔creates a horizontal line of sight so height differences can be
determined
determines distance with an accuracy of 0.1 to 0.3 metres
Total station surveying - ✔✔the use of electronic survey equipment to perform
horizontal and vertical measurements in reference to a grid system
Horizontal angle vs vertical angle - ✔✔horizontal angle is independent of height
difference provided the telescope moves in a strictly vertical plane
vertical angle is the difference between the prescribed direction and the direction to the
point under consideration
Height difference - ✔✔calculated from the distance between two staff readings
backsight - foresight
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,When do you use line levelling? Characteristics of line levelling? - ✔✔If point A and B
are widely separated
Targets distances between 30 and 50 metres
Where does point A have to be in excavation? - ✔✔point A has to be at street level and
point B a metre below point A
Advantages of automatic target recognition - ✔✔1) high speed of measurement
2) constant measuring accuracy independent of the observer
Total station requirements - ✔✔1) Line of sight ZZ perpendicular to tilting axis KK
2) Titling axis KK perpendicular to vertical axis VV
3) Vertical axis VV strictly vertical
4) Vertical circle reading precisely zero at zenith
What are the different types of total station errors - ✔✔1) Line of sight error
2) Tilting axis error
3) Vertical axis tilt
4) Height index error
What is line of sight error? - ✔✔deviation from the right angle between the line of sight
and tilting axis
What is tilting axis error ? - ✔✔deviation from the right angle between tilting axis and
vertical axis
What is a vertical axis tilt? - ✔✔between plumb line and vertical axis
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, What is height index error? - ✔✔the angle between the zenith direction and zero
reading of the vertical circle
What is the most accurate way to measure a right angle? - ✔✔using a total station
Free station surveys - ✔✔calculates the position and height of instrument station along
with the orientation of the horizontal circle
What are the advantages of free station surveys ? - ✔✔allows you to choose the most
favorable station without having a known point
What's an advantage of using GPS over total station? - ✔✔the points do not have to be
mutually visible
What is a continuously operating reference station (CORS)? - ✔✔a dual frequency GPS
receiver located at known coordinates
What is total station surveying? - ✔✔the use of electronic survey equipment used to
perform horizontal and vertical measurements in reference to a grid system
What are the five components needed for total station surveying? - ✔✔1) Total Station
and tripod
2) Electronic notebook
3) Prism (and prism pole)
4) Computer interface
5) Batteries and Radios
What are the advantages of total station surveying? - ✔✔1) relative quick collection of
information
2) multiple surveys at one set up location
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
What is the level ? - ✔✔a telescope rotatable about a vertical axis
What does a level do? - ✔✔creates a horizontal line of sight so height differences can be
determined
determines distance with an accuracy of 0.1 to 0.3 metres
Total station surveying - ✔✔the use of electronic survey equipment to perform
horizontal and vertical measurements in reference to a grid system
Horizontal angle vs vertical angle - ✔✔horizontal angle is independent of height
difference provided the telescope moves in a strictly vertical plane
vertical angle is the difference between the prescribed direction and the direction to the
point under consideration
Height difference - ✔✔calculated from the distance between two staff readings
backsight - foresight
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,When do you use line levelling? Characteristics of line levelling? - ✔✔If point A and B
are widely separated
Targets distances between 30 and 50 metres
Where does point A have to be in excavation? - ✔✔point A has to be at street level and
point B a metre below point A
Advantages of automatic target recognition - ✔✔1) high speed of measurement
2) constant measuring accuracy independent of the observer
Total station requirements - ✔✔1) Line of sight ZZ perpendicular to tilting axis KK
2) Titling axis KK perpendicular to vertical axis VV
3) Vertical axis VV strictly vertical
4) Vertical circle reading precisely zero at zenith
What are the different types of total station errors - ✔✔1) Line of sight error
2) Tilting axis error
3) Vertical axis tilt
4) Height index error
What is line of sight error? - ✔✔deviation from the right angle between the line of sight
and tilting axis
What is tilting axis error ? - ✔✔deviation from the right angle between tilting axis and
vertical axis
What is a vertical axis tilt? - ✔✔between plumb line and vertical axis
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, What is height index error? - ✔✔the angle between the zenith direction and zero
reading of the vertical circle
What is the most accurate way to measure a right angle? - ✔✔using a total station
Free station surveys - ✔✔calculates the position and height of instrument station along
with the orientation of the horizontal circle
What are the advantages of free station surveys ? - ✔✔allows you to choose the most
favorable station without having a known point
What's an advantage of using GPS over total station? - ✔✔the points do not have to be
mutually visible
What is a continuously operating reference station (CORS)? - ✔✔a dual frequency GPS
receiver located at known coordinates
What is total station surveying? - ✔✔the use of electronic survey equipment used to
perform horizontal and vertical measurements in reference to a grid system
What are the five components needed for total station surveying? - ✔✔1) Total Station
and tripod
2) Electronic notebook
3) Prism (and prism pole)
4) Computer interface
5) Batteries and Radios
What are the advantages of total station surveying? - ✔✔1) relative quick collection of
information
2) multiple surveys at one set up location
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
