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Chapter D12 ver. 1

Control Surveys

Table of Contents

Effective Date

This Chapter is effective January 1, 1997. It was originally published as Chapter D12 of the Third Edition of the Manual of Instructions for the Survey of Canada Lands.

Chapter Sections

General

  1. This Chapter applies to control surveys which support legal surveys of Canada Lands, including control surveys carried out in connection with surveys under the Canada Oil and Gas Land Regulations.
  2. Specific survey instructions are issued for control surveys carried out under this Chapter.
  3. Control surveys carried out under this Chapter should be made by a Canada Lands Surveyor.
  4. Prior to issuing specific survey instructions for a control survey, the Surveyor General Branch may request the surveyor to supply a design and preanalysis of the proposed control network to ensure that accuracy requirements can be met.

Control Surveys under Provincial or Federal Requirements

  1. In the provinces, control surveys which are intended to support legal surveys on Canada Lands shall be carried out under provincial requirements and integrated into the control network used in the province.
  2. In the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories control surveys intended to support legal surveys on Canada Lands shall be carried out under the requirements of Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada, and integrated into the control network used in the territories.
  3. Control surveys intended to support legal surveys in offshore Canada Lands shall be carried out under the appropriate provincial or Geodetic Survey Division requirements and integrated into the provincial or federal control network.
  4. Control survey field notes or other records of control surveys that have been integrated and published by a provincial survey control agency or Geodetic Survey Division are not normally recorded in the Canada Lands Surveys Records. However, the Surveyor General Branch may request copies for filing.

Other Control Surveys

  1. Where the requirements for control surveys described in paragraphs 5 to 8 cannot be met, or a higher standard is required, the remainder of this Chapter or parts of the remainder shall be used as outlined in specific survey instructions.

Methods

  1. Control surveys shall be carried out insofar as possible in accordance with the publication "Specifications and Recommendations for Control Surveys and Survey Markers (1978)", later version, available from Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa.
  2. Positions obtained using the Global Positioning System (GPS) shall be obtained in accordance with the publication "Guidelines and Specifications for GPS Surveys (1992)", or later version, available from the Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa and with any other specific survey instructions.
  3. The requirements in Chapter D1 for adjustment and testing of measuring equipment shall apply to control surveys under this part.
  4. The datum used should be NAD 83.
  5. The datum plane for vertical control shall be mean sea level as defined by Geodetic Survey Division.
  6. When choosing control survey marker locations, take into consideration the accessibility, intervisibility, stability, suitability for satellite observation, and safety from destruction of the markers.
  7. The surveyor shall record the markings of horizontal control and vertical control survey markers, measure to all reference posts and confirm the description of all survey markers found and used in the control survey.
  8. The surveyor must ensure the stability and position of all horizontal and vertical control survey markers used by measuring to at least two other horizontal or vertical control survey markers or to reference posts.
  9. If the stability and position of the survey markers cannot be confirmed by measured connections to adjoining survey markers or reference posts then measurements shall be made to additional control survey markers to confirm the stability and position of the markers used.
  10. If the surveyor is unable to use a previously established control survey marker because it is destroyed, or damaged, or because the coordinates appear to be in error, the circumstances shall be reported to the regional office of the Surveyor General Branch and to the provincial government control survey agency, or Geodetic Survey Division, as applicable.
  11. Control survey network designs and survey methods should provide sufficient redundant measurements to allow identification of blunders and systematic errors. Where the survey system used has not provided redundant measurements, additional measurements shall be made using an independent system. The difference between the positions derived by the two systems should be within the accuracy requirements specified for control surveys.
  12. Monuments and control survey markers (including markers placed in control surveys carried out by other government departments, private companies, etc.) in the vicinity of the control survey should be tied in during the course of the survey.
  13. Make ties to monuments and any other permanent feature which may assist in re-establishing the position of, or may help to find, the control survey marker in the future. Ties should be made to at least three existing features or, if no suitable features are available, to three reference posts (see Chapter D1-Ancillary Monumentation).

Accuracy

  1. Horizontal control surveys shall be carried out by any method capable of achieving second order accuracy as defined in Part 2 of the publication "Specifications and Recommendations for Control Surveys and Survey Markers (1978)", or later version. The final accuracy will depend on the accuracy of the control network into which the survey is being integrated. If this accuracy is not acceptable for any particular project, the matter will need to be resolved with the Surveyor General Branch, and either the provincial government control survey agency or Geodetic Survey Division, as applicable.
  2. The minimum accuracy requirement for vertical control surveys is third order as defined in Part 1 of the publication "Specifications and Recommendations for Control Surveys and Survey Markers (1978)", or later version.

