CE 20300 – Principles and Practice of Geomatics

Credits and contact hours:

  • 4 credits
  • Lecture meets 3 times per week for 50 minutes per meeting for 15 weeks; Lab meets 1 time per week for 3 hours for field work, instrument work, etc.

Specific course information:

  • Catalog description: This course provides a broad overview of geomatics engineering including fundamental principles required for practical geomatics applications. The course includes subjects in traditional surveying, GPS surveying, remote sensing, photogrammetry, laser scanning, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Basic concepts on these subjects are applied to solve practical problems in various civil engineering applications; including computations for engineering project control and construction layout; theory of error propagation; fundamental concepts of horizontal and vertical curves; topographic mapping using various geospatial data acquisition technologies from ground, air and space; GIS for visualization and analysis of geospatial data.
  • Prerequisites: CGT 16400 (minimum grade C-) may be taken concurrently
  • Course status: Required course

Specific Goals for the course:

  • Student learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course the student shall be able to:
    • Design and execute a leveling survey
    • Design and execute a traverse survey
    • Use surveing data to produce a topographic map
    • Perform horizontal and vertical curve computations
    • Collect GPS/RTK/RTN data with survey grade accuracy
    • Perform remote sensing image classification
    • Measure digital photographs and perform camera calibration
    • Use software to generate 3D point cloud from digital imagery
    • Perform multi-image bundle block adjustment
    • Manipulate 3D point cloud data from a laser scanner, and extract engineering parameters
    • Select appropriate geodetic references and map projections for geomatics applications
    • Collect and register geospatial data from multiple sources for engineering applications
    • Map and visualize collected geospatial data
  • Relationship of course to program outcomes:
    • Outcome 1: An ability to formulate and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
    • Outcome 2: An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
    • Outcome 3: An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgements, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
    • Outcome 4: An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgement to draw conclusions.
    • Outcome 5: An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Topics:

  • LEVELING: use of a leveling instrument to extend vertical control
  • TRAVERSE: use of a total station to extend horizontal control
  • TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING: use of a total station to collect field data, and data import into modern CAD tools to produce a large scale topographic map
  • ROADWAY ALIGNMENTS: design and compute elements of horizontal and vertical curves, in context of terrain and engineering requirements
  • GPS/RTK/RTN: use of GPS in real time kinematic mode, in a real time network to produce point coordinates with survey grade accuracy
  • REMOTE SENSING: understand how to utilize remote sensing imagery for use in engineering applications
  • PHOTOGRAMMETRY: understand sensing, calibration, and image measurements as needed for block adjustment, and 3D scene reconstruction
  • LASER SCANNING: understand the concept of 3D point cloud generation via laser scanning, as merging/registration, and extraction of engineering parameters
  • GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS): understand reference coordinate systems and GIS data types, attributes, and geospatial analysis