TAPING OVER SMOOTH AND LEVEL GROUND

OBJECTIVES: To determine the horizontal length of a line over uneven and sloping ground by the
method of breaking tape.

A. INTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIES:

30-m Steel tape, markers.

B. PROCEDURE:
1. Measuring Uphill

a) On a designated uneven and sloping terrain, mark the ends of a line to be measured.
Designate the mark at the bottom of the slope as point A and at the mark at the upper portion
to serve as markers, or are set at intermediate points along the line to insure better alignment
during taping.

b) Head tape-man unreels and spreads out the tape and pulls the zero-mark uphill along the line
from point A. The rear tape-man raises the 30-m end of the tape breast high while the head
tape-man moves back to a place on the line near a full meter mark where the ground surface is
as high as the other raised end of the tape. The head tape-man stays by the side of the line
measured and holds a chaining pin on the ground.

c) The rear tape-man temporarily releases end of tape and signals head tape-man to either
move to the right of left in order to align him. When the pin of the head tape-man is in line with
the pole held over point B, the head tape-man is then signaled to stick the pin vertically into the
ground.

d) Rear tape-man plumbs from point A to the terminal mark of the tape with a plumb bob and
maintains this plumb bob steadily over A while head tape-man pulls the tape tight, and making
sure that the tape in on line by bringing one of its edges in contact with the previously aligned
pin. The head tape-man then moves the pin opposite the nearest full meter of the tape and he
sticks it firmly into the ground.

e) The rear tape-man leaves his end of the tape, move up the slope and gets hold of the tape at
the point previously held by the head tape-man. The next measurement is made horizontally
from the pin stuck in the ground by the head tape-man as done at point A.

f) The process is repeated until the whole tape length is used up thus finishing the measurement
of one tape length of horizontal distance.

g) From the pin marking the end of one tape length measurement, the horizontal measurement
is continued until point B is reached. The last partial tape length is measured with the rear tape-
man holding the tape until he has full meter mark at his end while the head tape-man pulls the
tape tight and takes note of the partial measurement. Then the number of tape lengths and the
last partial measurement are totaled to determine the horizontal length of the line measured.
2. Measuring Downhill

a) In measuring down the slope, the tape is reversed to bring its zero end forward in the
direction of point A along the line. Horizontal measurements start from B with the rear tape-
man holding his terminal meter mark of tape in level with B.

b) After the plumb bob of the head tape-man has been aligned with the range pole held at A,
the head tape-man drops the plumb bob causing it to leave a mark on the ground. He then sticks
a pin at the ground mark left by the plumb bob.

c) The next horizontal measurement starts from the pin until one whole tape length is
measured. As in measuring up the slope, the number of tape lengths plus the partial tape length
at the end of the line determines the total horizontal length of the line.

d) Tabulate observed and computed values accordingly. Refer to the accompanying sample
format for the tabulation of data.

TRIAL LINE LENGTH DIFFERENCE MEAN RELATIVE PRECISION

1 AB
2 BA

C. COMPUTATIONS:

1. The mean length of the measured line is determined by adding the two measurements and dividing
the sum by two.

2. The discrepancy for the measurement is the difference between the first measurement and the
second measurement.

3. The relative precision of the measurement is determined by dividing the discrepancy by the mean
length, where the numerator is reduced to unity or 1. Relative precision is expressed in fractional form
and the denominator is rounded to the nearest hundredth.

D. RECOMMENDATION: (use separate sheet)

E. CONCLUSION: (use separate sheet if necessary)

F. SUPPORTING PICTURES: (use separate sheet)