LECTURE 1: SURVEYING CONCEPTS AND

MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCE BY TAPE

CE120-03/SURVEYING
 DEFINITION
• Surveying is the art of determining the position of points on or near the earth’s
surface by means of measurements in the three elements of space; namely distance,
direction and elevation. By Rayner and Schmidt
• Surveying is the art of measuring horizontal and vertical distance between objects, of
measuring angles between lines, of determining the direction of lines and establishing
points by predetermined angular and linear measurements. By Davis, Foote, Anderson
and Michail
• Surveying is that branch of applied Mathematics which teaches the art of determining
the area of any portion of the earth’s surface, the length and directions of the
boundary lines, the contour of the surface, and the accurately delineating the whole
on paper. By Webster
• Surveying is the science and art of determining relative positions of points above, on
or beneath the surface of the earth, or establishing such points. By Brinker and Wolf
• Surveying is the art and science of determining angular and linear measurements to
establish the form extent and relative position of points lines and areas in or near the
surface of the earth or on other extraterrestrial bodies thorough applied Mathematics
and the use of specialized equipment and techniques. By J. P. La Putt
 TYPES OF SURVEYING
• PLANE SURVEYING - type of surveying in which the earth is
considered to be a flat surface, and where distances and areas
involve are of limited extent that the exact shape of the earth is
disregarded.
• GEODETIC SURVEYING - type of surveying that are wide extent
which take into account the spheroid shape of the earth.
 TYPES OF SURVEY
1. CADRASTRAL SURVEY - are usually closed surveys which are undertaken in
urban and rural locations for the purpose of determining and defining
property lines and boundaries, corners and areas.
2. CITY SURVEYS – are surveys of the areas in and near a city for the purpose of
planning expansions or improvements, locating property lines, fixing
reference monuments, determining the physical features and configuration
of the land and preparing maps.
3. CONSTRUCTION SURVEYS - These are surveys which are undertaken at a
construction cite to provide data regarding grades, reference lines
dimensions, ground configuration and location and elevation of structures
which are of concern to engineers, architects, and builders.
4. FORESTRYU SURVEYS – A type of survey executed in connection with forest
management and mensuration, and the production and conservation of
forests lands.
5. HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS - refer to surveying streams, lakes, reservoirs,
harbors, oceans and other bodies of water .
 TYPES OF SURVEY
6. INDUSTRIAL SURVEY – refer to the use of surveying techniques in ship building,
construction and assembly of aircraft, layout and installation of heavy and complex
machinery and in other industries where very accurate dimensional layouts are
required
7. MINE SURVEYS – are surveys which are performed to determine the position of all
underground excavations and surface mine structures, to fix surface boundaries of
mining claims, determine geological formations, to calculate excavated volumes and
establish lines and grades for other related mining work
8. PHOTOGRAMMETRIC SURVEYS – types of survey which make use of photographs taken
with specially designed cameras either from airplanes or ground stations.
9. ROUTE SURVEYS – involve the determination of alignment, grades, earthwork
quantitities, location of natural and artificial objects in connection with the planning,
design, and construction of highways, railroads, pipelines, canals, transmission lines
and other linear projects.
10. TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYS – are those surveys made for determining the shape of the
ground, and the location and elevation and artificial features upon it.
 IMPORTANCE OF SURVEYING
• It is necessary to mark boundaries and divide tracts of land.
• Planning and design of our physical environment and
infrastructure are based on the results of surveys
• Layout and construction of physical environment are controlled
by surveying.
• It is also required for the laying out of industrial equipment,
preparing forestry and geological maps, positioning massive and
complex machinery, in the construction of ships and airplanes as
well as in the survey and exploration of extraterrestrial bodies
such as moon and planets.
 SURVEYING FIELD NOTES
• Constitute the only reliable and permanent record of actual
work done in the field.
• It is the official record of the survey
• It must be complete, legible, concise and comprehensive,
logically arranged according to recognized practice.
 TYPE OF NOTES
1. SKETCHES – “A good sketch will help to convey a correct
impression. Sketches are rarely made to exact scale, but in most
cases they are made approximately to scale. They are drawn
freehand and of liberal size.”
2. TABULATIONS – “A series of numerical values observe in the
field are best shown in a tabulated format. Tabulated form of
note keeping conveys the required information in a simple and
definite manner.”
3. EXPLANATORY NOTES – provide a written description of what
has been done in the field.
4. COMPUTATIONS- calculations of one kind or another form a
large part of the work of surveying.
 INFORMATION FOUND IN FIELD NOTES
a) Title of the Field Work or Name of the Project
- Name of the project or title of the field work should always be identified. The
location of the survey and preferably its nature or purpose should always be stated.
b) Time of Day and Date
- It is necessary to document the notes and furnish a timetable as well as to correlate
different surveys.
c) Weather Conditions
- Temperature, wind velocity, typhoons, storms and other weather conditions such as
fog, sunshine and rain have decided effect upon accuracy in surveying operations.
d) Names of Group Members and Their Designations
- From this information, duties and responsibilities can easily be pinpointed among
survey party members.
e) List of Equipment
- Proper identification of the particular equipment use aids in isolating errors in some
cases.
 THE FIELD SURVEY PARTY
• The given composition is primarily designed for large scale surveys which is expected
to undertake field surveys covering days or weeks using either conventional or
sophisticated surveying instruments.

