Communication is one of the main problems,
as the surveyors are often camped in a remote
area perhaps several hundred miles from their
head office, and the most common form of
communication is FM radio transmitters.
Apart from this obvious disadvantage a sur
veyor has to be able to solve any survey pro
blem and does calculations in the field with
logarithm tables or calculation machine. He
will not normally be alone as field parties
usually comprise several survey teams. But
he will be responsible for the maintenance of
his means of transport, and with such vast
distances involved a knowledge of engines is
almost a prerequisite of the job! Theodolites
or levels out of adjustment must be adjusted
there and then in the middle of the bush.
The surveyor will work an average of forty-
eight hours in the field and spend a number
of extra hours reducing fieldbooks. He will
probably become quite a skilled cook with
constant practice, and as there is very little
social life out in the bush he learns to live
with himself and become self-sufficient. Nor
mally the surveyor returns to town every six
weeks for relaxation and to re-stock with
food, collect his mail and bring in the field-
books. Living „on the job" with no distrac
tions means that his productivity is enorm
ously high compared with a similar surveyor
in Holland, although his work is basically
very simple. Apart from landsurveying work
is mainly setting out new roads or realign
ments of existing roads including all measure
ments for the purpose of quantity calculations,
photogrammetric work and it's ground control
for farming, irrigation, dams and townplan-
ning; conventional detail surveys are carried
out for the same projects; airport surveys for
increasing air traffic; contourplan surveys for
building projects, farms etc., mainly done by
ordinary theodolite, though Tachy theodo
lites are now being used; and setting out rail
way and powerlines in the rural areas. Once
again it must be emphasised that survey work
in Zambia is basically very simple and does not
pose great problems to the newcomer ad
justment to living conditions is often his major
concern and coming face to face with ele
phants, lions or snakes can take any newcomer
several months to get used to!
The British length system is used in Zambia,
the foot being divided into one hundred (no
inches or yards) and the three hundred and
sixty degree angle system. Discussions are
being held on the possibility of converting
from the foot to the meter, as happened in
Kenya last year, but it is not likely that any
change will take place for a number of years
to come.
Engineering surveyors have an important part
to play in Zambia's ambitious development
plans, and the majority of surveyors who come
out here face the challenge happily and suc
cessfully.
Te koop gevraagd
voor instructie
a. Alle instrumenten, die zijn gebruikt
bij het landmeten;
b. Brunsviga handrekenmachine.
Plein 1940-1945 10, Dordrecht
Telefoon (01850) 314 53.
227
Discussions about work while having a refreshment.
In the meantime one surveyor does some calculations
of a curve.
