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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Surveying and Setting Out

Benchmark

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˈbentʃmɑːrk/nounCommon term

In civil engineering & construction, benchmark means: A fixed point on or near the site whose height is accurately known and which is used as the reference for measuring all other levels.

In Turkish: röper, röper noktası, sabit nokta

How it is used

A temporary benchmark (TBM), usually a steel pin set in concrete, is established for the project and protected from damage. Levels are taken or transferred from the benchmark.

Example sentences

  1. All levels on this site are taken from the benchmark by the gate.

  2. A truck knocked out the temporary benchmark, so we need a new one checked.

Common collocations

  • temporary benchmark
  • benchmark level
  • establish a benchmark
  • check against the benchmark
  • levelThe height of a point above a fixed reference, such as a site benchmark or sea level. It is also the name of the instrument surveyors use to measure heights.
  • datumA reference level or surface from which heights or positions are measured, such as mean sea level or a chosen site datum of 100.000 m.
  • surveyThe work of measuring and recording the position, height and shape of land, buildings or other features, or the report and drawings that result from it.
  • total stationAn electronic surveying instrument that measures horizontal and vertical angles and distances, then calculates the coordinates of points.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Surveying and Setting Out

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