CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)

F 2018
WEEK 3b
Scales
It is always desirable to represent objects to their actual size in drawings, if size permits. However, very large (buildings,
town ships) and small (gears of a wristwatch) objects cannot be made as per the actual size. Scales are used for this
purpose. Scale is defined as the ratio of linear dimensions of an object in drawing to the actual dimension of the object.

The scale of the drawing can be represented by two ways.

1. Scale: it is a ratio showing the length of line in the drawing to the actual length of the object. For example
1cm (in drawing) = 1m (in actual) or 1” (in drawing) = 100’ (in actual) etc. It is always shown with proper units.
2. Representative Fraction: it is a number calculated as follows.

RF = Length of line in drawing / Actual length of the object

For example 1cm/1m = 1/100 = 0.01 etc. No units are shown with RF.

Scales can be of the following three types depending upon the proportion it indicate.

a. Reducing scale: when dimensions on the drawing are smaller than the actual dimensions of the object. For
example 1 cm = 100 cm or RF 0.01 (less than one).
b. Full scale: the dimensions in the drawing are the actual dimensions of the object. For example 1 cm = 1 cm or RF
1.00 (equal to one).
c. Enlarging scale: the dimensions adopted for drawing will be greater than the actual dimensions of the object.
For example 10cm = 1 cm or RF 10.00(greater than one).

If the scale used is same for all the figures on the same drawing sheet, then the same scale is written in the title block
otherwise individual scale is written for each figure. The scales drawn can be used for drawing on a certain scale or
extracting measurements from drawing drawn on a certain scale, using a divider.

Types of scales:

There are many types of scales but our scope is limited to the following two.

1. Plain scale

Plain scales are used to

read or measure up to
two consecutive units of
length i.e. a unit and its
sub-division, for example
cm and mm or foot and
inches. In other words, this scale is used to measure up to first decimal place.

Steps for construction:

a. Determine the length to measure, RF and least count of the scale.

b. Draw a rectangle with its length equal to the length of the scale, which can be found as;
Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan
Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page I of III
CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)
F 2018
Length of the scale = RF x maximum length to measure

c. Divide the line such that each division represents the main unit to be measured.
d. Now the first division is further sub-divided into appropriate number of equal parts that will represent the
second unit of measurement.
e. Mark zero at the first end of the main scale.
f. Label the main scale divisions towards the right side of the zero mark.
g. Label the sub-divisions of the main scale towards the left of the zero mark.

2. Diagonal scale

Diagonal scales are used to measure small distances up to three units, i.e. up to second
decimal place. For example kilometers, hectometers and decameters or yards, feet and
inches etc. it used the Principle of Diagonal Scale, which states that draw a perpendicular of
any convenient length on a line AB till C and divide BC into ten equal parts. Join C with A
and draw lines parallel to AB on every division. Each line below AB will be shorter by
1/10xAB, giving lengths in multiples of 0.1xAB.

Steps for construction:

a. Determine the length to measure, RF and least count of the scale.

b. Draw a rectangle with its length equal to the length of the scale, which can be found as

Length of the scale = RF x maximum length to measure

c. Divide the line such that each division represents the main unit to be measured.
d. Now the first division of main unit into a number of parts that will represent the second unit of measurement.
e. Divide the second unit into a number of
parts using diagonal lines for
measurement of third unit.
f. Mark zero at the end of the first main
scale division.
g. Label the main scale divisions towards
the right side of the zero mark.
h. Label the sub-divisions of the main scale
towards the left of the zero mark as
secondary units.
i. Draw a vertical line on the main line and divide it equally into appropriate number of divisions.
j. Label the vertical line of the scale as its third unit of measurement.

Remember to make sure of the following points in all scales you draw.
I. Zero should be placed at the end of the first main division.
II. From zero, main divisions shall be marked at the right and the sub-divisions shall be marked at the left.
III. The names of the units and sub-units shall be clearly mentioned below the scale.
Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan
Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page II of III
CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)
F 2018
IV. The scale value and RF shall be clearly mentioned below the scale.

Sheet No. 4
Scales: To draw the given six different plain and diagonal scales.

Instruments required:
Soft and hard pencils, eraser, sharpener, drawing sheet, t square, set squares, compass, divider and masking
tape.

*All scales are to be made in 6”x3” rectangles.

Scale 1:
Develop a plain scale, with RF 1:4, capable of measuring in centimeters and decimeters. Maximum length to
measure is 6.0 decimeters. Also measure a distance of 4.7 decimeters on it. (1 inch = 2.54 cm)

Scale 2:
Develop a plain scale of 1 foot = 20 yards, Maximum length to measure is 10 yards. Also measure a distance of
5⅓ yards on it. (1 yard = 3 feet)

Scale 3:
Develop a plain scale of 1 foot = 16 miles. It should be able of measuring in miles and furlongs. Maximum length
to measure is 8 miles. Also measure a distance of 4¾ miles on it. (1 mile = 8 furlongs)

Scale 4:
Develop a diagonal scale of RF 1/32. It should be able of measuring in yards, feet and inches. Maximum length to
measure is 5.00 yards. Also measure a distance of 3½ yards (i.e. _ yards, _ foot and _ inches) on it.

Scale 5:
Develop a diagonal scale of RF 1.00. It should be able of measuring inches, tenths and hundredths. Maximum
length to measure is 6 inches. Also measure a distance of 5.68 (= 5 + 0.6 + 0.08) inches on it.

Scale 6:
Develop a diagonal scale of RF 1/2625. Maximum length to measure is 400 meters. Also measure a distance of
168 (= 100 + 60 + 8) meters on it.

Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan

Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page III of III