Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Students will learn through outdoor labs the use of level/transits and laser levels to a degree suitable for landscape measurements. Drafting experience or coursework is helpful, but not required.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Understand the concepts of accuracy and precision and how to apply them to a given project’s requirements.
• Accurately use surveying equipment to obtain horizontal and vertical measurements to understand the slope of a site and draft a topographical map.
• Use computation to measure, record and interpret site information to draft a site plan for use in design and/or construction of the landscape.
• Read and interpret grading plans, using concepts of cut and fill to set grade stakes in the field.
   

The Instructor prepares hands-on labs before class (e.g. find sites, organize equipment, prep site). During the lab period, the Instructor teaches landscape measurement and surveying techniques skills through active demonstrations in real time. Students then carry out surveying lab work with the Instructor's guidance and receive verbal feedback as they work. Students map and record the development of the project (written and with photographs). Students draft maps on the projects detailing site specifications and limitations and offer analysis of the site with respect to the project design program. Plans and associated analysis are submitted and the Instructor evaluates the work outside of class time - providing a score and feedback on technical accuracy, completeness and professionalism.

• Written mid-term and final exams.
• Performance competencies
• Landscape Site Plan

• Land Division Systems
• Topographic Maps
• Measurement Units
• Surveying Geometry
• Surveying Trigonometry
• Surveying Equipment
• Measuring Horizontal Distances
• Measuring Vertical Difference
• Calculate Slope and Set Grade Stakes
• Measuring Horizontal Angles and Property Lines
• Types of Surveys
• Landscape Grading Plans; Cut and Fill
• Landscape Site Plans and Site Analyses
• GIS/GPS