Benchmark in Surveying | TBM in Surveying | Permanent Benchmark | GTS Benchmark | Arbitrary Benchmark

Lets talk about benchmark in surveying.

In the world of surveying, benchmarks are crucial for providing a reference point to measure the elevation of other points within a survey area. These points, fixed in place, are indispensable tools in various civil engineering projects and other applications requiring precise measurements.

Quick Summary

✅ Benchmarks in Surveying – Essential reference points used to measure elevations in survey areas.

✅ Types of Benchmarks:

• Temporary Bench Mark (TBM): Used temporarily during construction projects.
• GTS Benchmark: Permanent, established during the Great Trigonometrical Survey.
• Permanent Benchmark: Durable, installed by government agencies for long-term reference.
• Arbitrary Benchmark: Set up as needed when no official benchmarks are available.

✅ Importance: Ensures accuracy and consistency in surveying crucial for construction and engineering projects.

✅ Maintenance: Regular checks and updates are necessary to maintain the utility and accuracy of benchmarks.

What is a Benchmark in Surveying?

A benchmark in surveying refers to a permanent mark established at a known position and elevation. These points serve as the starting point or reference to ensure the survey is both accurate and consistent. Depending on the project’s requirements, different types of benchmarks are used.

Types of  Benchmark in Surveying

1. Temporary Bench Mark (TBM):

TBMs are set up temporarily for the duration of a project. These are particularly useful during the initial phases of construction and are often marked using stakes, pins, or other temporary markers.

2. Great Trigonometrical Survey Benchmark (GTS Benchmark):

Established during the Great Trigonometrical Survey, these are permanent benchmarks fixed by national survey organizations. GTS benchmarks are highly reliable due to their rigorous establishment process and longstanding stability.

3. Permanent Benchmark:

Often installed by government agencies, these benchmarks are meant to last and provide a long-term reference point for surveyors. They are usually made of durable materials like metal or concrete.

4. Arbitrary Benchmark:

When no official benchmarks are available, surveyors may set arbitrary benchmarks at convenient locations. Though less official, they are practical for small-scale or less critical projects.

These benchmarks serve as foundational reference points for all critical surveying activities.

100+ government heads of land survey institutes worldwide.

