College of Engineering (COE)

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE)

“CE 211B – FUNDAMENTALS OF SURVEYING”

“MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCES”

CORRECTION APPLIED FOR TAPE MEASUREMENTS:

1. Temperature Correction (CT): to be added or subtracted

CT = α (∆T) L1
CT = Correction due to temperature
T2 = temperature during the time of observation
T1 = standard temperature/temperature during calibration
L1 = standard length
α = 11.6 x 10-6 / 0C (steel)

2. Pull Correction (Cp): to be added or subtracted

(P2−P1)(L1)
Cp =
AE
Cp = correction due to pull
P2 = applied pull
P1 = standard pull/pull applied during calibration
A = cross-sectional area of the tape
E = modulus of elasticity = 200 GPa (for steel)
3. Sag Correction (Cs): to be subtracted ONLY

w2 L3
Csag =
24P22

Csag = correction due to sag

Where: w – linear density
4. Slope Correction (Csl): to be subtracted ONLY
h2
Csl = ; H = S – Cslope
2S

h = difference in elevation between the ends of the measurement.

S = sloping distance
H = horizontal distance
θ = angle between S and H
 5. Sea level Correction

L’ = L ( 1 – h/R ) ; Note: the average radius of the earth is roughly 6,400km

L’ = length at mean sea level.
L = length measured at the specified elevation
R = distance from the earth’s core to the specified location.
Rearth = distance from the earth’s core to the mean sea level.
h = elevation of the place where the length is measured.
Lh
NOTE: Cmsl =
R

This correction is subtracted if the line measured is above sea level and added if
the line is measure below sea level.

6. Normal Tension – the necessary pull to compensate the correction due to sag.

Csag = Cpull

SAMPLE PROBLEMS:

To measure a base line, a steel tape 30m long, standardized at 150C with a pull of 80N was used.
Find the correction per tape length, if the temperature at the time of measurement is 25 0C and
the pull exerted is 150N. Take young’s modulus of 2x105 N/mm2 and coefficient of thermal
expansion of 11.2x10-6/0C. Cross-sectional area of tape is 8mm2.

A student was asked to make a 345.43m long line using a 25m tape that is 0.0021m too long.
What is the required measurement?

The baseline of the triangulation survey was measured to be 1800m at a place having an altitude
of 8km above sea level. Compute the sea level correction of the baseline.

SITUATION: A 30m steel tape is 2mm too long at 200C with a pull of 55N. A rectangle is
measured with this tape. The sides are recorded as 144.95m and 113.00m. The average
temperature during the measurement is 300C with a pull of 55N. Use coefficient of expansion
of steel tape as a 0.0000116/0C.

a. Compute the actual length of tape during measurement

b. What is the true area

c. What is the error in area in sq. m.

SITUATION: A 50m tape was standardized and was found to be 0.0042m too long than the
standard length at an observed temperature of 580C and a pull of 15Kilos. The same tape was
used to measure a certain distance and was recorded to be 673.92m long at an observed
temperature of 680C and a pull of 15kilos. Coefficient of linear expansion is 0.0000116/0C.

a. Determine the standard temperature

b. Determine the total correction

c. Determine the true length of the line

SITUATION: A line is recorded as 472.90m long. It is measured with a 0.65kg tape which is
30.005m long at 20 0C under a 50N pull supported at both ends. During measurement, the
temperature is 5 0C and the tape is suspended under a 75N pull. The line is measured on 3%
grade. E = 200GPa, cross sectional area of tape is 3mm2 and the coefficient of linear expansion
is 0.0000116/0C.

a. Compute the actual length of tape during measurement

b. Compute the total error to be corrected for the inclined distance.

c. What is the true horizontal distance?

ERRORS AND MISTAKES

ERRORS – is defined as the difference between the true value and the measured value of the
quantity.

MISTAKES – are inaccuracies in measurements which occur because some aspects of a surveying
operation is performed by the Geodetic Engineer with carelessness, poor judgments and
improper execution.

TYPES OF ERRORS:

1. Systematic Error – one which will always have the same sign and magnitude as long as the
field conditions remain constant and unchanged.

