MAPÚA UNIVERSITY

School of Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING
FIELD MANUAL

FIELD WORK NO.1

PACING ON LEVEL GROUND

COURSE AND SECTION: CE120-2-0F / A2

SUBMITTED BY:

NAME: JUNE N. LANTACON STUDENT NO.: 2019161156

GROUP NO. 3 CHIEF OF PARTY:
DATE OF FIELDWORK: 8/26/20 DATE OF SUBMISSION: 9/1/20

SUBMITTED TO:

PROFESSOR: ENGR. NINIA REGUINDIN

GRADE
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1

OBJECTIVES 1

INSTRUMENTS 2

PROCEDURES AND COMPUTATIONS 2–4

QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS 5–7

PRELIMINARY DATA SHEET 8

FINAL DATA SHEET 9

FIELD WORK PHOTOS 10

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 11

CONCLUSION 12
INTRODUCTION

Pacing is defined as a method of measuring distance with the means of pace

length wherein approximate results are involved. It is known to be one of the practical

and most valuable things learned in surveying since it does not require any instrument.

However, it is not advised for measuring distance in rough paths, swamps or any terrain

that cannot be walked in a straight line. Various purposes are served by this method

which includes surveying, engineering, geology, forestry and military field sketching. A

pace is measured in different ways: heel to heel (1 pace), heel to toe (1/2 pace), toe to

toe (1 pace) and individual’s foot length (1/2 pace). The distance is obtained by

multiplying the number of steps taken between two points by one’s pace factor. Pace

factor is determined by pacing in a given or chosen distances with multiple trials and

determining its mean.

OBJECTIVES

1. To obtain individual pace factor.

2. To determine an unknown distance by individual pacing.

3. To know the significance of using pace factor.

4. To apply the value of excellence in pacing on level ground.

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INSTRUMENTS

Figure 1. 5-meter tape Figure 2. Electrical tape for marking

PROCEDURES AND COMPUTATIONS

PROCEDURES:

For the first part of the field work, the determination of Individual Pace Factor, the

following procedures are:

1. The professor measures and designates a 50m course on a level ground.

(Remember to remove the tape while the students will be pacing on the course to

prevent them from using the tape as a basis for a straight course.)

2. The ends of the assigned course are marked with either hubs or marking pins or,

by chalk marks if on pavements. Designate the points as A and B.

3. Set or hold range poles behind points A and B or outside the course AB. These

poles will aid the students to travel in a straight path.

4. Each student should take turn pacing the course from A to B starting with heel or

toe over A, keeping their eyes focus on the range pole behind point B to keep

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 themselves on the straight path. One has to walk in their natural unaffected

manner and has to keep counting their number of paces for the entire course

being covered. A partial pace at the end of the course should be figured out to

the nearest one fourth of a pace. Record this as the number of paces for Trial

No. 1.

5. For Trial No.2, each student should walk from B to A in the same manner as in

the first trial.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for subsequent trials to comply with the number of trials

required by the professor.

7. Data should be entered in the preliminary data sheet.

For the second part of the field work, the determination of an unknown distance of the

assigned course through pacing, the following procedures are:

1. The professor marks the ends of a level course to be paced by each student.

2. Range poles are to be set up outside the level course to straighten the path of

the student.

3. Each student paces the course with the minimum number of trials as required,

recording the number of paces for each trial.

4. The professor, after all field notes shall have been submitted assigns two

students to make an actual taping of the course to determine its actual taped

distance.

COMPUTATIONS:

The computation of sample field notes is done in accordance with the steps listed

hereunder:

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1. Computations of P.F.

1. Get the sum of the 5 trials and divide its sum by number of trials to get the

mean.

𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠

𝑁 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 =
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠

2. Divide the length of the course by the mean number of paces to get the

individual Pace Factor P.F.

𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐹. = ×
𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒

2. Computation of an unknown distance and percent error

1. Get the sum of the number of paces in each trial and divide this sum by

the number of trials performed to get the mean.

𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠

𝑁 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 =
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠

2. Multiply the mean number of paces of the unknown distance by the pace

factor (P.F.) to obtain the paced distance

𝑃. 𝐷. = 𝑁 × 𝑃. 𝐹.

3. Divide the difference between the taped distance and the paced distance

by the error taped distance and multiply the quotient by 100% to get the

percentage of error.

𝑡𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 − 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒

𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠

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QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS

1. Why is it important to know the individual’s pace factor?

Knowing individual’s pace factor is necessary since it is very helpful when

instruments for measuring are not available when determining a long-distance

course or line and different people have their own pace factor, so every individual

differ on other pace factor.

2. Name Three most important pointers that an individual must remember to follow

in order to make his/her approximation of the distance of an unknown course to

be as accurate as possible.

In order for an individual to make lesser discrepancies in approximating

the distance of an unknown course, some pointers must be noted: (1) walk

straightly and uniformly as possible, (2) avoid brisk walking and (3) walk in a path

where there is no slope/s and obstruction/s along the way where pacing is to be

conducted.

3. A student tries to measure the perimeter of a small Park of his community by

pacing around the area for three consecutive times. The number of paces was

tallied at 535,543 and 539 respectively, for each trial. If the student’s pace factor

is 0.74m/pace, determine the actual perimeter of the land.

535 + 543 + 539

𝑁 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 = = 539 paces
3
𝑃. 𝐷. = 𝑁 × 𝑃. 𝐹. = 539 × 0.74 = 398.86 m

The actual perimeter of the land is 398.86 meters.

4. Every morning, joy walks school from her boarding house and takes only a single

route. For five consecutive days, she tries to count the number of paces she

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 makes. Monday morning’s number of paces made joy is listed as 345 paces. On

Tuesday, 353 paces; Wednesday; 358 paces; Thursday, 348 paces, and lastly,

on Friday 355 paces. That Friday afternoon, a surveyor from city engineer’s

office who is tasked to lay out a new drainage piping system, measured the exact

route she took and found out that the taped distance is 275 m. What is joy’s pace

factor?

345 + 353 + 358 + 348 + 355

𝑁 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 = = 351.8 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠
5

𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐹. = ×
𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒

275 𝑚 𝑚
= × = 0.7817
351.8 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒

Joy’s pace factor is 0.7817 meter per pace.

5. The table shown below was taken from Jack’s notes when he tried to determine

the perimeter of his newly acquired agricultural piece of land. Knowing that his

pace factor is 0.81, determine the perimeter of his lot. Complete the table.

NO. OF PACED PACED

TRIAL LINE PERIMETER
PACES FACTOR DISTANCE
1 AB 125.25 101.4525 m
2 BC 85 68.85 m
3 CD 79.5 64.395 m
0.81 582.9975 m
4 DE 133 107.73 m
5 EF 185 149.85 m
6 FA 112 90.72 m

𝑃. 𝐷. = 𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 × 𝑃. 𝐹.
𝑃. 𝐷.𝐴𝐵 = 125.25 × 0.81 = 101.4525 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐷.𝐵𝐶 = 85 × 0.81 = 68.85 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐷.𝐶𝐷 = 79.5 × 0.81 = 64.395 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐷.𝐷𝐸 = 133 × 0.81 = 107.73 𝑚

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 𝑃. 𝐷.𝐸𝐹 = 185 × 0.81 = 149.85 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐷.𝐹𝐴 = 112 × 0.81 = 90.72 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐷.𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 101.4525 𝑚 + 68.85 𝑚 + 64.395 𝑚 + 107.73 𝑚 + 149.85 𝑚 + 90.72 𝑚
= 582.9974 𝑚

6. The length of the basketball court from MIT’s Gym was paced by a CE student

whose pace factor is 0.78. How many paces accurate to ¼ of a pace do you think

did the student make?

𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑚
𝑃. 𝐹. = ×
𝑛𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 p𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒

1 28
× 0.78 =
4 𝑛𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 p𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠

𝑛𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 = 143.59 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠

The student made 143.59 paces to ¼ of a pace.

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8
 FINAL DATA SHEET
FIELD WORK 1 PACING ON LEVEL GROUND
DATE: 8/26/2020 GROUP NO. 3
TIME: 11:30 AM LOCATION: CABUYAO, LAGUNA
WEATHER: SUNNY PROFESSOR: ENGR. NINIA REGUINDIN
A. PACE FACTOR (P.F.) DETERMINATION
TRIAL LINE TAPED NO. OF MEAN PACE
DISTANCE PACES FACTOR
1 AB 13 m 22
2 BA 13 m 21.5
3 AB 13 m 21 21.6 0.60
4 BA 13 m 22
5 AB 13 m 21.5

B. COMPUTATIONS
22 + 21.5 + 21 + 22 + 21.5
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 = = 21.6
5
13
𝑃. 𝐹. = = 0.602
21.6

C. MEASURING DISTANCE BY PACING

TRIAL LINE NO. OF PACES MEAN PACED PACED TAPED ERROR

FACTOR DISTANCE DISTANCE
1 CD 22
2 DC 21.5
3 CD 22 21.8 0.602 13.12 m 13 m 2.4%
4 DC 21.5
5 CD 22

D. COMPUTATIONS:
|13-13.12|
22 + 21.5 + 22 + 21.5 + 22 % Error = × 100 = 2.4%
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 = = 21.8 5
5
𝑃. D. = 21.8 × 0.602 = 13.12

E. SKETCH

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FIELD WORK PHOTOS

Figure 3. Staring point of 13-meter course Figure 4. Measuring the distance

Figure 5. Marking distances with electrical tape

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In conducting the first field work which is entitled “Pacing on Level Ground”, four

objectives are met in the end of the experiment. For the first part, individual pace factor

is determined by walking or pacing a known distance course, wherein in my case was

13 meters. Five trials were conducted, from point A to B as first trial and following by B

to A and so on, the data gathered for the number of paces were: 22, 21.5, 21, 22, and

21.5. Computing for the mean, the summation of the number of paces is divided by the

number of trials. Finally, the known distance, 13 meters, is divided by the obtained

mean of the number of paces, leading to the value of pace factor which is 0.602

m/pace.

For the second part of the conducted field work, an unknown distance is

determined by pacing. In this part, the obtained pace factor, 0.602 m/pace, is utilized to

determine the paced distance. Five trials were also performed, from point C to point D

as first trials, following by D to C and so on. In this part, the data gathered were: 22,

21.5, 22, 21.5, and 22. The computed mean is 21.8, which is then multiplied to the pace

factor to acquire the paced distance. The paced distance calculated, 13.12 meters, is

then subtracted to the taped distance which is 13 meters and divided by the number of

trials to get the percentage error which resulted in to 2.4%. The sources of this

discrepancy may have come from inaccurate measurement or approximation of values

of data gathered as well as the manner of pacing.

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CONCLUSION

Pacing plays a huge role in surveying since it has practical applications for

everybody and can be performed without any measuring instruments. it consists of

counting number of paces in an unknown distance. In addition, it is also used to double

check distance measurements by more accurate methods. In this method, individual’s

pace factor is required. Pace factor is defined as the ration of measured distance to the

number of paces of an individual covering a given distance. Mathematically, it is

expressed by P.F. = (length of course)/(mean no. of paces). Even though every

individual differs on one another’s pace factor, the precision of measuring a distance by

pacing is only 1/300, still.

Based on the results of the conducted field work, all objectives are met. On the

other hand, sources of errors and discrepancies may have come from the topography,

type of shoes, time and weather of the day and soil surface. And the fact that the taped

distance that I personally utilized was extremely short which is 13 meters. It is advisable

to perform this type of experiment in at least 50-meter course to lessen inaccuracy.

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