Route Surveying. 3 credits, 4 contact hours

Catalog description

Corequisites: SET 200 or CE 200 or Department Approval. This course provides hands‑on experience in topographic data collection, basemap creation, and the application of route design fundamentals. Students learn how to collect, process, and apply field data to support route planning and to convey the final design to the project site using state‑of‑the‑art surveying equipment. Part 1 focuses on topographic data collection using Total Stations and GNSS receivers with RTN capability. Students learn to establish control, collect and validate field measurements, and apply error‑analysis techniques to support accurate basemap creation for route design. Part 2 introduces analytical concepts in route and highway design, including planning horizontal, vertical, and compound curves; developing profiles and cross‑sections; and performing volume and earthwork calculations. Part 3 emphasizes preparing layout data for conveying the designed route to the project site. Students complete field exercises involving the staking of horizontal and vertical curves, curb lines with offsets, and right‑of‑way limits. Throughout the course, students gain practical skills in route surveying workflows, highway design best practices, and layout techniques, along with exposure to right‑of‑way surveys and equipment used for construction layout and machine control.