Few things on the go here:
Does setting all xrefs to "relative path" negate the need to bind them when etransmiting?
Relative path is the best setting and should help when transferring files, we use this as our default.
If I have a survey database, does this come along with etransmit?
I don't believe it does.
Is there any good reference for proper transmittal protocol?
Not from Autodesk, this is something that varies by project complexity and company protocol. Some design information never leaves the house with some tasks (I've never seen a land development project get shipped to the client afterwards, might become more common, but not locally). It's more common to not send clients Civil 3D design files than you think, there is just so much going on now days. Focus on the clear outputs and deliverables and get away from dumping "everything" across the line, especially if they don't have a certified Civil 3D person to work with it.
My Preference: The idea behind promoting everything into one file before sending makes ZERO sense. It's basically an old school way of thinking if you ask me. The reason for Xrefs, Datashortcuts, and survey databases is to try and get alot of that information in separate areas to avoid 1 file becoming bloated and unable to work efficiently. It's like saying here take this file it's a combination of many production based files, setting, and workflows, but I felt it was best to mash them all together and toss it your way... In fact, it may not work properly and you'll likely spend all day opening the file and getting things to work, but here you go. (Just kidding, but you get my point). Etransmit In my eyes helps package everything up but doesn't handle datashortcuts and survey databases really well.
... Furthermore the goal should be to send a zipped folder of everything you have to the client. If they need to relink datashortcuts, survey databases, and xref file paths, they should have knowledge on how to do that properly. If there is a need to spoon feed them, I would suggest you keep the file folder structure and all pertaining files in 1 folder main root folder, with related subfolders. Then you'll be very well prepared to package up everything you need. This can be easier said than done, but project workflows and ensuring all related files are in all included within the main "Design" folder would be a great start. If this is the case, you should be able to take all of it to your C drive after the main ZIP is created and go off line from the network. Repath to C drive location and everything should work as intended. - You may want to package those files that are all reset to C:\Design file paths and essentially instruct the client to save to C:\ to avoid repathing all information. There's lots of moving parts on this one, alot has to do with how skilled your client is with Civil 3D. I hope this helps.
