HYDROGRAPHIC AND

TUNNEL SURVEYING
CED, UET LAHORE
HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING

Hydrography is the branch of applied science which deals with the measurement
and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and
rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary
purpose of safety of navigation and in support of all other marine activities.

Hydrographic surveys determine depths and terrain configurations of the bottom of

water bodies.
Bodies of water surveyed include rivers, reservoirs, harbors, lakes, and oceans.
ASPECTS OF HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING

Coastal Hydrography: Concerned with the development of ports and harbors,

coastal erosion and conservation, safety of navigation in coastal waters.

Offshore Hydriography: Concerned with hydrographic data for development of

mineral mining projects, fisheries management.

Oceanic Hydrography: Concerned with acquisition of data for depiction of sea

floor characteristics.
Steps in hydrographic surveying

1) Reconnaissance
2) Locate Horizontal Control
3) Locate vertical Control

Field procedures for hydrographic surveys

Field procedures for hydrographic surveys are similar to those for topographic
work; There are some basic differences in procedures used by surveyors since
the land area being mapped cannot be seen, and the depth measurements
must be made in water.
Two basic tasks involved in hydrographic surveys are:
(1) Making soundings (measuring depths) from the water surface to bottom
(2) Locating the positions where soundings were made.
Techniques used to perform these tasks vary depending on the water body’s
size, accuracy required, type of equipment to be used, and number of personnel
available.
• Equipment for Making Soundings
• The size of a water body and its depth control the type of equipment used
to measure depths.
• For shallow areas of limited size, a sounding pole can be used. This is
usually a wooden or fiberglass staff resembling a level rod.
• Direct depth measurements are made by lowering the pole vertically into
the water until it hits the bottom, and then reading the graduation at the
surface.
• Equipment for Making Soundings
• Lead lines can be used where depths are greater than can be reached with
a sounding pole. These consist of a suitable length of stretch-resistant cord
or other material, to which a heavy lead weight is attached.
• In use, the weight is lowered into the water, being careful to keep the cord
vertical. The graduation at the surface is read when the weight hits the
bottom.
• Deep Water Depth Measurement
• In deep water, or for hydrographic surveys of appreciable extent,
electronically operated sonic depth recorders called echo sounders are
used to measure depths.
• These devices, transmit an acoustic pulse vertically downward and
measure the elapsed time for the signal to travel to the bottom, be
reflected, and return.
• Electronic depth sounders provide continuous profiles of the surface
beneath the boat’s path and can be used in water of virtually any depth.
• Equipment for Making Soundings

• The reference plane from which depth soundings are measured is the
water surface. Because of surface fluctuations, its elevation or stage at the
time of survey must be determined with respect to a fixed datum.
• Equipment for Making Soundings
• Multi beam Sonar
Sound Navigation and Ranging (Sonar), is helpful for exploring and mapping
the ocean because sound waves travel farther in the water than do radar and
light waves. Scientists primarily use sonar to develop nautical charts,
locate underwater hazards to navigation, search for and map objects on the
sea floor such as shipwrecks, and map the sea floor itself.
• Multibeam sonar measures the depth of the sea floor by analyzing the
time it takes for sound waves to travel from a boat to the sea floor and
back. It provides amazing detail of the sea floor, especially in rocky and
rough terrain, where it gives a complete picture of the bottom.
• Multibeam sonar is very useful in areas where the sea floor is complex
and often strewn with thousands of rocks.
• Equipment for Making Soundings
• Equipment for Making Soundings
• SIDESCAN SONAR
• Side scan sonar creates a picture or an image of the sea floor. It measures
the strength of how "loud" the return echo is, and paints a picture.
• Hard areas of the sea floor like rocks reflect more sound and have a
stronger or louder return signal than softer areas like sand. Areas with
loud echoes are darker than areas with quiet echoes. Objects or features
that rise above the sea floor also cast shadows in the sonar image where
no sound hit. The size of the shadow can be used to guess the size of the
feature.
• Singlebeam and multibeam sonar measure ocean depth whereas a
sidescan sonar can produce an image of the ocean floor.
• Equipment for Making Soundings
• Horizontal and vertical control in hydrographic surveying

• Vertical control in hydrographic survey means determination of depth of

floor of water body at various locations. This is carried out by different
methods discussed previously.
• Horizontal control implies the location of different points in the horizontal
plane where the vertical depths were observed. It follows the same
principles of ground survey where horizontal coordinates and
corresponding reduced levels of various points are determined in order to
develop contour map of an area.

• By gaining horizontal and vertical control in any water body, hydrographic

maps can be develop which depict variation in water depth across the
area.
• Horizontal control for sounding
• Any of the traditional ground-surveying procedures including GPS can be
used to locate positions where soundings are taken.
• If ground-surveying techniques are used, some horizontal control must
first be established on shore. The coordinate positions of the control
points can be established by traverse, but triangulation and trilateration
are also well suited for this work.
• Kinematic surveying methods are ideal for establishing sounding locations
for hydrographic surveys and also for guiding the boat along planned
range lines on larger water bodies.
• Horizontal and Vertical Control
• Hydrographic Mapping
• Procedures for preparing hydrographic maps do not differ appreciably
from those used in topographic mapping.
• Depths are plotted in their surveyed positions and contours drawn.
• In addition to depth contours, the shoreline and other prominent features
are also located on hydrographic maps.
• Hydrographic Mapping

• .
• Hydrographic Surveying Applications
• Hydrographic surveys and maps are used in a variety of ways. For example
• Engineers employ them for planning and monitoring harbor and river
dredging operations, and to ascertain reservoir capacities for flood control
and water supply systems.
• Petroleum engineers use them to position offshore drilling facilities and
locate underwater pipelines; navigators need them to chart safe
passageways and avoid reefs, bars, and other underwater hazards;
biologists and conservationists find them helpful in their study and
management of aquatic life.
• TUNNEL SURVEYING
• Tunnels are used in road, sewer, and pipeline construction when the cost
of working at or near the ground surface becomes prohibitive.
• For example, sewers are tunneled when they must be at a depth that
would make open cut too expensive, Roads and railroads are tunneled
through large hills and mountains in order to maintain optimal grade lines.
• TUNNEL SURVEYING
• Tunnel control surveys use precise traverse survey methods or global
positioning system (GPS) techniques and allow for the computation of
coordinates for all key points. But the GPS cannot work inside the tunnel.

• If the tunnel is long, intermediate shafts could be sunk to provide access

for materials, ventilation, and alignment verification.

• The basic procedure of tunnel surveying is to align the center line in the
ground and transfer that to the tunnel.
• TUNNEL SURVEYING
• A number of methods are employed to transfer centerline from ground
surface to tunnel.
• 1) Use of plumb lines from tunnel shafts

• 2) Modern survey practice favors the use of precise

optical plummets to accomplish the line transfer.
These plummets are designed for use in zenith or
nadir directions, or in both zenith and nadir
directions.
• TUNNEL SURVEYING
• 3) Gyrotheodolites have also been used successfully for underground
alignment control. A gyroscope attachment is mounted on a theodolite
and the arrangement is called gyrotheodolite

• GYROtheodolite
• an instrument composed of a gyroscope mounted to a theodolite. It is
used to determine the orientation of true north. It is the main instrument
for orientation in mine surveying and in tunnel engineering, where
astronomical star sights are not visible and GPS does not work.
• Gyroscope
• A gyroscope is a device used for measuring or maintaining
orientation and angular velocity.