ETC ETC Surveying & Site Measurement 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What surveying instrument uses a rotating laser beam to establish a level reference plane on a job site?
- Rotary laser level (Correct answer)
- Total station
- GPS rover
- Theodolite
Correct answer: Rotary laser level
A rotary laser level projects a 360-degree horizontal plane that workers use to check elevations and set grades across a site.
Question 2: What does the term benchmark refer to in engineering surveying?
- A known point of established elevation used as a reference (Correct answer)
- The starting line of a property survey
- A temporary marker for excavation depth
- A GPS coordinate anchor
Correct answer: A known point of established elevation used as a reference
A benchmark is a permanent, precisely established elevation point from which other elevations on a project are measured.
Question 3: In a field traverse, what does closure error refer to?
- The discrepancy between the starting and ending points of a closed loop survey (Correct answer)
- The depth of excavation below grade
- The angular error in a single instrument setup
- The difference between two benchmark elevations
Correct answer: The discrepancy between the starting and ending points of a closed loop survey
Closure error is the distance between the calculated end point and the true starting point when a traverse loop fails to close perfectly.
Question 4: What unit is commonly used to express horizontal distances on US engineering drawings and surveys?
- Feet and decimal feet (US survey foot) (Correct answer)
- Meters
- Chains and links
- Rods
Correct answer: Feet and decimal feet (US survey foot)
US engineering drawings typically use feet expressed as decimal fractions (e.g., 150.75 ft) rather than feet-inches for precision.
Question 5: What does GPS stand for as used in modern surveying?
- Global Positioning System (Correct answer)
- Ground Positioning Survey
- Geodetic Precision Surveying
- Geographic Point Selector
Correct answer: Global Positioning System
GPS is a US satellite-based navigation system that provides precise position and elevation data for surveying.
Question 6: Which type of survey is performed to establish or verify the legal boundaries of a parcel of land?
- Boundary survey (Correct answer)
- Topographic survey
- As-built survey
- Construction staking survey
Correct answer: Boundary survey
A boundary survey locates and documents the corners and lines of a property as described in legal documents and deeds.
ETC ETC Surveying & Site Measurement 1
What surveying instrument uses a rotating laser beam to establish a level reference plane on a job site?