ENGINEERING SURVEYING, HEALTH AND SAFETY - 2021/2

Module code: ENG2105

Module Overview

Engineering Surveying

Introduce students to what they may encounter on an engineering construction site from a surveying perspective.  Provide an overview of coordinate systems (national and local), establishing control, setting out techniques, and road design.  Teach them about the various tools available to them.  The students will undertake practical exercises to familiarise themselves with the capabilities of standard surveying equipment.  They will also learn about state-of-the-art instruments in this rapidly evolving sector.

Health and Safety

To provide an explanation of UK/EU Health & Safety law, regulations, and the requirements of good health and safety practice in the management of engineering projects. The use of method statements to enable hazard identification will be introduced and application of risk assessment methods to remove, reduce, or mitigate associated risks outlined.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

BEHNEJAD Alireza (Civl Env Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 82

Seminar Hours: 6

Tutorial Hours: 8

Practical/Performance Hours: 16

Guided Learning: 14

Captured Content: 24

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Engineering Surveying


  • Scope and use of surveying in Civil Engineering to include an understanding of errors, accuracy and precision of measurements; how to measure angles, distances and heights and calculating coordinates.

  • Setting up control, linking to national and local grid systems.

  • Design and calculation of horizontal and vertical road alignments incorporating superelevation, circular and transition curves and associated setting out methods including intersection, resection and the use of GPS.  Areas and volumes in association with earthworks costing and detail surveying.

  • GPS and HDS capabilities.



Health and Safety


  • UK Health & Safety Law & EU Directives including: Health & Safety at Work Act (1974), Corporate Manslaughter, and the Corporate Homicide Act (2007), the Health & Safety Executive, and role of case law and implications for construction organisations.

  • Health & Safety Regulations including: Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (2015), Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (2013).

  • Management and administration of Health & Safety policies for construction organisations.

  • Method statements, hazard identification and risk assessment & management.


Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Coursework H&S ESSAY 20
Practical based assessment ADVANCED EXERCISE 20
Coursework SURVEYING COURSEWORK 40
Practical based assessment PRACTICAL TEST 20

Alternative Assessment

Individual essay for the advanced exercise and practical test.  

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of the module content in relation to both closed and open-ended problems. Assessment will be made against (FHEQ Level 5) University Grade Descriptors.

Summative assessment and feedback:

The summative assessment of the module is founded on 4 Units of Assessment:

UoA 1: Health & Safety coursework. [Learning outcomes 5 and 6]

UoA 2: Advanced exercise. [Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3]

UoA 3: Surveying coursework. [Learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4]

UoA 4: Practical test. [Learning outcomes 1]

Module aims

  • Proficiency in use of standard surveying instruments, associated booking techniques and calculations.
  • Introduction to control requirements for a Civil Engineering contract and how to achieve them using national and local coordinate systems.
  • Provide strategies for setting out structures and roads including preparation of setting out data and earthworks costings and the ability to undertake mapping.
  • An introduction to GPS and HDS (High Definition Surveying) and their use in construction.
  • An understanding of UK Health & Safety law and regulations, and the requirements of good health and safety practice in the management of civil engineering projects and associated works.
  • An appreciation of risk assessment and management through method statements, hazard identification and methods by which associated risks can be removed, reduced or mitigated.

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
001 Be able to use contemporary surveying equipment in the field to take appropriate measurements and know how to book and reduce those measurements (total stations, automatic levels). KCPT
002 To develop an understanding of the practicalities of field surveying including the importance of establishing control for engineering works - both horizontal and vertical. KPT
003 To understand how setting out and mapping are carried out. Setting out should be for building and road design and to include area and volume calculations for earthworks costing. KCPT
004 Understand how GPS works and the principles behind HDS (High Definition Surveying). KC
005 Describe the framework underpinning UK Health & Safety law and regulations (including the role and responsibilities of the Health and Safety Executive) and critically discuss and appraise the implications of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (2015) including the roles and activities of the various parties and required Health & Safety communication documentation. KCT
006 Prepare a simple method statement for an engineering activity, such as surveying or groundworks, to identify the key hazards and, using a suitable risk assessment approach, propose methods by which any associated risks might be removed, reduced or mitigated. CPT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy for the module is designed to provide FHEQ Level 5 students with an exposure to, and an appreciation of, the principles and application of Engineering Surveying theory and practice, and the legal and regulatory Health & Safety practice required when undertaking engineering activities and projects.

The learning and teaching methods include:


  1. Lectures and supporting learning material to provide a firm understanding of the relevant theory and background knowledge needed by a Civil Engineer required to undertake engineering activities, such as surveying, and projects under the supervision of a qualified person or organisation.

  2. Seminars and tutorials to provide students with the opportunity to review and expand their knowledge and understanding of the learning material through both peer-to-peer working and independent study.

  3. Practical sessions where the application of knowledge is applied to solving a real problem that requires the hands-on use of appropriate equipment working both individually and in groups.

  4. Coursework will be used to provide students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the taught material and apply it to the solution of both closed and open-ended problems.


Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENG2105

Other information

N/A

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
Civil Engineering BEng (Hons) 2 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module
Civil Engineering MEng 2 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.