1. United States Geological Survey (USGS) – Oversees the Global Land Survey datasets, providing data sets created in collaboration with NASA. More information can be found at USGS Website.
2. Open Government Data Platform India – An initiative by the Government of India providing a platform for open data including land survey data. More information can be found at Open Government Data Platform India.
3. Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping – Offers educational programs in land surveying and produces qualified surveyors in Kenya. More information can be found at Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping.
4. Ordnance Survey of the United Kingdom – The national mapping agency of the UK, providing detailed geographical data across the country. More information can be found at Ordnance Survey Website.
5. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) – Responsible for geographic surveys in Brazil, focusing on both statistical and geographic data. More information can be found at IBGE Website.
6. Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre, and Cartography (Rosreestr) of Russia – Manages registration of rights to real estate and related transactions in Russia. More information can be found at Rosreestr Website.
7. Survey of India – The principal survey and mapping organization of India. It falls under the Department of Science & Technology. Visit their site for more information: Survey of India Website.
8. Geoscience Australia – Australia’s national agency for geospatial information. Learn more at Geoscience Australia Website.
9. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) – Manages land and seabed information in New Zealand. Details are available at LINZ Website.
10. Institut Géographique National (IGN) of France – Provides topographic mapping and geodetic services in France. Find out more at IGN Website.
11. Canadian Institute of Geomatics (CIG) – Represents geomatics professionals in Canada and is involved in advancing geospatial sciences. Learn more at Canadian Institute of Geomatics Website.
12. Dirección General de Catastro, Spain – Manages the Spanish cadastral data, providing accurate geographical data across Spain. For more details, visit Dirección General de Catastro Website.
13. Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG), Germany – The federal agency responsible for providing geographic information in Germany. Discover more at BKG Website.
14. Land Survey and Mapping Authority, South Africa (NGI) – The national geospatial information center responsible for topographic and cadastral surveys in South Africa. Visit their website for more information: NGI Website.
15. Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority – Manages land surveys, mapping, and land registration in Sweden. Details are available on their site: Lantmäteriet Website.
16. Agenzia delle Entrate, Italy (Catasto) – Manages the Italian cadastral and land registration systems. More information can be found at Agenzia delle Entrate Website.
17. National Land Survey of Finland – Provides mapping, cadastral, and geographic information services in Finland. More details at National Land Survey Website.
18. Kadaster, Netherlands – Manages cadastral registration and national mapping in the Netherlands. Discover more on their site: Kadaster Website.
19. Land and Survey Department, Malaysia – Responsible for land and survey services in Malaysia, ensuring proper land management and mapping. More information is available at Land and Survey Department Website.
20. General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, Turkey – Manages Turkey’s land records and provides related services. Learn more at General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre Website.
21. National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, Philippines – Oversees national mapping and geospatial information systems in the Philippines. More details at NAMRIA Website.
22. Directorate General of Land Affairs, Indonesia – Manages land registration and provides geospatial information services in Indonesia. Learn more at BPN Website.
23. State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography & Cadastre – Provides topographic, geodetic, and cadastral services in Ukraine. More information available on their site: State Geocadastre Website.
24. General Directorate for National Mapping, Argentina (IGN) – Responsible for the national mapping and cadastral data in Argentina. Visit IGN Argentina Website.
25. Directorate General of Geographic Information, Egypt – Manages geospatial and geographic information systems in Egypt. Further details at DGIS Website.
26. National Land Survey of Iceland – Provides mapping and geographic information services in Iceland. More information can be found at National Land Survey of Iceland Website.
27. Survey and Land Registration Bureau, Bahrain – Manages land survey and registration in Bahrain. Discover more at Survey and Land Registration Bureau Website.
28. National Land Survey Agency, Ethiopia – Provides land survey services to ensure effective land administration in Ethiopia. More details are available at Ethiopian Mapping Agency Website.
29. Geological Survey of Norway – Provides geological survey data and supports natural resource management in Norway. Learn more at Geological Survey of Norway Website.
30. Geological and Mining Institute of Portugal – Responsible for geological survey and mining regulation in Portugal. Further information can be found at LNEG Website.
31. Geographic Information Institute of Belgium – Manages topographic and cartographic information in Belgium. More information can be found on their website: NGI Belgium Website.
32. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo, Switzerland – Responsible for the country’s geodesy and national mapping. Learn more at swisstopo Website.
