Republic of the Philippines

BOHOL ISLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

BILAR CAMPUS
Zamora, Bilar, Bohol

Vision: A premier S&T university for the formation of a world class and virtuous human resource for sustainable development in
Bohol and the Country.
Mission: Committed to provide quality and innovative education in strategic sectors for the development of Bohol and the
Country.
ABE 3
SURVEYING
100
Name: Date Performed:
Lab Sched: Date Due:
Date Submitted:

Laboratory Exercise No.5

AREA DETERMINATION OF LARGE LAND PARCELS USING COORDINATE AND
DOUBLE MERIDIAN DISTANCE METHODS

INTRODUCTION
Make your own
OBJECTIVES

1. Perform close traverse survey on an agricultural land.

2. Plot or map out graphically the agricultural land for area determination.
3. Determine the adjusted internal angle of each corner of an identified agricultural land.
4. Determine the area of an identified agricultural land using coordinate and double meridian
distance (DMD) methods.

EQUIPMENT
Surveying instrument (engineer’s level or theodolite) and stadia rod

PROCEDURE

A. Conduct of a Closed Traverse Survey

1. The field or agricultural land identified in Exercise No.4 must be utilized again in this
exercise. The established points or corners in Exercise #4 could still be used in the conduct
of this close traverse survey. Follow the steps below in running a close traverse survey.

a. With the identified boundary of an agricultural land, establish the corners along such
boundary for the distance and angle measurements.

Figure 1. Sample parcel of land showing its irregular boundary and the established
corners.
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Note:
Establish the corners of the identified parcel of agricultural land using chaining pins or
wood sticks or its equivalent. Call the corners or vertices A, B, C, D, etc as shown in
Figure 1.

b. Draw a sketch on your field notes or record book to show the location of the figure to
be measured and label properly the corners/vertices, as indicated in the sample
presentation-Figure 1.

c. Prepare your field book or sheet for recording measurements. Use the table format
presented below (with sample value based on the illustration presented below) or you
can develop your own table for the recording of measurements.

Length of the course, (m)

Course Angle Frontsight (FS) Backsight (BS)
UHR LHR S1 UHR LHR S2 Save
AB
102011’
BC
104042’
CD
113005’
DE
118034’
EA
101028’
AB

Do not follow the direction of l

d. Begin your measurements by setting up the instrument (engineer’s level or theodolite)

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on one of the established points such as point “A”; this becomes your instrument
station for the first set of measurements. Be sure to level the instrument before taking a
rod readings.

e. Instruct the rodman to position on point “B”. Be sure that the rod is standing vertically
on ground. Use a plumb bob to set up properly the stadia rod.

f. Once the set up is done, take a frontsight (FS) reading [i.e., the Upper Hair Reading
(UHR) and the Lower Hair Reading (LHR)] to stadia rod on point “B”. Record the
measurements as Frontsight (FS) readings of point “B”.

g. Transfer the instrument to point “B”. Do not forget to level again the instrument.

h. Instruct the rodman to position on point “A”. Be sure again to position the rod vertically
on the ground by the use of a plumb bob.

i. Take a backsight (BS) reading (i.e., UHR and LHR) on stadia rod position at point “A”.
Record the values as backsight (BS) to point “A”. In measuring an internal angle from
line “BA” to line “BC”, while the rodman is at point “A”, set the angle to zero ”0”.
Do not move anymore the telescope from that setting or position.

j. Instruct the rodman to transfer location or position the stadia rod on point “C”.

k. Once the rodman has set up the stadia rod, rotate the telescope clockwise sighting to
point “C”. Record the corresponding angle. That is an internal angle for line “BA” to
line “BC”.

l. Then, take a frontsight (FS) readings (i.e. UHR and LHR) to point “C”. This is the
frontsight readings on point “C”.

m. Transfer the instrument to point “C” and at the same time instruct the rodman to
position at point “B”.

n. Take a backsight (BS) reading on the stadia rod at point “B”. Then, again set the
angle to zero (0). Instruct the rodman to transfer location or position the stadia rod
on point “D”. Rotate the telescope clockwise sighting point “D” and record the
measured the corresponding internal angle.

o. Repeat the process until reaching (setting up the instrument) again on point “A”-the
initial station.

B. Gathered Data Processing

1. Calculate the corresponding distance of the course such as “AB” and “BC” both in
frontsight (FS) and backsight (BS) using the formula presented below:

S = 100(UHR-LHR)
2. The length, S1, correspond to the measured distance on the course direction (frontsight)
while length, S2, for the distance measured in opposite direction (backsight). Take the
average, Save, of these two measurements for the corresponding length of the course. Use
the computational table presented below.
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Length of the Course,
Course (cm)
Frontsight (FS) Backsight (BS)
UHR LHR UHR-LHR S1 UHR LHR UHR-LHR S2 Save
AB
124.7 119.6 5.1 510 137.1 132 5.1 510 510
BC
139 130.4 8.6 860 115.6 107 8.6 860 860
CD
122.7 113.2 9.5 950 118.5 109.4 9.1 910 930
DE
120 112.9 7.1 710 128.3 121 7.3 730 720
EA
118 112.3 5.7 570 132.7 126.9 5.8 580 575

Where:
S1 or S2 = 100(UHR-LHR)

Save = ½ (S1 + S2)

3. Adjust the measured value of an internal angles. Use the following computational table:

That is expected that the total internal angles of a closed polygon will behave to the
following relationship:

ƟT = 180 (n-2) , n is the number of corners or vertices

Thus, the measured internal angles will be summed up as ∑i. If the total measured internal
angles is less than or greater than the expected values as calculated based on the equation above,
adjustment will be performed.

Included Angle () Measured Value Correction Adjusted Value

of  (deg) (deg) of  (deg)
1 90 .4 90.4
2 91 .4 91.4
3 101 .4 101.4
4 99 .4 99.4
5 157 .4 157.4
i = 538 a = 540

Correction for the adjusted value of :

/ ƟT- c /
Correction =
number of 
Where:

Adjusted value of  = Measured value of  * Correction

* (+) If the c < ƟT

(-) If the c > ƟT
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C. Plotting the Agricultural Field

1. Prior to the computation of an area, plotting the agricultural field based on the gathered and
processed data will be performed.
2. Select an appropriate scale to plot the field such as 1:100m. If the chosen scale is 1:100,
every 1.0 cm length in the drawing represents the 100cm or 1.0 meter in the actual field. In
this scale, the 20 meters in the actual measurement is equivalent to 20 centimeter on paper
or in the drawing.
3. Plot the course using a drafting instrument such as T-square and triangles adopting the
chosen scale.
4. Use protractor to lay the adjusted internal angles between the course.

Note:

Plotting the field with a scale had been demonstrated during the physical
orientation. Group representatives are responsible to explain or
demonstrate the process to their members.

5. With the associated errors in measurements and calculations due to probably in rounding off
values, mostly the field will not be closed as expected. In this case, graphical adjustment
will be done.

6. Group representatives are directed to teach their members in performing appropriate

graphical adjustment.
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Plotted agricultural field based on the gathered data and the graphical adjustment.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Illustrate the rectilinear polygon assigned or identified individually and present your own
summary table in total area calculation.

CONCLUSION

RECOMMENDATION (Optional)

REFERENCE(S)