CST CST Survey Documentation & Records 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What information must always appear on the first page of a field survey book?
- Only the date and weather
- Project name, surveyor's name, date, and job number (Correct answer)
- Equipment serial numbers only
- The client's billing address
Correct answer: Project name, surveyor's name, date, and job number
A properly started field book must include the project name, surveyor/technician name, date, job number, and instrument used so records can be identified and authenticated.
Question 2: What is the correct procedure for correcting an error in handwritten field notes?
- Erase the mistake completely
- Use whiteout to cover the error
- Draw a single line through the error and write the correction nearby (Correct answer)
- Tear out the page and start over
Correct answer: Draw a single line through the error and write the correction nearby
Field note errors must be corrected by drawing a single line through the incorrect value, leaving it legible, and writing the corrected value beside it.
Question 3: What is the purpose of recording a 'closure' in traverse field notes?
- To lock the field book at end of day
- To document that the traverse returns to its starting point within allowable error (Correct answer)
- To note when the crew leaves the site
- To record the final instrument reading
Correct answer: To document that the traverse returns to its starting point within allowable error
A traverse closure verifies that the sum of latitudes and departures equals zero (or within tolerance), confirming the survey's mathematical accuracy.
Question 4: In survey field notes, what symbol or abbreviation typically denotes a benchmark?
- TP
- BM (Correct answer)
- CP
- HI
Correct answer: BM
BM is the standard abbreviation for benchmark, which is a point of known elevation used as a reference for leveling surveys.
Question 5: What does 'HI' stand for in leveling field notes?
- Horizontal Intercept
- Height of Instrument (Correct answer)
- Horizontal Index
- High Impact
Correct answer: Height of Instrument
HI (Height of Instrument) is the elevation of the line of sight through the level, calculated as the benchmark elevation plus the backsight rod reading.
Question 6: What is a 'foresight' reading in differential leveling?
- A rod reading taken on a point of known elevation
- A rod reading taken on a point whose elevation is to be determined (Correct answer)
- A reading taken looking in the direction of travel
- An angle reading taken toward a control point
Correct answer: A rod reading taken on a point whose elevation is to be determined
A foresight (FS) is a rod reading taken on a turning point or final point to determine its elevation using the formula: Elevation = HI − FS.
CST CST Survey Documentation & Records 1
What information must always appear on the first page of a field survey book?