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Activity CE 526 - 02
Surveying

Distance by Taping
A. Overview
The tasks of determining the horizontal distances between two existing points and
of setting a new point at a specified distance from some other fixed position are
fundamental surveying operations. The surveyor must select the appropriate equipment
and apply suitable field procedures to determine or set and mark distances with the
required degree of accuracy. Depending on the specific application and the required
accuracy, one of the several methods may be used to determine horizontal distance. The
most common methods include pacing, stadia, taping and the electronic distance meter
(EDM).
Taping has been the traditional surveying method for horizontal distance
measurement for many years It is a direct and relatively slow procedure, which requires
manual skill on the part of the surveyors. Taping consists of stretching a calibrated tape
between two points and reading the distance indicated on the tape. Measuring horizontal
distances with a tape is simple in theory, but in actual practice, it is not as easy as it
appears at first glance. It takes skill and experience for a surveyor to be able to tape a
distance with a relative accuracy between 1:3000 and 1:5000, which is generally the
acceptable range for most preliminary surveys.
Most of the Original surveys were done using Gunters chain for measurement of
horizontal distances. While the Gunters chain itself is no longer actually used, steel tapes
graduated in units of chains and links are still available. Modern steel tapes re available in
variety of lengths and cross sections; among the most commonly used are the 100-feet
tape and the 30-meter tape, which are inch and 6 mm wide, respectively. Both lighter as
well as heavier duty tapes are also available.
Accurate taping cannot be done with the tape alone. When taping horizontal
distances, the tape very often must be held above the ground at one or both ends. One of
the most important accessories for proper horizontal taping is the plumb bob. It is a small
metal weight with a sharp, replaceable point. Freely suspended from a chord, the plumb
bob is used to project the horizontal position of a point on the ground up to the tape, or
vice versa. When a transit or theodolite is not used to establish direction, range pole serve
to establish a line of sight and keep the surveyors properly aligned. A range pole would be
placed vertically in the ground behind each endpoint of the line to be measured. Steel
taping pins are used for marking the end of the tape, or intermediate points, when taping
over grass or unpaved ground. Taping pins are most useful for tallying full tape lengths
over long measured distances.
The process of measuring with the steel tape is called chaining and assuming the
ground to be level and open, the party consists of a head and rear-chainman. The
equipment includes a 100-feet or 30-meter steel tape, a set of 11 chaining pins, and one or

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two range-poles. It is best for taping to be performed with a three-person crew; the third
member of the group provides valuable assistance in assuring proper tension and
alignment of the tape, setting the chaining pins, double checking tape readings.
Taping may be used to determine the unknown distances between two fixed points
on the ground, or it may be used to set marks at specified distances on the given line. This
operation is called setting marks for line and distance. Setting marks for line and distance
typically involves the use of theodolite to establish the proper direction of the line and to
help keep the marks set by the tape person exactly on that direction.
When a series of marks are set on a line at measured distances, the surveyor uses
a standard system of identifying the marks; the marks are called stations. The station may
be very temporary or somewhat long lasting. Stationing is particularly important when
doing profile leveling, as well as when setting marks for line and distance in route survey.
In taping on uneven or sloping ground, it is standard practice to hold the tape
horizontal and use a plumb bob at one or both ends. It is difficult to keep the plumb line
steady for height above the chest. Wind exaggerates the problem and may make accurate
work impossible. When a 100-meter length cannot be held horizontally without plumbing
from above shoulder level, shorter distances are measured and accumulated to total a full
tape length. This procedure is called breaking tape. In measuring the distance between
two points on a steep slope, rather than break tape every few meters, it may be desirable
to tape along the slope and compute the horizontal component. This requires
measurement also of either the angle of inclination or the difference in elevation h.
Breaking tape is more time consuming and generally less accurate due to the
accumulation of random errors from making tape ends and keeping the tape level and
aligned for many short sections.
In surveying, tape corrections refer to correcting measurements for the effect of
slope angle, expansion or contraction due to temperature, and the tapes sag, which varies
with the applied tension. Not correcting for these effects gives rise to systematic errors, i.e.
effects which act in a predictable manner and therefore can be corrected by mathematical
methods. Corrections to taping are applied using the following rules:
Rule 1: When a line is measured with a tape that is too long, the corrections is
applied to the observed length by adding.
Rule 2: When the line to be laid out with a tape that is too long corrections are to be
subtracted.
Rule 3: When measuring, or laying out lengths, with a tape that is too short,
corrections are applied opposite to those stated in the first two rules.
When distances are measured along the slope, the equivalent horizontal distance
may be determined by applying a slope correction.
When measuring, or laying out distances, the standard temperature of the tape and
the temperature of the tape at time of measurement are usually different. A difference in
temperature will cause the tape to lengthen or shorten, so the measurement taken will not
be correct. A correction can be applied to the measured length to obtain the correct length.

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For common tape measurements, the tape used is a steel tape with coefficient of thermal
expansion equal to 0.0000116 units per unit length per degree Celsius change. This
means that the tape changes length by 1.16 mm per 10 m tape per 10 C change from the
standard temperature of the tape. For a 30 m long tape with standard temperature of 20 C
used at 40 C, the change in length is 7 mm over the length of the tape.
A tape not supported along its length will sag and form a catenary between end
supports. Sag shortens the horizontal distance between end graduations, because the
tape length remains the same. Sag can be diminished but not eliminated unless the tape is
supported throughout.
Some tapes are already calibrated to account for the sag at a standard tension. In
this case, errors arise when the tape is pulled at a tension which differs from the standard
tension used at standardization. The tape will stretch less than its standard length when a
tension less than the standard tension is applied, making the tape too short. A tape
stretches in an elastic manner until it reaches its elastic limit, when it will deform
permanently and ruin the tape.
Manufacturers of measuring tapes do not usually guarantee the exact length of
tapes, and standardization is a process where a standard temperature and tension are
determined at which the tape is the exact length. The nominal length of tapes can be
affected by physical imperfection, stretching or wear. Constant use of tapes cause wear,
tapes can become kinked and may be improperly repaired when breaks occur.

