LINEAR MEASUREMENT

Rohayu Haron Narashid

Center of Surveying Science and Geomatics
Faculty Architecture, Planning and Surveying
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perlis
 Lesson Outcomes
Explain the concepts of tapes and chains
Show the corrections to be applied to
measure length of tapes and chains
State the causes and errors associated with
measurement
 OUTLINES
INTRODUCTION
TYPES OF DISTANCE
METHOD OF MAKING LINEAR MEASUREMENT
MEASUREMENT OVER SLOPING GROUND
ACCURACY AND PRECISION
SOURCES AND CORRECTION OF ERRORS
 INTRODUCTION
Most elementary and basic operation in
surveying
Simplest surveying method
Only determine distance between 2 points on
the surface of the earth.
Limited area / flat area.
 TYPES OF DISTANCE
Horizontal Distance
Slope Distance
Vertical Distance
 HORIZONTAL DISTANCE
HD

Final Distance in surveying work

Display on plan or map
 SLOPE DISTANCE

Measured Distance in surveying work

Convert to Horizontal Distance
 VERTICAL DISTANCE

A
VD

Measured Distance in surveying work

Convert to Horizontal Distance
 METHOD OF MAKING LINEAR
MEASUREMENT
DIRECT MEASUREMENT
INDIRECT / OPTICAL MEASUREMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC DISTANCE
MEASUREMENT
 DIRECT MEASUREMENT
TAPING CHAINS
 INDIRECT / OPTICAL MEASUREMENT

Tape Chain Abney Level Theodolite

Slope Distance Vertical Angle

Horizontal Distance = Slope Distance X Cos (Vertical Angle)

 ELECTROMAGNETIC DISTANCE
MEASUREMENT

Electromagnetic Distance Measurement Total Station

ELECTROMAGNETIC DISTANCE
MEASUREMENT
Tape Graduations
 Measurement Units

Meter (m)
Centimeter(cm)
Feet (Ft)
Inch (In)
 Tape Reading

A B C
Chain Graduations

Measurement unit is LINK

 MEASUREMENT OVER SLOPING
GROUND
DIRECT OR STEP MEASUREMENT
INDIRECT MEASUREMENT
DIRECT / STEP MEASUREMENT

D
HD = A+B+C+D

DISTANCE
INDIRECT MEASUREMENT

Vertical Angle ()

Horizontal Distance (HD)

HD = SD COS
 Chain Surveying

The simplest method of surveying - only linear measurements are

made and no angular measurements are taken.
The area is divided into a number of triangles - the sides of the
triangles are directly measured in the field.
A NETWORK of TRIANGLES is preferred.
Preferably all the sides of a triangle should be nearly equal having
each angle nearly 60o to ensure minimum distortion due to errors
in measurement of sides and plotting.
Usually attempt should be made to have WELL CONDITIONED
TRIANGLES in which no angle is smaller than 30 o and no angle is
greater than 120o.
 Limitations
The arrangement of triangles to be adopted in the field depends on
the shape, topography and the natural or artificial OBSTACLES.

Chain surveying is suitable for the following cases:

1. Ground fairly level and open with simple details
2. Large scale plans (1 cm = 10 m)
3. Extent of the area comparatively small
Chain surveying is unsuitable for the following cases:
1. Area crowded with many details
2. Wooded countries
3. Undulating areas
4. Extent of large area
 Chain Survey Instrumentation
Chains
Length of chain: 20 m or 30 m
Number of links per meter length : 5
Length of each link : 20 cm
Tallies are provided at every 5 m
Small brass rings are provided at every meter except
where tallies are provided.
 Chain Surveying

Measuring tape:
Length of tape: 50 m

Arrows:
These are also called as marking or chaining pins
10 arrows are provided along with each chain.
Used to mark end of the chain during the process of chaining.
 Basic Trigonometry
C a A2 + B2 = C2
B

b c a+ b+ c = 180o
A

sin b B / C
cos b A / C
tan b B / A
 Chain Survey Instrumentation
Chains :
Length of chain: 20 m or 30 m
Number of links per meter length : 5
Length of each link : 20 cm
Tallies are provided at every 5 m
Small brass rings are provided at every meter except
where tallies are provided.
 Chain Survey Instrumentation
Chains :
Length of chain: 20 m or 30 m
Number of links per meter length : 5
Length of each link : 20 cm
Tallies are provided at every 5 m
Small brass rings are provided at every meter except
where tallies are provided.
 Accuracy and Precision

ACCURATE PRECISE
ACCURACY PRECISION
Degree of perfection obtained in Apparent accuracy refers to the
measurements. degree of refinement with which a
Denotes how close a given given quantity is measured.
measurement is to the true value of the The closeness of one measurement to
quantity another.
 Types of Errors

Gross Errors
Systematic Errors
Random Errors
 SOURCES AND CORRECTION OF ERRORS
Source Correction Important in Procedure to
measurement eliminate
Not Standard
length
- Usually small but
must be checked
Standardize and apply
computed correction

Temperature Cr =L (T-To) Of consequence Measure temperature

only in hot and cold and apply computed
weather correction

Change in Cp= (P Po) L Negligible Apply computed

Pull/ correction; in precise
aE work use a spring
tension balance
Sag Cs = W2L Large if use Apply computed
heavy tape correction; in precise
24P2
work use a spring
balance
Slope H = s Cos - At breaks in slope
determine slope angle;
apply computed
correction
 CONCLUSIONS

There are three (3) type of distances i.e.

horizontal, slope and vertical distance.
Linear measurement can be carried out with
the methods of direct (taping and chainjng),
indirect/optical (basic trigonometry) and
electromagnetic distance measurements
(EDM).
Errors in surveying basically consists of gross,
systematic and random errors.