THE EDUCATION AND PRACTICE OF THE GEODETIC SURVEYOR IN WESTERN EUROPE
Comité de Liaison des Géomètres Européens / The European Council of Geodetic Surveyors
APPENDIX D10 - Portugal

(Population 10 million)
( Refs. A10, B10, C10 )
Section Contents
10.1   FIG member organisation
10.2   Other related organisations
10.3   Relevant Factors
10.4   University Education
10.5   Engineer and Technician Schools
10.6   Professional Practice
10.7   Publications
10.8   Acknowledgements
10.9   References
10.10   Useful addresses



10.1   Fig member-organisation

The Associaçao Nacional de Topográfos (ANT) was formed in 1991.


10.2  Other related organisations

Portugal is represented in the IUGG and IAG by the National Scientific Committee.

There is also a private association of Engineers - the Ordem dos Engenheiros, which has a section for Geographical engineers, Engenheiros Geógrafos.

Construction surveyors belong to, Sindicato Empregados Tecnicos Assalariados da Construçao Civil e Obras Públicas (SETACCOP)


10.3  Relevant Factors

In addition to geodetic and topographic work, the government department, the Instituto Portugues de Cartografia e Cadastro (IPCC), is actively preparing orthophotomaps at a scale of l:2000 on which are marked the cadastral boundaries by field staff. By 1989 the organisation had completed about one third of the country from custom flown photography at l:l5 000 scale. The system is largely computerised, and contains land use information in addition to ownership. In 1989 some 60 agriculture graduate engineers were employed in this work.

The IPCC has a staff of ca 500 persons of whom about l50 are graduate Geographical Engineers (See A10), 60 Agricultural engineers, and 20 other graduates. The remainder are technicians of various grades trained at the in-house school, Escola de Formaçao e Aperfeiçoamento.

In 1989 there were 8 private surveying firms operating in the general area of development and construction, working for civil engineers and architects. They employ many civil servants on a part-time basis in the afternoons and at weekends.

The Servico Cartographico do Exercito (S. C. E.) (Army Map Service) of Lisbon, employs engineers and technicians in surveying, photogrammetry and cartography. The S.C.E. is responsible for the unique mapping of the country at a scale of 1;25 000, and for smaller scales.

The S.C.E. provides training for technicians who, after military service, work for private firms, the IPCC, or in the free market. Currently most technicians working in private firms were trained by the S.C.E.

The Instituto Hidrográfico is responsible for all hydrographic work.


10.4  University Education
(See A10, B10)

The five year education for the degree in Geographical Engineering is within the depts. of Applied Mathematics at the three Universities of Coimbra (the third oldest university in Europe), Lisboa and Porto.

The basic structure of these three courses is largely the same; three years of basic studies in Mathematics, Physics, Geology, Computations and Astronomy, followed by two years of specialised studies in Geodesy, Topography, Geodetic Astronomy, Photogrammetry and Cartography, and Advanced Mathematics.

The studies tend to be theoretical with less practical work than usual due to lack of equipment for the specialised topics. Lisboa and Coimbra has some analogue photogrammetric equipment, Porto having to suffice with visits to the IPCC in Lisbon.

Student members on these courses are quite small, ranging from an intake of ca 20 to a final year group of ca 8 per course. Most graduates are employed by the Government, although some enter the teaching profession to teach Maths and Physics. A few graduates receive specialist education abroad, mainly in European countries, in such topics as Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

The University education of Civil Engineers, has a surveying content in the third year of the five year study, usually consisting of 2 hours of lectures and 3 hours of practical per week for the two semesters. The University of Porto is adequately equipped for this purpose with the usual EDM and optical theodolites, stereoscopic and parallax bars.

Because of the pressure for University places, not all students are able to study the subject of their choice; they pay only nominal fees, and many still live at home. To enter the University students must pass year l2 of second education and the numbers and standards of entry to courses are restricted by a "numerus clausus" policy. Figure B10 reflects the highly specialised theoretical nature of the courses for Geographical Engineers.

Examinations are conducted on an informal basis by the professor conducting each course. There are usually written examinations at the end of each semester, with the opportunity to resit papers a limited number of times. Papers are awarded marks from 0-20, those gaining l5 or above are finally tested by an oral examination given by the professor.


10.5  Engineer and Technician Schools


In 1993 the Instituto Politécnico da Guarda began a three year course leading to a bachelor's degree for Technical Engineering in Measurements and Surveying "Engenharia Tecnica em Topografia" with a student intake at the 12th grade.