Monumentation

  1. Part 3 of the publication "Specifications and Recommendations for Control Surveys and Survey Markers (1978)", or later version, lists the various types of control survey markers suitable for particular ground characteristics and for various accuracies. For control surveys under this chapter the following substitutions may be made:
    1. CLS rock posts for Type 1 survey markers;
    2. CLS 77 post for Type 4 survey markers;
    3. helix pipe marker (see "Guidelines and Specifications for GPS Surveys (1992)" or later version) for Type 3 survey markers; or
    4. other equivalents with the permission of the Surveyor General Branch.
  2. If it is not possible to mark control survey markers with the numbers assigned by a province or by Geodetic Survey Division, they should be marked with a numbering system assigned by the Surveyor General Branch.

Field Note Preparation

  1. Requirements in Chapter D1 for official field notes shall apply to control surveys, in so far as they are applicable and consistent with this Chapter.
  2. The guidelines in Appendix E3 shall be followed in the preparation of field notes of control surveys, if plan format is used.
  3. Field notes of control surveys, in plan format, and survey marker description sheets shall be similar in form to specimens SP12- 1 to SP12- 3.
  4. Provide in the legend of the field notes:
    1. the projection system used, and if applicable, the zone, the central meridian and the datum. If desired the amount of convergence from a control survey marker central to the survey to the central meridian may be shown; and
    2. the source of coordinates used for the survey including the date of the coordinate information and the marker names or numbers.
  5. Show in the diagram of the field notes or in a table:
    1. distances from survey marker to survey marker (i. e. slope distance corrected for the height of the instrument and height of the target). In order to avoid mistaking slope distances for horizontal distances should be put in a table with a heading stating that they are slope distances from survey marker to survey marker;
    2. the elevation of each survey marker (the relative difference in elevation between survey markers must be to an accuracy sufficient to meet the accuracy requirements of the survey when used to reduce slope distances to the horizontal);
    3. observed azimuths;
    4. measured angles;
    5. found and placed control survey markers including their identification numbers; and
    6. for control surveys where GPS measurements are used, show GPS coordinate differences in lieu of distances and angles, and show observed base lines.
  6. Show on the field notes or on survey marker description sheets:
    1. found and placed control survey markers including their identification numbers, a description of marker type, markings, and ties to permanent features and reference posts; and
    2. measurements to monuments or other control survey markers tied in during the survey.
  7. If requested in the specific survey instructions, show distances reduced to the horizontal at general ground level. If they are shown provide in the legend:
    1. statement that they have been reduced to the horizontal at general ground level;
    2. the combined conversion factor (product of elevation factor and projection scale factor); and
    3. the datum plane used for vertical and/ or horizontal control.
  8. Show topographic, legal survey fabric, or other features and/ or a key plan as necessary to locate the control survey.
  9. Coordinates and/ or elevations of all found survey markers used for the survey shall be tabulated in the field notes of control survey.
  10. Field notes of control surveys shall include the affidavit or affirmation for field notes used for official surveys (see Chapter D1, paragraph 98).

Returns

  1. The returns of a control survey shall include:
    1. the field notes of the control survey;
    2. a report which, in addition to the requirements for reports in Chapter D15, includes:
      1. an analysis of the stability of found control survey markers;
      2. a list of the instruments used including make, model, and serial numbers, and the measurements they were used for;
      3. information used to calculate coordinates including coordinates of found survey markers, observations, and assigned weights;
      4. a paper copy of the adjustment output showing residuals, statistical accuracy, and calculated coordinates;
      5. a table showing the coordinates of all relevant control survey markers and monuments found or established in the survey. They shall be expressed in the system used in the province or territory in which the control survey is located; and
      6. a detailed report on the system and method of operation used, giving sufficient information to demonstrate the accuracy of the derived positions;
    3. a copy of the field records;
    4. copies of all control survey marker description sheets for existing markers used in the survey;
    5. observations in a digital form acceptable to the Surveyor General Branch;
    6. if requested, pin-pricked aerial photographs;
    7. if requested, 35 mm photographs of control survey markers which include the surrounding areas to aid in locating the markers in the future;
    8. if requested, survey marker description sheets for all new control survey markers; and
    9. if requested, calibration or standardization results for instruments or equipment.

Specimen Plans

Note

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