B. Algorithms
1. Correction due to Slope
s

d Ch

L' =L Ch

a. Gentle slope (less than 20%)

2
h
Ch = ( 0 37)
2s

b. Steep slope (between 20% to 30%)

2 4
h h
Ch = + ( 3845)
2s 8 s 3

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c. Very steep slope (greater than 30%)

Ch = s(1- cos ) ( 46 )

2. Correction due to Temperature

Ct = CL (TT s )

'
L =L Ct

where: C = coefficient of linear expansion

= 0.0000116/ C
L = length of tape or length of line measured
T = observed temperature of the tape at the time of measurement
Ts = temperature at which the tape was standardized
3. Correction due to Tension

( Pm - P s ) L
Cp =
AE

w
A=
Lt (unit weight)

P
unit stress A
E= =
elongation e
unit length L

'
L =L Cp

where: Pm = pull applied during measurement (kg)

Ps = standard pull for which tape is calibrated
L = measured length of line (m)
A = cross sectional area of the tape (m2, cm2)
E = modulus of elasticity of the tape (kg/cm 2)
= 2.00 x 106 to 2.10 x 106 kg/ cm2
4. Correction due to Sag
w2L 2 L3
Cs = 2
or C s = 2
24 P 24 P

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w= L

L' =L Cs

where: = weight if tape per unit length (kg/m)

w = total weight of tape between supports (kg)
L = interval between supports on the length of tape (m)
P = tension or pull applied (kg)
5. Correction due to Incorrect Tape Length
ML
( )
C = Cor r ' n
NL

Corrn = TL - NL
CL = ML C

where: C = total correction applied to the measured or laid-out length

CL = corrected length
ML = measured length
TL = true length of tape
NL = nominal length (length of the tape)
C. Numerical Example
1. Correction due to Slope
A traverse line was measured in three sections: 295.85 m at slope 8 o 45,
149.58 m at slope 4o 29, and 373.48 m at slope 4o 25. Determine the horizontal distance
between the two points.
2
h
Ch =
2s

h1
sin 8 45= ; h 1 = 45.01 m
295.85

2
(45.01)
Ch1 = = 3.42 m
2(295.85)

d 1 = 295.85 - 3.42; d 1 = 292.43 m

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h2
sin 4 29= ; h2 = 11.69 m
149.58

(11.69)2
Ch2 = = 0.46 m
2(149.58)

d 2 = 149.58 - 0.46; d 2 = 149.12 m

h3
sin4 25= ; h 3 = 28.76 m
373.48

2
(28.76)
Ch3 = = 1.11 m
2(373.48)

d 3 = 373.48 - 1.11; d3 = 372.37 m

d = d 1 + d 2 + d 3 = 292.43+149.12+372.37; d = 813.92 m

2. Correction due to Temperature

A 30-meter steel tape is of standard length at 20 oC. If the coefficient of
thermal expansion of steel is 0.0000116/oC, determine the distance to be laid out using this
tape to establish two exactly 1235.65 m apart when the temperature is 33 oC.
0.0000116
Ct = ( 30 )( 33-20 ) ; Ct =4.524 x 10-3

Ct ( for measured length ) = 0.0000116 ( 1235.65 ) (30)(33-20); Ct = +0.19 m

' '
L = 1235.65-0.19; L = 1235.46 m

3. Correction due to Tension

A steel tape is 30-meter weighing 1.75 kg is of standard length under a pull of
4.55 kg, supported for full length. This tape was used in measuring a line (found to be
1371.50m) on smooth level ground under a steady pull of 8 kg. Assuming E = 2.05 x 10 6
kg/cm2 and that the unit weight of steel is 7.9 x 10 -3 kg/ cm2, determine the following:
a. cross-sectional area of tape
b. correction for increase in tension per tape length
c. correction for increase in tension for the whole length measured
d. correct length of the measured line

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Solution:
a. cross-sectional area
1.75 kg 100
A = -3
(30 m)(7.9x 10 ) 1 ( )
; A = 0.074 cm2

b. Cp per tape length

( 84.55 ) (30)
C p= ; C p=+ 0.0007 m
( 0.074 ) (2.05 x 106 )

c. C p for the whole length

( 84.55 ) (1371.50)
C p= ; C p=+0.031 m
( 0.074 ) (2.05 x 106 )

d. Correct length

L' = 1371.50 + 0.031; L' = 1371.531 m

4. A 30-meter steel tape weighs 1.5 kg and is supported at its end points and at the
5 and 15 meter marks. If a pull of 8 kg is applied, determine the correction due to sag
between supports and for one tape length.
a. Correction (Cs between supports)

( 1.5 )2 (5)
Cs1 = ; Cs1 = 0.0073 m
24 (8)2

( 1.5 )2 (10)
Cs2 = ; Cs2 = 0.0146 m
24 (8)2

( 1.5 )2 ( 1 5)
Cs3 = ; Cs3 = 0.022 m
24 (8)2

CsT = Cs1 + Cs2 + Cs3 = 0.0073+0.0146+0.022 ; CsT = 0.044 m

b. Cs for one tape length

(1.5 )2 (30)
Cs = ; Cs1 = 0.044 m
24 (8) 2

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