Surveying is a way civil engineers figure out where things are on Earth. They do this by measuring distances, angles, and heights. Then, they make maps to show these locations accurately.
For example, if we’re in a hilly area, we might say we’re 3000 feet above sea level (how high we are). In a city, we might talk about nearby landmarks (how far things are).
Surveying also uses known points like benchmarks to find exact positions on Earth’s surface.
History of Surveying
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 3100 BC | Rope stretcher (knotted cord) used for boundaries |
| 4th Century BC | Groma Surveying Instrument introduced |
| 2500 BC | Stonehenge set out using peg and rope geometry |
| 300 AD | Romans established basic land measurements |
| Early 1551 | Abel Foullon mentioned the Plane Table |
| 1571 | Leonard Diggies described Theodolite for horizontal angles |
| 1576 | Joshua Habermel created a theodolite with compass and tripod |
| 1615 | Willebrord Snellius introduced modern triangulation methods |
| 1620 | Edmund Gunter introduced Gunter’s chain for measurements |
| 1725 | Johnathon Sission first incorporated telescope on a theodolite |
| 1771 | James Watt developed an optical meter for distance measurement |
| 1787 | Jesse Ramsden introduced the first highly accurate theodolite |
| 1950 | Dr. Trevor Lloyd Wadley developed the Tellurometer |
| 1950 | Geodimeter introduced electronic equipment for measuring distances (EDM) |
| 1970 | Early total stations were introduced |