Question 1

In civil and surveying practice, which specific drawing or mapped document is created to show property lines, lot boundaries, dimensions, and related information used to calculate areas and locate building projects and facilities?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Land development, permitting, and construction layout rely on accurate legal and geometric descriptions of parcels. The drawing that formally records lot divisions, boundaries, easements, and related survey data is foundational to planning and design. Given Data / Assumptions: We need a mapped document that shows property lines and supports area calculations. The drawing must help locate building projects and facilities with respect to legal boundaries. We distinguish among traverse notes, contours, general city maps, and plats. Concept / Approach: A plat (or plat map) is a legal map drawn to scale that documents subdivisions, lot lines, public ways, easements, and other boundary information. Plats are recorded to establish ownership delineation and form the basis for calculating lot areas and siting structures within setbacks and zoning constraints. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the need: legal boundary representation and area computation.Recognize that plats, not general-purpose maps, carry this legal boundary detail.Note that plat maps are used during design to position buildings, utilities, and improvements correctly.Select “Plat” as the correct choice. Verification / Alternative check: Surveying practice distinguishes field traverse data (measurements and bearings) from the finalized recorded plat. Contour or city maps lack the legal precision for property lines required for permitting and deeds. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Traverse: refers to a sequence of measured lines used during surveying; it is raw or intermediate data, not the finalized legal map. Contour: shows equal elevations, useful for grading but not for legal property delineation. City map: gives broad geographic context but typically does not establish legal parcel boundaries. Common Pitfalls: Confusing topographic maps with plats. While both are to scale, only the plat establishes legal boundary descriptions needed for deeds and permits. Final Answer: Plat

Question 2

On a topographic or engineering map, what do the drawn lines that connect points of equal ground elevation represent? Choose the correct term for these elevation-reference lines shown in plan view.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Site design, drainage analysis, and grading plans depend on understanding ground shape. Maps use specific linework to express how elevation changes across the landscape in plan view, enabling quick visualization of slopes, ridges, and depressions. Given Data / Assumptions: We are viewing a plan (overhead) map. Lines connect points that share the same elevation value. We must name those lines correctly. Concept / Approach: Contour lines (or contours) are continuous lines on a map joining locations of equal elevation relative to a datum. Evenly spaced contours indicate uniform slopes; closely spaced ones indicate steep terrain; widely spaced ones indicate gentle slopes. Index contours are labeled to help read elevations quickly. Step-by-Step Solution: Recognize the definition: lines of equal elevation.Match to the standard cartographic term: “contours.”Use contour intervals (e.g., 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m) to compute grade and cut/fill.Conclude that the correct answer is “Contours.” Verification / Alternative check: Civil engineering references emphasize contours for preliminary design, earthwork estimation, and hydrologic analysis. Profiles and cross-sections are derived from contours to study elevation changes along a path. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Elevations: scalar values at single points, not the lines connecting equal values. Profiles: vertical sections along a chosen baseline (e.g., road centerline), not plan-view elevation lines. Hatchures: unrelated term here; hachures are an older shading method to represent relief, not equal-elevation lines. Common Pitfalls: Misreading closed contour loops that indicate hills (higher inside) or depressions (lower inside, sometimes marked with ticks). Always check labeled index contours. Final Answer: Contours

Question 3

Which category of maps is specifically used for planning the installation and arrangement of trees, shrubs, walkways, drives, and other garden or site-amenity features? Identify the most appropriate mapping type for landscape layout.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Site development involves multiple disciplines. While civil engineers focus on grading, drainage, and utilities, landscape designers plan living and hardscape elements such as planting beds, trees, pavements, and site furnishings. The correct map type communicates these features clearly to contractors and clients. Given Data / Assumptions: The question targets trees, shrubbery, drives, and garden features. We must select the map type that typically contains planting schedules, surface materials, and layout details for site amenities. Other map types (engineering, topographic, cadastral) serve different primary purposes. Concept / Approach: Landscape maps (often part of a broader landscape plan set) depict planting zones, species, sizes, spacing, and hardscape elements. They may be overlaid on topographic base drawings to ensure the design fits site grades and constraints but are distinct in purpose from cadastral (ownership) or purely engineering-focused plans. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the content focus: planting and amenity layout.Match this to “Landscape maps,” which present exactly these features.Recognize that engineering and topographic maps may be used as bases but do not primarily specify plantings and garden features.Select “Landscape maps.” Verification / Alternative check: Typical landscape plan sets include planting plans, hardscape layout, lighting, and irrigation drawings—collectively considered landscape mapping of the site development. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Engineering maps: focus on utilities, structures, and civil works rather than planting specifics. Topographic maps: emphasize elevation contours and terrain form. Cadastral maps: record property and parcel boundaries, not planting layouts. Common Pitfalls: Assuming a topographic map by itself captures landscape design intent; it provides the base terrain but not the planting plan. Final Answer: Landscape maps

