THE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

ES 230 LAND SURVEYING TUTORIAL SHEET 2

LECTURER: Prof. Roy Alexander Chileshe

QUESTION

A survey line CD is measured along a slope of 8o by survey teams A and B. Team A, used a 30m
fibre tape which when checked was found to have shrunk by 45mm. The measured length was
85.24m. Team B used a 20m steel tape which was 95mm too long. Their measured length was
84.60m. Calculate (i) the average slope length of the survey line CD and (ii) the horizontal
length CD.

1
ANSWER

STEP 1

Team A

Nominal length of tape = 30m (Given)

Actual length of tape = 30m – 45mm = 29.955m (Calculated)

Measured length of survey line CD = 85.24 (Given)

Formula used is:

True distance Actual length of tape

=

Measured slope distance Nominal length of tape

True distance Actual length of tape x Measured slope distance

=

Nominal length of
tape

True distance 29.955 x 85.24

=

30

= 85.112m

2
The same can be calculated by determining the number of times the tape was used to
measure the distance 85.24:

85.24 ÷30 = 2.841 times

Thus Error = 2.841 x 45mm or 2.841 x 0.045m= 0.127m

Because the tape had shrunk, the measurements recorded were longer. Thus the true distance =
85.24 – 0.127m = 85.113m

NOTE that rounding-off differences will be experienced and thus you are advised to round-off at
the end or work to 0.000m

STEP 2

Team B

Nominal length of tape = 20m (Given)

Actual length of tape = 20m + 0.095 = 20.095m (Calculated)

Measured length of survey line CD = 84.6 (Given)

Formula used is:

3
 True distance Actual length of
=
tape
Measured slope Nominal length of tape
distance

True distance Actual length of tape x Measured slope distance

=

Nominal length of
tape

True distance 20.095 x 84.6

=

20

= 85.002m

NOTE that rounding-off differences will be experienced and thus you are advised to round-off at
the end or work to 0.000m.

The same can be calculated by determining the number of times the tape was used to
measure the distance 84.6m:

- 84.6 ÷20 = 4.23 times

- Thus Error = 4.23 x 95mm or 4.23 x 0.095m= 0.402m

- Because the tape was actually too long, the measurements recorded were shorter. Thus the true
distance = 84.6 + 0.402m = 85.002 m

4
The average slope length of the survey line is calculated thusly:

- Team A slope length = 85.113m

- Team B slope length = 85.002m

- Average slope length = (85.113 + 85.002) ÷ 2 = 85.057m

NOTE: The last part of the question requires you to calculate the Horizontal length AB

Horizontal length AB = Average slope length x Cos ground slope = 85.057 x Cos 8o

= 84.229m

NOTE that rounding-off differences will be experienced and thus you are advised to round-
off at the end or work to 0.000m.

5
EXERCISE

Do the following exercise:

Exercise

A survey line AB is measured along a slope of 7o by survey teams A and B. Team A, used a 20m
fibre tape which when checked was found to have expanded by 50mm. The measured length was
90.24m. Team B used a 30m steel tape which was 85mm too short. Their measured length was
90.5m. Calculate (i) the average slope length of the survey line AB and (ii) the horizontal length
AB.

The answers to the exercise are:

Slope length for Team A = 90.225m

Slope length for Team A = 90.243m

Average slope length = 90.234m

The horizontal length of the line AB = 89.561m

NOTE that rounding-off differences will be experienced and thus you are advised to round-
off at the end or work to 0.000m.

God bless you!