FIELD DATA COLLECTION
PURPOSE OF FIELD NOTES
Field notes are the record of work done in the field. They consist of lengths,
angles, areas, sketches, descriptions, and other data. They may be taken
by hand, or can be computer-generated.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD FIELD NOTES
PERMANENT RECORDS
Surveying field notes, whether in books or on electronic data recorders,
are the only permanent record of work done in the field.
TIME
If they are lost, incorrect, damaged or incomplete, much of the time
and money invested in making accurate records has been wasted!
MONEY
Field books contain data which has been collected over weeks or months.
The cost of collecting this data can range in the thousand of dollars.
LITIGATION
Property surveys are subject to court review. The status of the field
book can be a very important factor in litigation.
EFFICIENCY
The information in the field book is used by office personnel to make
drawings or calculations. Complete and correct notes are essential.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR GOOD NOTES
ACCURACY
By far the most important aspect of field notes.
INTEGRITY - (Complete)
If the field crew fails to collect all important data, costly delays
can occur in the office.
LEGIBILITY
Major errors can occur if your notes can't be easily read.
ARRANGEMENT
Following a standard note format, save time and money when trying to
follow notes.
CLARITY
A well planned survey with clear special notations and sketches will
greatly add to the understanding of the survey.
TYPES OF NOTES
TABULATIONS
Table of data, for differential leveling or profile leveling, taping
or traverse data, etc.
DESCRIPTIONS
Information about area, benchmarks, turning points, weather, survey
party, etc.
DIAGRAMS
sketch of the area, noting landmarks, roads and buildings, benchmarks,
angles, and distances
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT NOTES
Always give the project name, location, and date.
You can document and correlate surveys by time.
Indicate the weather conditions.
Weather can point out errors made by the survey party, and errors due
to poor visibility or high reflection, expansion by heat, or high wind.
Temperature.
Wind direction.
Wind speed.
Atmosphere.
List the members of the crew on the survey and their duties.
Party members are listed for documentation and future reference.
Note the instruments used, their model and serial number.
The instrument number is listed for documentation and to note accuracy,
and for future reference if instrument errors are later discovered.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT NOTES
Use the Reinhardt system of lettering.
Reinhardt lettering is used in drafting and engineering lettering,
and is used for clarity and simplicity.
Avoid crowding - Paper is cheap.
Field books are assumed to be original. If a copy is made, the copy
must be so marked, and is not admissible in court. Original notes are those
taken in field with measurements.
Put down what you read, do not selectively edit data in the field.
Do not do calculations in your head, write them out for future reference.
Write all notes in notebook, not on other paper for later transfer.
NEVER erase recorded data on the data page.
Erasures look like improper modifications have been made. If an error
occurs, draw a single line through the improper part while allowing it
to remain legible. VOID large areas if needed.
There is less of a problem with erasures on the description, calculation,
and sketch pages.
Check your data for correctness before you leave the field.
It is much easier to correct mistakes while at the site.
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