33. Survey Department, Nepal – Offers land surveying and mapping services in Nepal. More details are available at Survey Department Nepal Website.
34. Royal Thai Survey Department – Provides surveying and mapping services in Thailand. Find out more at Royal Thai Survey Department Website.
35. Land Information Authority of Singapore (SLA) – Manages the country’s land resource data and cadastral surveying. More information is available at SLA Website.
36. Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation (LX Korea) – Offers land survey, cadastral survey, and geospatial data services in South Korea. Discover more on their site: LX Korea Website.
37. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI), Mexico – Manages statistical and geographical information in Mexico. More details can be found at INEGI Website.
38. Surveyor General’s Office, Sri Lanka – Provides services related to surveying and mapping in Sri Lanka. Learn more at Survey Department Sri Lanka Website.
39. Department of Surveys, Malawi – Responsible for land surveys and mapping services in Malawi. Further information can be found at Department of Surveys Malawi Website.
40. General Directorate of Mapping, Saudi Arabia – Manages geospatial and mapping services in Saudi Arabia. More details at Saudi Mapping Agency Website.
41. Austrian Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (BEV) – Oversees the national geodetic and mapping activities in Austria. More information can be found at BEV Website.
42. Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) – Japan’s national institution responsible for collecting and providing geospatial data. More details at GSI Website.
43. National Land Commission, Bhutan – Manages land administration and survey services in Bhutan. Discover more at National Land Commission Website.
44. Directorate of National Mapping and Survey, Ecuador – Provides topographic and cadastral mapping services in Ecuador. Learn more at Ecuador Mapping Agency Website.
45. State Authority of Geodesy and Cartography of Mongolia – Oversees mapping and geodetic operations in Mongolia. More information available at Mongolian Geodesy and Cartography Website.
46. Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre – Manages land surveying and cadastral data in the Czech Republic. More details can be found at Czech Cadastre Website.
47. Instituto Geográfico Nacional de Honduras – Responsible for national mapping and geographic data management in Honduras. Further information at IGN Honduras Website.
48. Geodetic and Cartographic Institute Bratislava, Slovakia – Provides geodetic and cartographic services in Slovakia. Learn more at GKU Bratislava Website.
49. Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia – Offers comprehensive geodetic services in Slovenia. Visit Geodetic Authority Slovenia Website.
50. National Institute of Statistics and Geography, Peru (INEI) – Manages Peru’s national geographic and statistical services. More details at INEI Website.
51. National Institute of Statistics and Cartography (INDEC), Argentina – Manages national statistics and geospatial information. More details at INDEC Website.
52. Survey and Mapping Division, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana – Provides surveying and mapping services across Ghana. Learn more at Lands Commission Ghana Website.
53. General Command of Mapping, Turkey – Provides mapping, cartography, and geographic information systems services in Turkey. Discover more at General Command of Mapping Website.
54. National Directorate of Cadastral Information, Colombia – Manages cadastral data and land registration in Colombia. More information at IGAC Website.
55. Land Surveys and Physical Planning Department, Maldives – Oversees land surveying and urban planning in the Maldives. Further details at Ministry of National Planning Website.
56. State Geodetic Administration, Croatia – Manages land surveying, mapping, and geodetic activities in Croatia. More information can be found at SGA Croatia Website.
57. Iraqi General Commission for Survey – Offers surveying and mapping services in Iraq. More details can be found at Iraqi Survey Website.
58. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Censos, Costa Rica (INEC) – Responsible for national statistics and geographic information in Costa Rica. Learn more at INEC Website.
59. Department of Lands and Surveys, Cyprus – Provides land surveying, property valuation, and property registration services in Cyprus. Discover more on their site: DLS Cyprus Website.
60. National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics, Venezuela (INEGI) – Manages statistical, geographical, and informatics data in Venezuela. More information at INE Website.
61. Survey and Land Registration Bureau, Qatar – Manages cadastral and topographical data in Qatar. More details are available at SLRB Qatar Website.
62. Office of the Director of Land Records and Surveys, West Bengal, India – Manages land records and conducts surveys in West Bengal. Learn more at Land & Land Reforms and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Department Website.
63. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, Ecuador (INEC) – Oversees statistical and geographic information systems in Ecuador. Discover more at INEC Ecuador Website.
64. Geospatial Information and Technology Association, South Africa (GITA) – Supports the use of geospatial technology in South Africa. More information can be found at GITA Website.
65. Directorate of Geographic Information Systems, Kuwait – Provides GIS and mapping services in Kuwait. Further details at Kuwait GIS Website.
66. Department of Geography, National Land Survey, Guatemala – Manages land surveying and mapping services in Guatemala. More details can be found at Guatemalan Geography Department Website.
