Customer Reviews

Surveying Principles for Civil Engineers

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If you actually work through this material enough to figure things out (as I did to help an engineer preparing for the PE exam), you'll learn lots of good stuff. The content usually seems right on target, and the practice questions are often very relevant.

However, some sections of the book do not create the appearance that the author (or editor or proofreader) really understood the material. There are also many forward references, i.e. use of terms defined later in the text.

For example, chapter 12 is particularly sloppy - besides containing several serious errors even in simpler material, the more complex examples do not contain enough information to solve without (unstated) outside references. The chapter introduces lots of stuff it fails to cover adequately, and then only the simpler stuff is actually representative of the California PE. In addition, an out-of context section on map reading is randomly inserted into different material. Some other content is duplicated, suggesting a chapter built by committee and without adequate final editing.

All criticism aside, this is still a good, concise preparatory tool for the surveying exam.

This book and the accompanying "120 Solved Surveying Problems" and "Civil Surveying Sample Exams," did not cover all topics on the CA survey exam, and did not even cross reference each other well. It was poorly written, very poorly organized, and this book and practice problems and sample exams were all were full of mathematical errors.

About the only good thing about the book was its chapters on angle measurements and traverses. Though it didn't explain how to set up the computations, you could figure it out from the figures. The one main deficiency in the traverse chapter what that it corrected a traverse in an example problem without saying how, then explained in detail in a following sections how to do it. A little backwards.

This book needs serious clarification of the photogrammetry and public lands system chapters, and should include information on vertical datums, earth curvature, refraction and other tape corrections, and survey equipment. The California Coordinate chapter was very unclear, you can download better information off the CalTrans website, along with standard survey staking guidelines. I was never sure of the purpose of the astronomical observations chapter.

I felt like I was able to pass the exam, but it was more from my work experience than these books. The sample exams did reflect the test, but the number of errors in the answers were astounding. I recommend getting a basic survey book, and using Lindburg's Civil Engineer's Reference Manual for horizontal and vertical geometries, as well as the other survey and earthwork information it contains.

Totally inadequate for the California Surveying examination. The 3 chapters in Civil Engineering Reference Manual by Lindeburg covers more surveying than this entire book. A real surveying book or review course is required. This book is a rip-off.

This book isn't bad for a reference if you have others, but don't study only from this reference. Topics such as spiral curves, grade staking, and several others are NOT covered NEARLY to the extent necessary to prepare you for the surveying portion of the exam (although I passed because I also used a binder somebody loaned me containing their notes from a review class)...Start here, maybe, but don't stop here.

I'm completely disappointed with the book. Everything is so superficial and at times not very well explained. The example problems also do not contain a detailed step-by-step solution, which at times can be very frustrating. The book lacks dedication and hard work from the author and appeals more like a "get rich quick" scheme type of work.

I used this book as well as it's companion "practice exam" as a study guide for the California Special Surveying Exam and was SOARLY disappointed by how useless it was. The level of difficulty of the actual exam far surpasses ANY information this book provides or prepares you for. If you have NEVER taken a surveying class in your life, this book is good for introducing you to the subject but should be followed up with a practical surveying reference. It has no index and proves completely useless as a reference to use during the exam. Don't be misled by it's being marketed as a review for the exam because it is NOT.

This is a REVIEW book; it does not cover all the topics in enough depth to educate someone who is not familiar with surveying. I agree with most of the other reviewers that state it will not adequately prepare you for the exam. I was most disappointed with the overall quality of the book. I found numerous minor errors and a few things that are just plain wrong. Likewise the companion "Practice Exam" is a joke. The questions are too easy and too many are focused on definitions and regulations, not calculations and problem solving. That said there isn't anything else currently on the market for a similar price. So if you want to save the money of a review course and try studying on your own, go for it.

This book is not the ultimate reference for the preperation for the California section of the PE exam. Study material provided by other sources like "PES" from Freson California, have served me better since I am not in the practice of Engineering Survey. I have no doubt that the author is a professional, yet the delivery is some how complicated for some of the topics, specially the DMD, and error of closure.The coverage of the Engineer's Act and Surveyors Act are also limited compared to other resources. Inclduing "Como",I have obtained study material from 4 reputable sources, but this reference was not the one that I had to depend on taking the state test. This is my personal input.

Don't believe the old reviews previously posted. They are for the old version. This resource is perfect for the CA PE Surveying exam. I was surprised at how closely the problems matched up. The California Acts and things like that were key, as there is limited resources to find that information. Obviously, not all the information in this book was useful, but the horizontal, vertical curves, leveling, photogrammetry, and parcel map sections were clutch. I would recommend that anyone taking this test buy it. Work through it and feel confident for the test.

Having recently taken the PE, I found this to be quite a useful reference for the principles of surveying (together with the surveying textbook by Kavanagh). The major topics are covered in this text, and as long as the test taker using other reference materials to go more in depth, there should be no problem. However, I could have been lucky this time around and your mileage may vary (most of my colleagues have had problems with the surveying portion of the PE).

Word of warning for future PE exam takers: NCEES and the state board do not allow loose or stapled sheets during the exam, and during the October 2007 exam, this book (and other similar reference materials) was disallowed as it is stapled. People who had inserted it into 3-ring binders didn't have a problem.