Hong Kong Community College

SEHH2315 Survey Adjustment

2020/2021 Semester 2
Take home assignment 2

Instructions:
1. Complete by handwriting in blue/black ink. Use the answer sheet template provided.
2. Please strictly follow the Submission Instructions posted on Moodle before submission of
your answer sheet. Please use your student ID number and “THA2” as file name (For
example: “12345678ATHA2”) and upload it onto the Moodle via the submission link
before deadline.
3. Please make sure that each uploaded page of your answer sheet is clearly captured. Only a
single file in pdf format with less than 10MB will be accepted.
4. For late submission (i.e. those submitted after the deadline), 10 marks will be deducted for
lateness of 1 day or less. For lateness of more than 1 day, 10 marks will be deducted per
day. No late submission is allowed 2 days after the deadline.
5. Only the last submission you made by the submission deadline will be marked.
6. Declaration of Original Work:
By submitting the answer sheet of this take-home assignment to the subject lecturer through
Moodle, you hereby declare that the work in the answer sheet is completely your own work.
No part of the answer sheet is taken from other people’s work without giving them credit.
All references have been clearly cited.
You understand that an infringement of this declaration leaves you subject to disciplinary
actions such as mark deduction, disqualification or even expulsion by the College.
7. You are not allowed to disclose any assignment questions and answers to somewhere else
without approval of the subject lecturer. Anyone infringes this will be subject to
disciplinary actions.
8. Identify the unknown “X” specific to each question based on your last digit of your student
ID and the subsequent case(s) to be answered should be stated clearly in your answers.
9. Correct final numerical answers to 4 decimal places if required and leave intermediate
numerical answers in steps with at least 4 decimal places if necessary.
10. Relevant distribution tables, if necessary, can be found from teaching materials posted in
Moodle.

Assessment Rubrics:
Criteria Excellent Good Satisfactory Pass Fail
(A- to A+) (B- to B+) (C- to C+) (D to D+) (F)
Able to apply appropriate far exceed exceed meet below far below
adjustment models to perform expectation expectation expectation expectation expectation
least squares solution for
different surveying techniques
Able to compare the quality of far exceed exceed meet below far below
observations and adjustment expectation expectation expectation expectation expectation
results

Page 1 of 5
Question 1 (Total 25 marks)

A surveyor wishes to use an EDM instrument-reflector combination that has an unknown constant
value (C) and scaling factor (S). He calibrated this instrument-reflector combination by
measuring four baseline distances at an EDM Calibration Baseline. The observed distances with
corrections properly applied for the atmospheric conditions, the Earth curvature and the slope are
listed in Table 1 together with the published baseline values.

Baseline Observed distance (m) Published baseline value (m)

0–1 30.14 29.90
0–2 180.13 179.90
0–3 300.24 300.00
0–4 520.36 520.10
Table 1

(a) Define the matrices A, X, L and V in a system of observations based on the residual equation
for each distance measurement. (8 marks)

(b) Suppose all observations have an equal weight of one. Compute the normal matrix N, the
vector ATL, and the inverse of the normal matrix N-1. (10 marks)

(c) Find the MOST probable values of C and S for this instrument-reflector combination based
on results in part (b). (7 marks)

Page 2 of 5
Question 2 (Total 25 marks)
(X = 8 for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in the last digit of the student ID;
X = 3 for 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 in the last digit of the student ID)

The height at Point X is to be determined by levelling form 3 benchmark locations A, B and C

as shown in Figure 1. The observed height differences, the lengths of levelling lines and the
heights of benchmarks are given in Table 2. Weighted levelling adjustment is considered.

Figure 1

Height of benchmarks Height difference Length

(m) (m) (km)
HA = 3.420 h1 = 3.242 L1 = 8
HB = 2.589 h2 = -4.07X L2 = 1
HC = 4.215 h3 = 2.448 L3 = 6
HD = 0.25X h4 = -6.405 L4 = 9
Table 2

(a) Construct a system of observation equations to estimate the height at Point X. (4 marks)

(b) Find the MOST probable height of Point X. (10 marks)

(c) What are the residuals of each of the height differences? (8 marks)

(d) Calculate the reference standard deviation of the levelling adjustment. (3 marks)

Page 3 of 5
Question 3 (Total 25 marks)
The interior angles of a plane triangle were measured with values listed in Table 3. A least
squares adjustment for this triangulation is to be conducted using the condition equation
method. The residuals of A, B, C are denoted by v1, v2 and v3, respectively. The weights of A,
B and C are denoted by w1, w2 and w3 respectively.

Angle Measured Value Standard deviation

A 41º34’30” 3”
B 78º57’50” 5”
C 59º26’10” 1.5”
Table 3

(a) Find the actual angular misclosure. (2 marks)

(b) Construct a condition equation in terms of v1, v2 and v3 and express the function F to be
minimized in terms of v1, v2, w1, w2 and w3. (4 marks)

(c) Find the values of v1, v2 and v3. (9 marks)

(d) Calculate the MOST probable values of the angles A, B and C in degree-minutes-second format
with 2 decimal places in seconds. (6 marks)

(e) Evaluate the estimated angular misclosure based on the standard deviation of the angles SA, SB
and SC. Hence discuss whether the actual angular misclosure meets the acceptable angular
misclosure at a 95% level of confidence. (4 marks)

Page 4 of 5
Question 4(Total 25 marks)
(X = 4 for 1, 6, 7, 8, 5 in the last digit of the student ID;
X = 2 for 2, 3, 4, 9, 0 in the last digit of the student ID)

5.1 An elevation is established on a downward slope that is 1425.140 m from the nearest
benchmark. The surveyor decides to use a total station that has a stated distance measuring
accuracy of ±(3 mm + 3 ppm), a vertical compensator accurate to within ±0.3″ and a
DIN18723 stated accuracy of ±5”. The height of instrument is 1.X m with an estimated
error of ±3 mm. The prism height is 2.X m with an estimated error of ±2 mm. The single
zenith angle is read as 108°35’08’’. The estimated errors in instrument and target centering
are ±3 mm, respectively. The elevation of the nearest benchmark is 1026.579 m.

(a) Find the corrected elevation in m on the downward slope. (3 marks)

(b) Find the estimated error in m in the elevation on the downward slope. (7 marks)

5.2 In a construction project, the difference in elevation from the deck to the surface of the
underpass is observed three times using differential leveling. The observations and the
lengths of the lines are given in Table 4.

Route ∆Elevation (m) Length (m)

1 12.067 152.34
2 12.053 143.25
3 12.06X 165.23
Table 4

(a) What is the weighted mean for the elevation difference? (3 marks)

(b) What are the standard deviations for each of the weighted observations in the three routes?
(12 marks)

- End of Assignment -

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