2. Accidental Error – purely accidental. The occurrence is matters of chance as they are likely to
be positive or negative. May tend in part to compensate or average out, according laws of
probability.

SOURCES OF ERRORS:

1. Instrumental Error

2. Nature Error

3. Personal Error
PROBABILITY – is defined as the number of times something will probably occur over the range
of possible occurrences.

PROBABLE ERROR, PE – defines the quantity which when added to or subtracted from the most
probable value, defines a range within there is a 50% chance that the true value of the measured
quantity lies inside (or outside) the limits thus set.

1. STANDARD DEVIATION / ERROR A SINGLE OBSERVATION – also called the root-mean square,
is a measure of spread/variation/dispersion/scatter of a distribution.

∑(x−μ)2
Sx = ± √
n−1

2. STANDARD ERROR / ERROR OF THE MEAN – also called the standard deviation of the mean,
is a method used to estimate the standard deviation of a sampling distribution. It measures the
accuracy with which a sample represents a population.
Sx
Sµ= ±
√n

3. PROBABLE ERROR A SINGLE OBSERVATION:

PES = ±0.6745 Sx

4. PROBABLE ERROR OF THE MEAN:

PEM = ±0.6745 Sµ

INTERRELATIONSHIP OF ERRORS

Summation of errors: PESUM = ±√𝑃𝐸12 + 𝑃𝐸22 + ⋯ + 𝑃𝐸𝑛2

Product of errors: PEPRODUCT = ±√(𝑄1𝑥𝑃𝐸2)2 + (𝑄2𝑥𝑃𝐸1)2

RULES FOR WEIGHTED MEASUREMENTS:

1. The weight is directly proportional to the number of observations or measurements.

2. The weight is inversely proportional to the square of the probable errors.
3. The weight is inversely proportional to the distances.
4. The weight is inversely proportional to the number of set-ups.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS:

SITUATION: From the measured values of distance AB, the following trials were recorded.

TRIALS Distance (m)

1 120.68
2 120.84
3 120.76
4 120.64
a. Find the probable error

b. Find the standard deviation

c. Find the standard error

SITUATION: The following data shows the difference in elevation between A and B.

TRIAL DIFFERENCE IN ELEVATION NO. OF MEASUREMENT

1 520.14m 2
2 520.20m 4
3 520.18m 8
4 520.24m 5

a. Determine the most probable value of the measurements

b. Calculate the standard deviation/error of any single observation

c. Calculate the standard deviation/error of the mean

d. Calculate the probable error of any single observation

e. Calculate the probable error of the mean.

SITUATION: The following data are the observed elevation of a point by running a line of levels
over four different routes.

ROUTE ELEVATION PROBABLE ERROR

1 521.22 ±0.01
2 520.80 ±0.02
3 521.36 ±0.03
4 521.32 ±0.06

a. Using the method of least squares, determine the weight of elevation taken from route 4.
b. Determine the corresponding relative weight of the elevation taken from route 2 if the
relative weight of route 4 is set as 1.0

c. Determine the most probable value of the elevation of the observed point.

SITUATION: The following interior angles of a triangular traverse were measured with the same
precision.

Angle Value No. of measurement

A 41 5
B 77 6
C 63 2
a. determine the error in angle A, in sexagesimal form.

b. Determine the most probable value of angle C in sexagesimal form.

SITUATION: From the following tabulated data, several lines of levels are run over different
routes from BM1 to BM2.

Route Distance (km) Difference in elevation

A 6.32 120.742m
B 8.46 120.825m
C 10.53 120.863m
a. Determine the weight of the data obtained using route B, relative to the data with the smallest
weight.

b. Determine the most probable value of the difference in elevation between BM1 and BM2.

PROBLEM: Assume that a line is measured in three sections, with errors in the individual parts
equal to ±0.012, ±0.028, ±0.020 feet respectively. Determine the anticipated error of the total
length.

SITUATION: The two sides of a rectangular lot were measured with certain estimated probable
errors as follows: W = 253.36±0.06m and L = 624.15±0.08m.

a. Determine the probable error in the area of the rectangle lot.

b. Determine the probable range where the true area may lie.

INSTRUCTOR: ENGR. EDMAR P. MARFA