1. CHIEF OF PARTY - responsible for the overall direction, supervision and operational
control of the survey party.
2. ASSISTANT CHIEF OF PARTY – assist the chief of party in the accomplishment or the task
assigned to the survey party.
3. INSTRUMENT MAN – his duty is to set up, level and operate surveying instruments. He
sees to it that instruments to be used in a survey operate surveying instruments. He
sees to it that instruments to be used in a survey operation are in good working
condition and in proper adjustment.
4. TECHNICIAN – person who is responsible for use and operation of all electronic
instruments required in a fieldwork operation.
5. COMPUTER – perform all computations of survey data and works out necessary
computational checks required in a fieldwork operation.
 THE FIELD SURVEY PARTY
6. RECORDER – keep a record of all sketches, drawings, measurements and observations
taken or needed for a fieldwork operation.
7. HEAD TAPEMAN – responsible for the accuracy and speed of all linear measurements
with tape.
8. REAR TAPEMAN - assist the head tapeman during taping operations and in other
related work.
9. FLAGMAN – hold the range ole at selected points as directed by the instrument man.
10. RODMAN – hold stadia or leveling rod when sights are to be taken on it.
11. PACER – check all linear measurements made by tapeman.
12. AXE MAN/LINEMAN- clear line of sight of trees, brush and other obstruction in
wooded country.
13. AIDMAN – render first aid treatment to members of the survey party.
14. UTILITYMEN – render other forms of assistance needed by the survey party or as
directed by the chief of the party.
 MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCE BY TAPE
ERRORS – difference between the true value and the measured value of a quantity
DEVIATION – difference of observed value from mean value

TYPES/KINDS OF ERRORS
1. Systematic Error – errors which can be anticipated and exactly calculated and thus be
exactly corrected.
2. Accidental Error – errors which are not anticipated/predicted thus cannot be
eliminated, however can be minimized.

MISTAKES
- Inaccuracies in measurements which occur because some aspect of a surveying
operation is performed by the surveyor which carelessness, inattention, poor
judgment and improper execution.
BLUNDER
- A large mistake that it cannot be just systematic or accidental
 SOURCES OF ERRORS
1. Instrumental error – due to limited precision of each instrument to measure a quantity 100%
correct.
a) Measuring with a steel tape of incorrect length.
b) Using a leveling rod with painted graduation not perfectly spaced.
c) Sighting on a rod which is warped
d) Improper adjustment of the plate bubbles of a transit or level.

