SURVEYING - I

CE – 182
LECTURE NO. 02
Batch 2021 - 2025

BY
ENGR. HAMZA SUBHANI
 DISTANCE MEASUREMENT
One of the most important operation in surveying is
measurement of horizontal distance between two points.
If the points are at different elevations, the distance is the
horizontal length between plumb lines at the points.
METHODS OF MEASURING DISTANCE
• Pacing
• Odometer
• Tacheometry
• Electronic Distance Device (EDM)
• Tapes
• Chains
 PACING
 Measuring distance by counting steps (paces).
 Distance is calculated by multiplying the number of paces by the
individuals pace factor(usually every step one meter).
Advantages
• Simple
• Low tech
• No specialized equipment
Disadvantages
• Topography affects accuracy
• Requires practice to take a consistent pace.
• Must be able to traverse the distance.
• Only measures slope distance.

With practice, accuracy is about 2% of distance paced

 ODOMETER

• An odometer wheel is a wheel which uses an odometer to count the

rotations of the wheel.
• The gear ratio of the odometer is usually designed to provide a
measurement of the distance in standard units--feet, decimal feet, feet
and inches and/or meters.
Advantages
Easy to use
Low tech
Disadvantages
Accuracy is influenced by surface conditions.
Must be able to traverse distance.
Only measures slope distance.

Error 1% of distance
 TACHEOMETRY

• Here distance is measured not directly but

indirectly with the help of an Optical
instrument called Tacheometer.
• A theodolite with three cross hairs can also be
used with the intercept on the levelling staff
between the top and bottom cross hairs
multiplied by a constant giving the horizontal
distance.
ELECTRONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT

This is a modern development in surveying

where electronic waves are utilized to
measure distance.

They are basically of two types

Electro Optical, instruments which use light

waves for the measurement of distances.

Microwave equipment, Which transmits

microwaves with frequencies.

0.005 mm Accuracy
 TAPE MEASUREMENT

A tape measure or measuring tape is a

flexible form of ruler. It consists of a ribbon
of cloth, plastic, fiber glass, or metal strip
with linear-measurement markings. It is a
common measuring tool. Its flexibility allows
for a measure of great length to be easily
carried in pocket or toolkit and permits one to
measure around curves or corners.
The following are the various types of tapes
• Cloth tape
• Metallic tape
• Steel tape
• Invar tape
 TAPE MEASUREMENT

Advantages
• High precision
• 0.1 inch accuracy
• Can be used to measure horizontal
distances.
Disadvantages
• Multiple people
• Must have a clear, travelable route.
• High precision requires temperature
and tension correction.

Error 0.1% of distance

ASSESSORIES OF TAPE MEASUREMENT

Ranging Rod : 2m, 2.5m, 3m long & painted red and white each 0.5m
with a pointed steel shoe.
ASSESSORIES OF TAPE MEASUREMENT

Arrows: 40cm long & 3- 4 mm in diameter

Pegs : wooden (square or circular cross-section) & steel

ASSESSORIES OF TAPE MEASUREMENT
ASSESSORIES OF TAPE MEASUREMENT

Plumb Bob: a metallic cone object used to erect vertical lines.

Clinometer level: used to measure the inclination angle of slope lines.

 TAPE CORRECTIONS

STANDERD CONDITIONS
Metric system
Temperature 20˚C Tape fully supported Tension 50 N
Once a line is being measured, it is necessary to convert the measured length into a
horizontal length. Series corrections have to be applied. Five possible corrections
have to be considered. These are
• Erroneous Tape Length
• Slope
• Tension
• Temperature
• Sag
 TAPE CORRECTIONS

• For synthetic tapes, only Erroneous Tape Length and slope corrections
will be applied
• The best accuracy that can be achieved is the order of 1:1000
• When using steel tapes, if only Erroneous Tape Length and slope
corrections are considered, the best possible accuracy that can be obtained
in the range 1:5000 If tension and temperature are added into
consideration, accuracy can be increased to better than 1:10000 ~ 1:
20000
• Sag only applies if tape is supported only at ends
 ERRONEOUS TAPE LENGTH

• Tape has a nominal length under certain conditions, a tape stretches with
time.
• Standardisation needs to be carried out frequently by using reference tape
or baseline.
Standardization
Length

 Ls  Ln 
(Actual Tape Length)
est  Lm   
 Ln 
Measured Length Nominal Length
(Assumed Tape Length)
 ERRONEOUS TAPE LENGTH

When comparing to a standard tape, the tape used indeed has

a length 30m ± ∆l
For every 30m measurement, the small elongated amount
should be added for correction & vice versa
 SLOPE CORRECTION
All plan distances are always quoted as horizontal distances l, therefore
any distance not measured on the horizontal will need to be corrected for
slope. slope correction must always be considered, and either eliminated
in the field or mathematically compensated.

