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.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Elevations

Explanation:


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

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