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- SIYG.TXT Glossary of Surveying Words 61
-
- Chapter G
-
- Glossary of Surveying Words
-
- Abney level: A hand held instrument for measuring inclination precise to about
- 0.2 degrees. There are several manufacturers. Cost about $75 to $150.
-
- Acre: 10 square chains. 43560 square feet.
-
- Aerial photo: A photograph taken straight down from a high altitude airplane so
- that the photo looks like a map.
-
- Are: Pronounced "air". 100 square meters.
-
- Azimuth: The common method of giving compass directions, whereby a full circle
- is divided into 360 degrees, starting at North and turning clockwise. I'm told
- that this doesn't apply in the Southern Hemisphere.
-
- Backsight: Instrument readings taken to the FROM station, from the TO station,
- but recorded as if the sight were taken normally.
-
- Blunder: A BIG mistake, obvious and correctable.
-
- Brunton pocket transit: A sighting compass precise to about 0.5 degree.
- Brunton makes the original; there are several imitators. Also known as Army
- Artillery Compass when graduated in gradians to confound The Enemy. Cost:
- about $200.
-
- Cardinal direction: Any one of the four directions; North, East, South, or
- West.
-
- Chain: 66 feet. 4 rods.
-
- Clinometer: Inclinometer. A device to measure inclination.
-
- Closure Error: When surveying in a loop and making the ending station the same
- as the beginning station, the calculated distance between these two stations.
-
- Compass direction: A direction from one station to another station, measured as
- azimuth.
-
- Corner: A point on a property boundary, established to define that boundary.
-
- Cosine: Abbr. COS. Pronounced "cosign". A mathematical function of an angle,
- equal to the adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse (longest side) of a right
- triangle containing that angle.
-
-
- SIYG.TXT Glossary of Surveying Words 62
-
- Declination: The angle difference between the compass direction towards
- Magnetic North and that towards True North.
-
- Degree: The three hundred sixtieth part of a full circle. 1° = 1/360 of a
- turnaround.
-
- Departure: What professional surveyors call the east distance.
-
- Elevation: The distance above (or below) an arbitrary zero level.
-
- Error: The difference between a measured value and reality.
-
- Forester's Compass: Staff Compass. A surveying compass precise to about 0.2
- degrees. Cost: $400.
-
- Furlong: 10 chains. 660 feet.
-
- Gradians: A method of giving compass directions, whereby a full circle is
- divided into 400 gradians, starting at North and turning clockwise. The Army
- uses this to confuse The Enemy.
-
- Hectare: 100 ares. 10000 square meters. 2.47 acres.
-
- Inclination: The angle in degrees between a line of sight and horizontal. Up
- is +, down is -.
-
- Inclinometer: Clinometer. An instrument to measure inclination.
-
- Land description: The written definition of a piece of property.
-
- Latitude: What professional surveyors call the north distance.
-
- Legal description: A land description typed by an attorney's secretary.
-
- Lensatic compass: Also known as the Army Marching Compass. A diabolically
- engineered compass graduated in bassackwards whatchamacallits in order to
- totally confuse The Enemy. Precise to about 10 degrees. Cost: about $10.
-
- Line: A part of a property boundary between two corners.
-
- Link: A hundredth part of a chain, 0.66 feet.
-
- Magnetic North: The direction towards the Magnetic North Pole. This is where
- the compass needle points.
-
- Minute: The sixtieth part of a degree. 1' = 1/60° 60' = 1°
-
-
- SIYG.TXT Glossary of Surveying Words 63
-
- Pace: The distance covered in one step. Usually between 2.5 and 3.0 feet.
- 1000 double paces of 2.64 feet define the mile as 5280 feet.
-
- Perch: A rod, a pole, 16.5 feet.
-
- Percent closure error: The closure error divided by the run times 100%.
-
- Plat: What professional surveyors call a map.
-
- Pole: A rod, a perch, 16.5 feet.
-
- Quadrants: An archaeic method of giving compass directions, utilized to
- simplify the arithmetic B.C. [Before Calculator] Presently used to keep
- landowners stupid.
-
- Radians: A mathematical method of measuring angles, used by some calculators,
- computers, and pure mathematicians. A Radian = 57.2957795131 degrees.
-
- Ranger: A sighting compass imported by Silva Compass, precise to about 1
- degree. Cost: about $41.
-
- Rod: A perch, a pole, 16.5 feet.
-
- Rood: 40 square rods, perches or poles. 10890 square feet, one quarter acre.
-
- Rope: 20 feet.
-
- Run: The distance surveyed since an arbitrary starting station.
-
- Second: The sixtieth part of a minute. 1" = 1/60' 60" = 1'
-
- Sine: Abbr. SIN. Pronounced "sign". A mathematical function of an angle,
- equal to the opposite side divided by the hypotenuse (longest side) in a right
- triangle containing that angle.
-
- Square perch: A square rod, 16.5 * 16.5 = 272.25 square feet.
-
- Staff Compass: Forester's Compass. A surveying compass precise to about 0.2
- degrees. Cost: $400.
-
- Station: A place where surveyor's measurements are taken.
-
- Stringbox: A distance measuring instrument which operates by measuring a thread
- pulled from it.
-
- Tape distance: A distance from one station to another, usually measured in
- feet.
-
- SIYG.TXT Glossary of Surveying Words 64
-
- Theodolite: A surveying instrument which can measure the angle between two
- directions, as well as the angle between a direction and Magnetic North.
- Precision: about 0.01 degree. Cost: $thousands.
-
- Topo map, topographic map: A map showing the shape of the surface of the land.
- In the United States, usually a 7.5 minute map at 2000 feet per inch showing
- all surface features. Cost: about $3.
-
- Transit: A surveying instrument, similar to a theodolite, which can measure the
- angle between two directions, as well as the angle between a direction and
- Magnetic North. Additionally, the sights can be easily turned around
- (transited) to obtain a backsight. Precision: about 0.01 degree. Cost:
- $thousands.
-
- True North: The direction towards the North Pole.
-
- °: Degree symbol if you can read full ASCII.
-
- ': Minute symbol. Also foot sumbol.
-
- ": Second symbol. Also inch symbol.
-
- Another last chance to tell you to take precise compass readings, with a double
- check and a backsight. Nearly all your error is in the compass with the poor
- man's method of land surveying.
-
- If there are any other surveying words which you think that I should define
- here, then tell me them.
-
-
- Dave Beiter
- CAVE, Inc
- 1/2 Fast Road
- Ritner, KY 42639
-
- 606/376-3137 (everytime)
-