Question 4

What is the standard name for accurately drawn maps of cities or towns that show parcels, lot boundaries, and other features controlling property ownership and land tenure? Select the mapping category used for recording legal property lines.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Land administration relies on official records of who owns which piece of land. Maps that document parcel extents, rights, and easements are essential for taxation, conveyance, and planning. These maps must be accurate, standardized, and recognized by governing authorities. Given Data / Assumptions: The map shows property lines and ownership-related detail. We are dealing with city or town contexts. The goal is to identify the formal mapping type for property ownership control. Concept / Approach: Cadastral maps form the core of land tenure systems. They depict parcel boundaries, lot numbers, rights-of-way, and easements. While they may overlay or reference city base maps, their legal function distinguishes them from general-purpose city maps or topographic maps. Monuments and coordinates often underpin the cadastre for precise location control. Step-by-Step Solution: Focus on property ownership and legal boundaries.Recognize that “cadastre” refers to the register of property showing details of ownership and value.Identify such maps as “Cadastral maps.”Confirm they are used for deeds, taxation, and planning approvals. Verification / Alternative check: Planning and surveying standards define cadastral mapping as the official representation of land parcels and rights. City maps alone are not inherently legal ownership records, and topographic maps emphasize terrain, not tenure. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Monument maps: monuments are reference marks used in surveying; a “monument map” is not the standard term for ownership mapping. City maps: general cartography of streets and landmarks, not parcel ownership. Topographic maps: show elevation and terrain features, not legal boundaries as primary content. Common Pitfalls: Assuming any municipal map is cadastral. Only those prepared and maintained as part of the cadastre reflect legal parcel definitions. Final Answer: Cadastral maps

Question 5

In surveying and mapping, what term denotes vertical distances measured above a common datum, reference plane, or benchmark point? Choose the correct word used for the height value itself.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Projects in civil, architectural, and landscape design reference heights to a common datum so all participants use consistent vertical control. The term used for a point’s vertical distance above such a datum is fundamental vocabulary in plans and specifications. Given Data / Assumptions: A vertical distance is being measured. The reference is a common datum, such as mean sea level or a project benchmark. We must name the quantity itself, not the drawing type. Concept / Approach: An elevation is the vertical distance of a point above (or below) a specified reference plane or benchmark. Elevations allow designers to coordinate floor levels, road grades, drainage, and structural heights. They appear on topographic maps, profiles, sections, and plan callouts. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the quantity: vertical distance relative to a datum.Match this to the standard term: “elevation.”Recognize that elevations feed into contours, profiles, and grading computations.Select “Elevations.” Verification / Alternative check: Survey field books list elevations for control points, which are then used to generate contour maps and longitudinal profiles of roads, pipelines, or channels. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Plats: legal parcel maps, not height values. Traverse: a method of sequential surveying measurements, not a vertical value. Profiles: drawings showing elevation variation along a line, but not the scalar value name itself. Common Pitfalls: Confusing an “elevation view” (an orthographic exterior view in architecture) with the numerical elevation value. Context clarifies meaning. Final Answer: Elevations

Question 6

In land surveying, what do we call the special, durable installations—often of stone or concrete—that permanently mark the exact locations of control points determined by precise survey work? Select the standard term for these permanent reference po…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Boundary and control points must be recoverable years after a survey. To ensure permanence and legal reliability, surveyors set durable physical markers at key coordinates. Knowing the correct terminology for these installations is essential for interpreting plats and conducting resurvey work. Given Data / Assumptions: The installation is durable (stone, concrete, metal) and intended to be permanent. It marks a precisely determined location used for property or control. We require the standard surveying term for such markers. Concept / Approach: Survey monuments are permanent markers that identify specific survey points—corners, benchmarks, or control stations. They may include caps with identification, elevations, or coordinate data. Their permanence supports legal boundary retracement and geodetic control. Step-by-Step Solution: Recognize the purpose: to mark a precise survey point permanently.Match the description to the surveying term “monuments.”Understand that monuments underpin cadastral records and construction layout.Select “Monuments.” Verification / Alternative check: Standards and statutes in many jurisdictions define how monuments are set, described, and documented to maintain the cadastre and geodetic networks. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Topographic marks: not a standard term; topographic mapping uses benchmarks and spot elevations, but the generic “marks” is imprecise. Hatchures: refers to drawing shading lines, not survey markers. Pillars: a physical structure type, but not the surveying term; some geodetic stations use pillars, yet the correct generic term remains “monument.” Common Pitfalls: Assuming any stake is a monument. Temporary stakes guide construction but lack the permanence and legal status of a monument. Final Answer: Monuments

Question 7

A contour interval is the horizontal distance between horizontal planes passing through successive contours.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 8

Engineering maps are typically made for special projects as an aid to locations and construction.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 9

Nautical maps and charts show prominent landmarks used for air navigators.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 10

An elevation drawing consists of a series of intersecting straight lines of accurately measured lengths.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 11

On a single contour line, all points have the same elevation.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 12

Topography is the science or art of map making.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 13

Commonly, elevations are referenced to mean sea level.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 14

A plat typically shows elevations.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 15

Differential leveling is the process of using a level and a telescope to determine differences in elevation.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 16

The bearing of a line is its angle from magnetic south.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 17

Hatchures are short, parallel, or slightly divergent lines drawn in the direction of a slope.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 18

Before highway construction begins, it is usually necessary to plan the horizontal and vertical location and alignments.

Accepted Answer

True

Question 19

Monuments marking surveying points are typically not intended to be permanent.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 20

A plat is a map of a small area that is plotted from a land survey.

Accepted Answer

True

Landform Drawings Questions