CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY

Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

CE 31.1
Fundamentals of Surveying
Laboratory

Name: Roselle Soliva

Section Code/Schedule: BSCE-2A WF 10:00AM-1:00PM
Instructor: Engr. Mark Bryan T. Alivio
Date Conducted: August 14, 2019
Date Submitted: August 23, 2019

Laboratory Exercise No. 1

PACING
(Determination of Pace Factor)

I. Introduction
In surveying, pacing is one of the basic terms a surveyor must know. Knowing pace factor is very
useful in the field of engineering specifically in civil engineering. One can measure a distance or a pace factor
without using an instrument. How? It is by using the pace factor.
Pacing is the simplest and easiest method for measuring distance. It is the process of walking the
distance and counting the number of steps or "paces" to cover the distance. The distance is determined by
multiplying the number of steps taken by two points by one's pace factor (progressivegardening.com, 2019).
The pace factor is determined by getting the product of the sum of steps by the known value of the
line or course. From getting the pace factor by pace, you can use your own pace factor to measure a line or
a course. To determine the distance of the course to be measured, it is getting the product of one's pace
factor to the sum of the steps or the pacing of the course or line (Abuel, 2015).
 Different people have their own pace factor. The aforementioned terms are significant especially
when one is taking an engineering course for they can use it in their field works. Thus, the civil engineering
students conducted this activity to serve as a background as they go through their journey to become a
licensed civil engineer.

II. Objectives

1. To determine individual pace factor.

2. To measure unknown distance by pacing.

III. Instruments and Accessories

The instruments and accessories used during the activity were the steel tape or the long tape of
about 100 meters in length, the chalk for marking the end points of the course and the natural pace of using
one’s feet.

IV. Procedure
1. Determining pace factor
a. The students selected a straight and level course and established markers on both ends at
least 100 meters apart. Points A and B are designated to these ends.
b. At a natural pace, students walked over the course starting with either heel or toe over point
A and count the number of paces to reach point B.
c. For succeeding trials, students walked from B to A, then A to B, until 5 trials are being
completed, and the number of paces are recorded accordingly.
d. Data are tabulated.
e. To compute for the pace factor, the average of the number of paces is being calculated and
then divided this to the taped length of course AB.
2. .Measuring distance by pacing
a. The end points of another level course are being defined or established whose length has
been determined by pacing. Points C and D are designated to these ends.
b. For the first trial, students walked over the course from C to D at a natural pace and recorded
the number of paces. Students then walked from D to C and again recorded the number of
paces.
c. The above procedure are being repeated until all five trials are completed.
d. After the field data is recorded, an actual taping of course CD has been made to determine
the taped distance.
e. Data are tabulated.
f. To compute the paced distance, the mean of the number of paces for the five trials
performed on course CD is being determined and multiplied this to the pace factor previously
computed.
 g. To get the relative precision, the difference between the taped distance of CD and the paced
distance of CD is being determined. The difference is then divided by the taped distance and
reduced the numerator to unity to determine the relative precision.

V. Data Gathered

Table1.1: Determining Pace Factor

TAPED NUMBER OF MEAN NO. OF
TRIAL LINE DISTANCE PACES PACES PACE FACTOR
1 AB 162
2 BA 165
3 AB 100 METERS 164 165 0.60606
4 BA 166
5 AB 168

Table1.2: Measuring Distance by Pacing

NUMBER OF PACED TAPED RELATIVE
TRIAL LINE PACES MEAN DISTANCE DISTANCE PRECISION
1 CD 102
2 DC 103
3 CD 102 102.8 62.302968 62.5 0.3%
4 DC 104
5 CD 103

VI. Discussion
Table 1.1 shows how to determine the pace factor. Taped distance is being used. The taped
distance AB measures 100m, being walked on 5 repeats, with paces ranging from 160-168. The calculated
mean of the paces is 165. The taped distance is divided to the mean of the paces to determine the pace
factor, which is 0.60606. The calculated pace factor was found reasonable since it is within the range of
normal pace factor.
Table 1.2 shows how to measure distance by pacing. Since the pace factor is already known, this
was used to measure distance CD. Distance CD was also walked repeatedly for 5 times, where paces ranged
from 10e to 104. The calculated mean of the paces is 102.8 which was then multiplied to the calculated pace
factor above, yielding a result of 62.302968 meters, which is now the paced distance. When compared to the
actual distance of 62.5, there was a discrepancy of 0.197032 meters. This was then used to compute the
relative precision which was 0.3%. Since the relative precision is 0.3% , the actual distance and the paced
distance are almost the same with only a little difference, which is also a reasonable result.
There are a lot of factors that can affect how the pace factor is being determined. First, the way how
the pace is executed is important. Since there will be time that paces will differ by a few units especially with
whatever the mood of the person walking is. Also, it must be made sure that the striding is done on a straight
line, as any little curve here and there can alter the actual length walked. These may be minute details, but
when they will stack up, they can actually lead to large differences on results (Navarro, 2016).

VII. Conclusion
Pace factor is important if one wants to estimate the measure of a land without using any measuring
device. In determining the individual pace factor the measured distance of a line must be divided to the
average number of paces taken to walk the line. In measuring an unknown distance pacing, multiply the pace
factor to the average number of paces taken. But when using this method, we should keep on mind to walk
naturally and that we should cover a straight path to reduce percent error.

VIII. References
Abuel, W. (2015). Pace Factor. Retrieved from http://eamblogz.blogspot.com
Navarro, J. (2016). Elementary and Higher Surveying. Retrieved from http://academia.edu
(2012, July 12). Agricultural Engineering. "Pacing". Retrieved from http://progressivegardening.com