15-01-2012

CE 201 - Surveying
Lecture 4
Measurement of distance
Chain Surveying

Measuring distance with Chains

Chaining involves following operations
Marking the stations with the help of ranging rods
Unfolding the chain

Two chainmen are required

Chainman at zero end is follower
Chainman holding the forward handle is leader
Both handles in one hand, rest of the bundle is thrown in the
forward direction with the other hand chain is laid straight

Ranging
required when the distance is more than a chain length
To establish intermediate points in line with the main
stations

Measurement of distance
Folding the chain

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Measurements along Slopes

Terrain to be surveyed in general will not be a
horizontal plane
The distance required for preparing plan or
maps is the horizontal distance
When the distance is measured along a slope
it has to be converted into horizontal distance

Two methods
1. Measure distance horizontally in steps and
transfer the points to the ground
2. Measure along the slope and convert the
distances into horizontal distances

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Method of stepping
This also means measure distances
horizontally and then transfer the points to
the ground
For example, A and B stations are apart along
a slope
A

1. At least 2 persons are required for chaining

- one end of the chain is held at A
- convenient length is selected and the chain is
held horizontally
- the chain tends to sag due to its own weight
- this has to be counteracted by applying
sufficient pull to it remains horizontal

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2. The follower holds the end of the chain at A

- the leader goes along the line (already ranged or
ranging simultaneously) with a selected length of
the chain and a ranging rod and faces the
follower
- the follower directs the leader in ranging the
rod in line and also pull and both pull the chain to
eliminate the sag of the chain
3. The length is selected such that it can be held
truly horizontal and the pull applied by hand
4. Once the chain has been stretched to be
horizontal, the point 1 of the end of the chain is
transferred to the ground using a plumb bob or
drop an arrow or stone

5. The point 1 is thus obtained. The distance

between the A and 1 is the horizontal distance
between A and 1 when chain held
horizontally
6. This process is repeated starting from the
point 1 to get subsequent points 2, 3, and so
on till the end B is reached
A

l1

1
l2
2
1

l3
2

AB = l1+l2+l3
B

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7. The horizontal distance between A and B is

the sum of all the number of lengths taken to
reach B from A
8. In general, measurement using this method
should be done downhill
9. The step distance should be chosen by
judgment depending upon the slope (steep)
10. For steep slope the step distance should be
small

Method of measuring along slopes

when the ground has uniform slope

1. Length can be measured (after ranging to

establish intermediate points) along the
slope
2. Slope distance is converted into horizontal
distance A
L

Horizontal distance

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The measurements done are

Slopping distance
Angle of slope
The difference in elevations between two points
Angle of slope
This is usually done with the help of Clinometers
Let L be the measured inclined distance between
A and B and be the angle of slope with
horizontal
The horizontal distance = L.cos
There can be two or more slopes in one slope
ground

Clinometers
It consists of
A line of sight
A graduated arc
A light plumb bob suspended from the center

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Prcocedure
Hold the clinometer horizontal first and check
whether the plumb is along a zero mark of the
graduated circle
Attach a tag on the ranging rod at observers
eye level and keep it on the sloping ground
Observer bisect the tag through line of sight
AB which becomes inclined for sloping ground
The plumb bob remains vertical and shows
the required angle of slope

Calculation of horizontal distances

When a sloping angle and length are known
A
L

Horizontal distance

- The horizontal distance = L.cos

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When the difference in level (h) known

A
L

Horizontal distance

the horizontal distance (AB) =

( L2 h 2 )

L is the measured inclined length along AB

h is the difference in levels of A and B

Errors caused by Wrong chain length

Designated lengths are 20 m and 30 m.
Over a period of time, the length of a chain
changes due to various reasons
The length can increase or decrease
30 m (L)

Designated length (L)

Actual length (L) shorter, e.g. 29.85 m
Actual length (L) longer, e.g. 30.1 m

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If a line is incorrectly measured as shorter or

longer
Correct length = (L/L) * measured length
When a chain is shorter, a shorter distance is
measured and incorrectly recorded as longer (the
designated length)
Thus with a shorter chain, an error has to be
deducted from the measured length or the error
is positive and the correction is negative

When a chain is longer, a longer distance is

measured and incorrectly recorded as shorter
(the designated length)
Thus with a longer chain, the error has to be
added to the measured length or the error is
negative and the correction is positive
Correct area when lengths are measured with
an incorrect chain
Correct area = (L/L)2 * measured (calculated area)

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Example
A 30-m chain was tested before a survey and
found to have a length of 29.93m. If the length
of a line measured with this chain was 273.35
m, find the true length of the line
Using a short length chain means that 29.93 m is
being recorded as 30 m. Therefore, the true length
of the line is less than the measured length
True length = 273.35 x (29.93/30) = 272.71m

Example for practice

All the dimensions of an embankment were
measured with a 20-m chain and the volume
was calculated as 486.95 cu.m. It was then
found that the chain was 10 cm too long. Find
the true volume of the embankment
Measurement of volume involves three dimension
length, breadth and width. The linear error thus
propagates in the cubical dimension. Thus
True volume = (measured volume) x (actual L/designated L)3
= 486.95 x (20.1/20)3
= 494.3 m3

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Examples on sloping ground

Find the horizontal distance between the
stations A and D if the measurements were
done along rising and falling slopes as follows:
AB: 500.65 m along a rising slope of 5.65 degree
BC: 700.35 m along a gradient of 1:18
CD: 400 m along a falling slope of 2.56 m in 20 m

Errors in chaining
Cumulative tend to accumulate as the
measurement continues
E.g. incorrect length of a chain
As more measurements are taken, the error due
to incorrect length increases

Compensatory tend to be positive

sometimes and negative at other times
E.g. careless marking of stations, improper
ranging, wrong placing of line or plumb

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Type of errors in chaining

Incorrect length of a chain
Incorrect ranging
Loose chain
Temperature change length of the chain or tape
increases during high temperature and vice versa.
There is a wrong recording of the lengths in both times
serious mostly in steel tape and should be corrected
Variation in pull result in the sagging of the tape or
stretching of the tape
Errors in slope measurement sag of the tape or chain,
chain not being horizontal during stepping

If the chain sags the error is positive and cumulative

Incorrect marking
Personal mistakes due to mistake in reading,
and recording during chaining should be
familiar with the chain properly

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