67. Survey Department, Ministry of Land Management, Cambodia – Manages land survey and cadastral services in Cambodia. Learn more at Ministry of Land Management Website.
68. National Survey Authority, Oman – Provides national mapping and geospatial information services in Oman. Discover more at National Survey Authority Website.
69. Survey and Land Records Department, Kerala, India – Manages land records and conducts surveys in Kerala. More information available at Kerala Land Records Website.
70. Geological Survey of India – Conducts geological surveys and provides related scientific services across India. Further details at Geological Survey of India Website.
71. Department of Survey and Land Information, New Zealand – Manages land information and survey services in New Zealand. More information can be found at Land Information New Zealand Website.
72. Bureau of Land Management, USA – Manages public lands and provides land surveys in the United States. Discover more at Bureau of Land Management Website.
73. Federal Directorate of Survey and Mapping, Pakistan – Provides geospatial and cadastral services across Pakistan. Learn more at Survey of Pakistan Website.
74. National Land Survey Division, Botswana – Manages cadastral surveys and land registration in Botswana. More details are available at Botswana Land Survey Website.
75. General Commission for Survey, Lebanon – Provides national mapping and survey services in Lebanon. Further information can be found at Lebanon GIS Website.
76. Danish Geodata Agency – Manages geospatial information and land survey data in Denmark. More information can be found at Danish Geodata Agency Website.
77. Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Survey, UAE – Provides land and maritime survey services in the United Arab Emirates. Discover more at UAE Survey Website.
78. Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Poland – Offers cartographic, geodetic, and photogrammetric services in Poland. Learn more at Polish Cartography Institute Website.
79. Surveying and Geomatics Center, Libya – Manages land surveying and geomatic services in Libya. More details at Libyan Geomatics Center Website.
80. Geospatial Information Management, Jamaica – Manages geospatial data and services in Jamaica. Further details can be found at Lands and Survey Department Jamaica Website.
81. State Land Service, Latvia – Provides land survey, cadastral, and cartographic services in Latvia. More information can be found at State Land Service Latvia Website.
82. State Office for Geodesy and Cartography, Lithuania – Manages land surveying and cartographic services in Lithuania. Discover more at Lithuanian Geodesy and Cartography Website.
83. National Land Survey of Greenland – Provides geospatial data and mapping services in Greenland. Learn more at Greenland Survey Website.
84. Department of Land Records, Mauritius – Manages land surveys and land records in Mauritius. More details are available at Mauritius Land Authority Website.
85. Survey and Land Information Department, Fiji – Provides land surveying and mapping services in Fiji. Further information can be found at Fiji Lands Website.
86. National Survey Authority, United Kingdom – Manages topographic data and mapping services in the UK. More information can be found at Ordnance Survey UK Website.
87. Geographic Institute of Guatemala – Provides geographic and geospatial information services in Guatemala. Discover more at Guatemalan Geographic Institute Website.
88. Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, Russia – Manages geodetic, cartographic, and cadastral activities in Russia. Learn more at Rosreestr Website.
89. Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography, Slovakia – Provides national mapping and cadastral services in Slovakia. More details are available at Geodesy and Cartography Slovakia Website.
90. National Institute of Cartography, Cameroon – Provides cartographic and geospatial information services in Cameroon. Further information can be found at National Institute of Cartography Cameroon Website.
91. National Geographic Institute of El Salvador – Manages geographic, cadastral, and land registration services in El Salvador. More information can be found at IGN El Salvador Website.
92. Department of Survey and Land Registration, Bahrain – Provides surveying and land registration services in Bahrain. Discover more at Survey and Land Registration Bureau Bahrain Website.
93. Geographic Information Institute of Nicaragua – Oversees national mapping and geographic data management in Nicaragua. Learn more at INETER Website.
94. State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography & Cadastre – Manages land surveying and cadastral services in Ukraine. More details at State GeoCadastre Ukraine Website.
95. Royal Directorate of Mapping, Morocco – Provides national mapping and geospatial data services in Morocco. Further information can be found at Royal Directorate of Mapping Morocco Website.
96. General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, Turkey – Manages land registry and cadastral services in Turkey. More information can be found at Turkish Land Registry Website.
97. Swedish National Land Survey (Lantmäteriet) – Manages cadastral, property registration, and mapping services in Sweden. Discover more at Lantmäteriet Website.
98. Norwegian Mapping Authority – Provides mapping, property registry, and geospatial information services in Norway. Learn more at Norwegian Mapping Authority Website.
99. National Cadastre and Mapping Agency S.A., Greece – Offers national mapping and cadastral services in Greece. More details are available at Hellenic Cadastre Website.
100. Finnish National Land Survey – Provides land surveying, mapping, and property registration services in Finland. Further information can be found at National Land Survey of Finland Website.

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