What does surveying mean in construction?

Construction surveying can take many forms. It is used to establish the location and alignment of highways, bridges, buildings, pipes, and other man-made objects . After large-scale projects are completed, an “as-built” survey is performed to locate any modifications that were made to the plans during construction.

What is the main purpose of surveying is to work?

Objectives of Surveying To determine the relative position of any objects or points on the earth . To determine the distance and angles between various objects. To prepare a map or plan to represent an area on a horizontal plane. To define control points and boundaries of an area, for example, a cadastral survey.

What are the two major types of surveying?

Geodetic surveying and plane surveying are two types of land surveying that differ in the way they measure the shape and size of the earth.

Surveying & roadway construction

Standard Plans

Section A - Roadway Construction

There are no specifications for this design topic.

Geodetic survey

A consistent controlled survey network is essential to credible data. Geodetic Survey maintains a network of very accurately located survey points that make up the starting point for design and construction project work. By working from a standard survey network, WSDOT project work done at different locations and at different times better align with each other where they meet. Features located using GPS are related accurately in relationship to the roadway. By sharing our survey information with others outside the department, our right of way boundaries are more apt to align with local property surveys.

Survey Monument Database (Text Search)

Survey Monument Map Engine (Map Search)

Monument Mapping Engine User Guide (PDF 3.61MB)
A Practical look at Comparing Puget Sound LIDAR Data to Field Points (PDF 371KB)
3D Terrestrial Laser Scanning Video - Bridge Overview (AVI 64.8MB)
3D Terrestrial Laser Scanning Video - Bridge Detail

Other monument sites

NGS Data Sheet by State and Designation
NGS Data Sheet by Area
NGS Data Sheet by PID

About the monument database

What is the monument database?

This database is a set of entities and attributes as referenced to individual geographic locations, hereafter referred to as "Point". Each individual Point has a location relative to all other points in the database as referenced to a coordinate grid. The relative location of the points as represented in this database correspond to the physical or determined locations of Survey Control Monumentation.

Attribute values of each point may contain accuracy data, physical descriptions on the monuments, descriptions for retracement and recovery, horizontal and vertical reference datum’s, dates of recovery, determination, origin of data values, and methods used for value determination.

Project reports by hard copy are also referenced by book and contract number and physically archived at Geographic Services. These reports contain all original instructions, maps, schematics, diagrams, existing control, obstruction diagrams, site log sheets, post processing information and copies of the minimal and fully constrained adjustments as well as geoid modeling data. Vertical control project reports contain instructions maps, route schematics, copies of electronic collection of raw data, field book and adjustments. Copies of the existing control used to constrain also included.

Why we have the database

This database has been developed and maintained to provide storage and retrieval capabilities to users for data values associated with Survey Control Monumentation. The database associated with Survey Control Monumentation. The database is an efficient tool that can provide accurate positions to reference and catalog monuments for inventory purposes as well. Originally designed by Geographic Services for Primary Control, the system was expanded to be made available for regions to utilize for Right of Way, Alignment and other secondary control.

Use constraints / disclaimers

The Washington Department of Transportation makes no warranty to the validity of this information and shall not be liable to the user for any activity involving the product with the respect to the following:

Lost profits, lost savings or any other consequential damages;
The fitness of the product for a particular purpose;
The installation of the product, it’s use or the results obtained.

Information contained here in no way replaces the long standing survey practices such as proper research and development of methods and routines of providing data in the field or office.

Users are cautioned to employ this data at their own risk.

Survey Monument Metadata Matrix

1.Identification Information

Survey and mapping

Bathymetric mapping of waterways

Designing a new SR 520 bridge requires an accurate three dimensional topographic and bathymetric map. Bathymetry is thestudy of underwater depth,the underwater equivalent to altimetry.

A rubber boat equipped with sonar anda global positioning system (GPS) is used in the deep water of Lake Washington, but something else is required for maneuvering through the environmentally sensitive marshlands near the Seattle Arboretum, Foster Islandand the south shore of Portage Bay.

This oar-powered pontoonboat rigged with a GPS and total station tracking was used to conduct bathymetric soundings of the marsh.

The inflatable one-personraft was selected as the best survey platform to allow taking depth measurements and recovery of real time GPS locations.

The boat traveled unobtrusively through lilies and reeds, past herons and beavers, collecting depth and location information.

3D scanning

3-D Terrestrial Laser Scanning technology to produce very accurate, very dense 3-dimensional digital data sets (called "point clouds") used for CAD mapping. This technology is a fast, safe, and efficient way to model and measure many areas where it can provide advantages over traditional survey or photogrammetric methods.

Scanned data sets can be enormous, reaching a billion points or more. WSDOT Photogrammetry uses enhanced computers and software systems to manage these massive data sets.

Photogrammetry produces standard WSDOT CAD files that can be used on regular computers used by project designers and planners.

Survey support and guidance

Sean Simmons
Right of Way Plans & State Survey Manager
Sean.Simmons@wsdot.wa.gov
360-704-6305

Nicholas Weiss
Survey Support Engineer
Nicholas.Weiss@wsdot.wa.gov
360-709-8011

WSDOT Right of Way Plans help

Survey, mapping and Geodetic survey support

Kurt Williamson
Survey and Mapping Manager
Kurt.Williamson@wsdot.wa.gov
360-709-5533

Heidi Miller
Geodetic Survey and Mapping Engineer
Heidi.Miller@wsdot.wa.gov
360-709-5530

The survey coordinator or support person in each region has been selected as a distributor and point of contact for regional interests concerning Secondary Control. The coordinators by region are:

Gerald Hayes, Northwest Region
P.O. Box 330310 15700 Dayton Avenue N
Seattle, WA98133-9710
Gerald.Hayes@wsdot.wa.gov
206-440-5021
Fax: 206-440-4803

Todd Emerson, Eastern Region
2714 N Mayfair St
Spokane, WA99207-2050
Todd.Emerson@wsdot.wa.gov
509-324-6115
Fax: 509-324-6005

Vince Brown, Southwest Region
P.O. Box 1709 11018 NE 51st Circle Street
Vancouver, WA98668
Vince.Brown@wsdot.wa.gov
360-905-2155
Fax: 360-905-1533

KevinCarlascio, South Central Region (Yakima)
P.O. Box 12560
Yakima, WA98909-2560
Shipping: 2809 Rudkin Road
Union Gap, WA. 98903-1648
Kevin.Carlascio@wsdot.wa.gov
509-577-1742
Cell: 509-949-6688
Fax: 509-577-1749

Farhad Vira, North Central Region
1551 North Wenatchee Ave.
Wenatchee, WA98801
Farhad.Vira@wsdot.wa.gov
509-667-2832
Fax: 509-667-2855

Brad Berry, Olympic Region
P.O. Box 47440
Tumwater, WA98504
Brad.Berry@wsdot.wa.gov
Phone: 360-357-2754
Fax: 360-357-2688

Surveying & roadway construction | WSDOT (2024)