2. Natural Error – brought by changes in the condition of nature from initial condition to the actual
condition of measurement.
e) Effect of temperature variation on the length of a steel tape
f) Error in the readings of the magnetic needle due to variations in magnetic declination
g) Deflection of the line of sight due to the effect of the earth’s curvature and atmospheric
refraction,
h) Error in the measurement of a line with a tape being blown sidewise by a strong wind.

3. Personal Errors – varies from person to person due to differences in physical capability and work
experience
i) Error in determining a reading on a rod which is out of plumb during sighting.
j) Error in the measurement of a vertical angle when the cross hairs of the hairs of the telescope
are not positioned correctly on the target.
 CORRECTION IN TAPING
I. CORRECTION DUE TO TAPE TOO LONG OR TAPE TOO SHORT

Rules in Applying The Correction

• When tape is too short

 Add the correction in laying out distance
 Subtract the correction in measuring distance

• When tape is too long

 Subtract correction in laying out distance
 Add correction in measuring distance
 CORRECTION IN TAPING
II. CORRECTION DUE TO TEMPERATURE
 CORRECTION IN TAPING
III. CORRECTION DUE TO PULL
 CORRECTION IN TAPING
IV. CORRECTION DUE TO SAG
NOTE: ALWAYS NEGATIVE (-)
 CORRECTION IN TAPING
V. CORRECTION DUE TO SLOPE
EXAMPLE 1:
a) A distance is measured with a 100ft steel tape and is found to be 896.24ft. Later the tape is
standardized and is found to have an actual length of 100.04 ft. What is the correct distance
measured?
b) A distance is measured with a 100ft steel tape and is found to be 2320.3ft. Later the tape is
standardized and is found to have an actual length of 99.97ft. What is the actual distance?

Correction due to tape too long or too short.

NOTE: SLAMS – “Short Lay Add Measure Subtract”
a) b)
EXAMPLE 2:
a) A tape 20m long of standard length at 84*F was used to measure a line, the mean temperature
during the measurement is 63*F. The measured distance is 818.588m, find the true length of the
line if the coefficient of thermal expansion is 62 x 10‐7/*F.

Correction due to temperature

Note: (+) too long and (-) too short
EXAMPLE 3:
a) A 30m steel tape is of standard length under a pull of 5kg, supported for full length. The tape was
used in measuring a line 938.55m long on smooth level ground under a steady pull of 10kg.
Assuming E = 2.0x10^6 kg/sqcm and the cross sectional area to be 0.06sqcm, determine the
correct length of the line measured.

Correction due to pull

EXAMPLE 4:
a) A 50m steel tape weighs 0.04kg/m and is supported at its end points and a the 8m and 25m marks. If a pull of
6kg is applied, determine the following:
1) Correction due to sag between 0m mark and 8m mark; 8m and 25m marks; and the 25m and 50m marks.
2) Correction due to sag for one tape length.
3) Correct distance between the ends of the tape.

Correction due to sag

Note: Always negative (-)
1)

2)

3)
EXAMPLE 5:
a) Slope distances AB and BC measures 330.49m and 660.97m, respectively. The differences in
elevation are 12.22m for points A and B, and 10.85 for points B and C. Determine the horizontal
length of line ABC. Assuming that line AB has a rising Slope and BC a falling slope.

Correction due to slope

EXAMPLE 6:
a) A 100m tape weighing 3kg was standardized and found to be 0.02m short at temperature of
10*C and a 30N pull when supported through out. It was used to measure a distance which was
recorded as 3245.68m when the temperature was 15oC and the pull was 40N supported only at
quarter points. E=200GPa. Density of material is 7500kg/m3, coefficient of thermal
expansion=11.6x10‐6/*C. Find the correct distance between the two points.

• Error due to tape to short

• Error due to change in temperature

• Error due to pull

EXAMPLE 6:
• Error due to sag

• Correct Distance