In 1995 two other similar courses are planned at the Instituto Politécnico de Beja and the Instituto Politécnico de Faro.

The former school of the Instituto Portugues de Cartografia e Cadastro, now the autonomous Escola Profissional der Cartografia e Cadastro, maintains technician course in
These three year courses have an entry at grade 9 of secondary school.

Courses in basic surveying, lasting nearly two years, are given at the Insituto Technico de Aperfeicoamento Acelerado (IATA).These deal with practical surveying, engineering surveying, and mining surveying.


10.6  Professional Practice
(See ref. C10)

Most Geographical Engineers are employed in the IPCC, although a few make their way into private practice or teaching. Since the IPCC makes the cadastral maps and records ownerships in land, there seems little scope as yet for private work in this field.

General land surveying for a variety of purposes - highways, railways, development, utilities-seems to be carried out by engineers and part time persons, often employed in the civil service. Professional work includes the following topics

Control surveys, cadastral work, civil engineering surveying, industrial surveying, building surveying, hydrographic work, cartography, mining and tunnel surveying, GIS related work, small planning works and archaeological surveys.


10.7  Publications

Revista do IPCC

Revista do Instituto Hidrographico,

Revista da Sociedade de Geografia,

Revista do Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil,

Revista Enenho (da Associacao dos Engenheiros Tenicos)

Revista do SCE.


10.8  Acknowledgements

The author is very grateful to the persons who assisted with the 1989 report, and to the following with this edition: Ana Morgado, and Joao José de Sousa Cruz.


10.9  References

(1) Geodetic Education in Europe - Szacherska/Welsch Munchen l985. 'Portugal' by J P Osorio.

(2) Escola de Formacao e aperfeicoamento - l988 IPCC school prospectus with an historical introduction.

(3) Plano de Estudos para l988/89 Licenciatura em Engenharia Geografica.

(4) Topografia 3o ano de Engenharia Civil. Surveying syllabus for the Porto University civil engineering course. Includes objectives, fundamentals, theory of errors, adjustment, measurement of angles and distances, levelling, tacheometry, calculations of surveys, astronomy, photogrammetry. Road surveys, designs and calculations from a major part of the highway engineering course additional to "topografia".

(5) Personal notes made by A L Allan during his visit in 1988, and discussions with Portuguese postgraduate students at UCL in 1995.


10.10  Useful addresses 

João José de Sousa Cruz
Rua 9 de Abril N°.2-2°
2700 Amadora

Universidade de Porto
Faculdade de Ciëncias
Departamento de Enghenaria Geográfica
Rua do Campo Alegre
4100 Porto

Instituto Português de Cartografia e Cadastro
Largo da Esrtrela
1200 Lisboa

Universidade de Coimbra
Faculdade de Ciëncias
Departamento de Enghenaria Geográfica
Largo Marques de Pombal
3000 Coimbra

Instituto Hidrográfico
Rua das Trinas 49
1200 Lisboa

Universidade Portucalense
Departamento de Enghenaria Geográfica
Rua do Paço No 3
4550 Penafiel

Instituto Geográfico do Exercito
Avenida Alfredo Bensúde
1800 Lisboa

Instituto Politécnico da Guarda
Departamento de Enghenaria Topográfia
Quinta do Zambito
6300 Guarda

Associaçåo Nacional de Topográfos
Avenida DR Jose Almeida 218 4° Esq
3510 Viseu

Instituto Politécnico de Beja
Escole Superior de Tecnologia e Gestao
Rua de S Antonio 1-A
7800 Beja

Sindicato Empregados Tecnicos Assalariados da Construção Civil e Obras Públicas (SETACCOP)
Rus de Alegria 134 4°Esq
1200 Lisboa

Instituto Politécnico de Faro
Escole Superior de Tecnologia
Estrada da Penha
8000 Faro

Sindicato dos Engenheiros Tecnicos .do Sul e Ilhas
Rua Jardim do Regedor
1100 Lisboa

Instituto de Aperteiçoamento Técnico Acelerado (IATA)
Praça Duque de Terceira 24-2°
1200 Lisboa

Universidade de Lisboa
Faculdade de Ciëncias
Departamento de Enghenaria Geográfica Edificio
C1 Campo Grande
Lisboa  Escola Profissional de Cartografia e Cadastro
Largo de Santos 14 2°
1200 Lisboa

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