Lm
eslope  Lm 1 cos 


 TENSION CORRECTION
A tape is a given length when pulled with a certain tension. If the tension
changes then so does the tape length.
Standardisation tension

Tension
applied
etension 
T  Ts Lm
E A
Modulus of ElasticityCross section
of tape material Area
For steel, E = 200,000 N/mm2
 TEMPERATURE CORRECTION
Most materials expand and contract with temperature change, and this
effects taped distances. If a tape has stretched due to heat it will read
shorter than it would at its normal (or standard) temperature.

etemp  Lm  (c  t )
Length error due to Coefficient of Temperature
Temperature Measured linear expansion change
change length
 SAG CORRECTION
If the tape cannot be supported for its length then it will hang freely
under the influence of gravity. The shape of the tape will take is known
as (sag) and can be determined mathematically.

Weight of tape
per unit length Angle of slope

w L cos 
2 3 2
ecatenary  m Total Weight of Tape
24  T 2

2 Tension applied to the ends

𝑊𝐿
ecatenary = Number of Span
24𝑛2𝑇2
 COMBINE ERROS

Actual length is:

La  Lm  etemp  est  esag  eslope  etension

 EXAMPLE NO. 01
A steel tape was exactly 30 m long at 20°C when supported throughout its
length under a pull of 10 kg. A line was measured with this tape under a pull of
15 kg and at a mean temperature of 32 °C and found to be 780 m long. The
cross-sectional area of the tape = 0.03 cm2, and its total weight = 0.693 kg. α for
steel = 11 x 10-6 per °C and E for steel = 2.1 x 106 kg/cm2. Compute the true
length of the line of the tape was supported during measurement
(i) at every 30 m
(ii) at every 15 m.
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
 EXAMPLE NO. 02

A steel tape of nominal length 30 m was used to measure a line AB

by suspending it between supports. The following measurements
were recorded

Line Length Measured Slope Angle Mean Temp. Tension

AB 29.872 m 3o 40’ 5oC 120 N

The standardisation length of the tape against a reference tape was

known to be 30.014 m at 20oC and 50 N.

If the tape weighs 0.17 N/m and has a cross sectional area of 2 mm2,
calculate the horizontal length of AB.
temperatur e correction  L m c   t  Ls  Ln
standardis ation correction  L m 
 29 .872  0 .0000112  5  20  Ln
  0 .0050 m 29.872  30.014  30.000 

w 2 Lm cos 2 
3
sag correction  - 30.000
24T 2  0.0139 m
0.17  29.872  cos 2 3o 40
2 3
 slope correction  - L m 1 - cos 
24120 
2

 0.0022m 
 29.872 1  cos 3o 40 
tension correction 
T - Ts Lm  0.0611m
EA

120  50  29.872
200  10 3  2
 0.0052 m

horizontal length AB = 29.872-0.0050+0.0139-0.0022-0.0611+0.0052

= 29.823m
 EXAMPLE NO. 03
Calculate sag correction for a 30 m steel tape under a pull of 80 N, if it is
suspended in three equal spans (i.e. 10m). Unit weight of steel is 78.6 kN/m3.
Area of cross-section of tape is 8 mm2
SOLUTION
 EXAMPLE NO. 03
To measure a base line, a steel tape 30 m long, standardized at 15º C with a pull
of 80 N was used. Find the correction per tape length, if the temperature at the
time of measurement is 25º C and the pull exerted is 150 N.
Take Young's modulus E = 2 x 105 N/mm2 and coefficient of thermal expansion
a = 11.2 x 10-6 °C. Cross-sectional area of tape is 8 mm2.
SOLUTION
FACTORS INVOLVING DISTANCE MEASUREMENT
The best distance measuring method/device to use is influenced by
many factors
• Environment
• Use of the data
• Equipment available
• Expertise of individuals
• Personal preference
• Topography
• Client specifications
• Regulations
• Standard practice
ANY QUESTIONS????