We can classify survey on the basis of curvature of earth, nature of field, purpose of survey and instrument used.
The various classification of survey are as follows:
I. On the basis of curvature of earth
a. Plane Survey
- Curvature of earth is ignored.
- If survey area is less than 260 km2.
b. Geodetic survey
- Curvature of earth is considered.
- If survey area is greater than 260 km2.
| Plain Surveying | Geodetic Surveying |
|---|---|
| The surface of the earth is considered as a plane | The surface of the earth is considered as a curve |
| The curvature of the earth is ignored | The curvature of the earth is taken into account |
| The line joining any two stations is considered as a straight line | The line joining any two stations is considered as an arc |
| The triangle formed by any three points is considered as a plane triangle | The triangle formed by any three points is considered as a spherical triangle |
| The angles of the triangle are considered as plane angles | The angles of the triangle are considered as spherical angles |
| It is suitable for survey of small area (< 260 km²) | It is suitable for survey of large area (> 260 km²) |
II. On the basis of nature of field
a. Land survey
- Survey carried on the land surface
- Further classified into topographical survey, cadastral survey and city survey
b. Hydrographic survey
- Survey carried out for study of large water bodies
c. Astronomical survey
- Survey carried out for study of bodies to determine location and direction of any line on the earth surface
III. On the basis of purpose of survey
- Engineering survey
- Reconnaissance survey
- Preliminary survey
- Location survey
- Military survey
- Mine survey
- Geological survey
- Archeological survey
IV. On the basis of instrument used
- Chain survey
- Compass survey
- Plain table survey
- Levelling
- Theodolite survey
- Tacheometric survey
- Triangulation survey
- Aerial survey
- Photogrammetric survey