Total Station
توتال ستيشنAn instrument that measures angles and distances electronically to fix and set out point coordinates.
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Surveying glossary
Plain explanations of the terms you meet in quotes, drawings and on site, in English and Arabic.
GNSS
نظام الملاحة العالمي بالأقمارThe general name for satellite positioning systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.
RTK
التصحيح اللحظيA method that corrects GNSS measurements in real time from a reference station, reaching centimetre-level accuracy in suitable conditions.
Level
الميزانAn instrument that finds height differences between points using a horizontal line of sight and a staff.
Benchmark
الروبيرA fixed point of known level used as a reference for levelling and construction.
Control point
نقطة تحكمA point of known coordinates that ties survey and setting-out work to one reference.
Topographic survey
الرفع الطبوغرافيMeasuring the ground shape, levels and features and showing them on a map.
Contour line
خط الكنتورA line on a map joining points of equal level.
Setting out
التوقيعTransferring axes, dimensions and levels from drawings to the site.
As-built
لوحات كما نفذDrawings that record what was actually built.
Cut and fill
الحفر والردمThe soil removed or added to reach the design level.
Grid levelling
الميزانية الشبكيةObserving ground levels on a regular grid of points.
Longitudinal section
القطاع الطوليA drawing showing ground and design levels along an axis.
Cross section
القطاع العرضيA drawing showing the ground or element at right angles to the axis.
Quantity take-off
حصر الكمياتCalculating work quantities from drawings or field measurement.
UTM
إسقاط ميركاتور المستعرضA coordinate system dividing the earth into longitudinal zones. Egypt falls in zones 35, 36 and 37 north.
WGS84
المرجع العالمي WGS84The global datum used by GPS for latitude and longitude.
Datum
المرجع الجيوديسيThe basis for coordinates or levels. Changing it changes the values of the same point.
Easting and Northing
الشرقي والشماليThe position values in metres in a projected system such as UTM.
Bearing
الاتجاهThe angle of a line measured clockwise from north.
Traverse
المضلعA chain of measured lines and angles that fixes successive points.
Closure error
خطأ القفلThe difference between the expected and measured result when a traverse or level run closes.
Back sight
القراءة الخلفيةThe first staff reading after setting up the level, taken on a point of known level.
Fore sight
القراءة الأماميةThe last staff reading before the level is moved.
Height of instrument
منسوب سطح الميزانThe level of the line of sight, equal to the point level plus the back sight.
Calibration
المعايرةComparing instrument readings with a known reference and recording or adjusting the difference.
Feddan
الفدانAn Egyptian area unit equal to 4,200.833 m² and 24 qirat.
Qirat
القيراطOne twenty-fourth of a feddan, about 175.035 m² and 24 sahm.
Sahm
السهمOne twenty-fourth of a qirat, about 7.293 m².
Slope
الميلThe ratio of height difference to horizontal distance, written as a percentage, 1:n or degrees.