Surveying

(CE2005)

Linear Measurements ~ Chaining

Dr. Bibekananda Mandal
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Errors in chaining
• Incorrect length of tape: + or -
• Bad ranging: +
• Tape not stretched horizontally: +
• Error due to temperature: + or -
• Variation in pull: ±
• Error due to sag: +
• Error due to slope: +
• Errors in reading the tape
• Incorrect counting of tape lengths etc.
Chain and tape corrections
1. Correction for absolute length
2. Correction for temperature
3. Correction for pull or tension
4. Correction for sag
5. Correction for slope
6. Correction for horizontal alignment
7. Reduction to sea level
1. Correction for absolute length
Required when the absolute or actual length of the tape or chain is not
equal to its designated length (l).

Case (i): The absolute length of the tape > the designated length
• The measured distance will be less and the correction will be additive.

Case (ii): The absolute length of the tape < the designated length
• The measured distance will be more and the correction will be subtractive.

L.e L = Measured length

Correction for absolute length, Ca 
l e = Error in tape length
l = Designated length
L.e  e l e l' l‘ = l ± c
So, actual length measured  L   L 1     L  L
l  l  l  l
Problem-1
The distance between two points, measured with a 20 m chain, was
recorded as 327 m. It was afterwards found that the chain was 3 cm too
long. What was the true distance between the points?

Solution:
Designated length of chain (l) = 20 m. Correction for absolute length,
Error in chain (e) = 3 cm = 0.03 m L.e 327  0.03
Ca    0.4905 m (+ve)
Measured length (L) =327 m l 20
So, true length of the line = 327 + 0.4905 = 327.4905 m
l' le 20  0.03
Alternatively, actual length measured  L L  327  327.4905m.
l l 20
2. Correction for temperature
• If the temperature in the field is more than the temperature at which
the tape was standardised, the length of the tape increases, measured
distance becomes less and the correction is therefore, additive.
• Similarly, if the temperature is less, the tape decreases, measured
distance becomes more and the correction is therefore, subtractive.

Correction for temperature, Ct   Tm  T0  L α = Coefficient of thermal expansion

Tm = Mean temperature in the field
T0 = Standard temperature
L = Measured length of the line
3. Correction for pull or tension
• If the pull applied during measurement is more than the pull at which
the tape was standardised, the length of the tape increases, measured
distance becomes less, and correction is positive.
• Similarly, if the pull is less, the length of the tape decreases, measured
distance becomes more and the correction is negative.

 P  P0  P = Applied pull
Correction for pull, C p  L P0 = Standard pull
AE
L = Measured length of the line
A = Cross-sectional area of tape
E = Young’s modulus
4. Correction for sag
• Necessary when the measurement is taken with a tape in suspension
i.e. when, it forms catenary (the curve that an idealized hanging chain or cable
assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends).
• The correction due to sag is always negative, as the horizontal distance
will be less than the distance measured along the curve.
• The difference between horizontal distance and the measured length
along catenary is called the Sag Correction.
2
LW P0 = standard pull
Correction for sag, Cs  L = length of tape or, chain between
24 P 2
the supports
W = total weight of tape or, chain
P = applied pull
Normal tension
• Normal tension is the pull which, when applied to the tape, equalises
the correction due to pull and the correction due to sag.
i.e. elongation due to pull = shortening due to sag
• So, no correction is necessary for pull as well as sag.
 P  P0  Correction for sag, Cs 
LW 2
Correction for pull, C p  L
AE 24 P 2
 Pn  P0  L LW 2
Say,  where, Pn = Normal pull or, tension
AE 24 Pn 2
2
W AE
or, Pn  Pn  P0  
2
or, Pn 3  P0 Pn 2  W 2 AE / 24  0
24
Problem-2
A 30 m long steel tape was standardised at 20˚C with a pull of 10 kg. A
line was measured with this tape under a pull of 15 kg and at a mean
field temperature of 32˚C and found to be 780 m long. The cross
sectional area of the tape = 0.03 cm2, total weight = 0.693 kg, α = 11 ×
10-6 per ˚C and E for steel = 2.1 × 106 kg/cm2.
• Calculate the true length of the line if the tape was supported at every
30 m (at ends) during measurement.
• Find the value of pull for which measured distance would be equal to
the correct distance at 20˚C.
Solution
Correction for 30 m length of tape:
Given, L = 30 m, T0 =20 ˚C, Tm =32 ˚C, α = 11 × 10-6 per ˚C
P0 = 10 kg, P = 15 kg, A = 0.03 cm2, E = 2.1 × 106 kg/cm2
W = 0.693 kg

Correction for temperature, Ct   Tm  T0  L  11  10  32  20   30

6

 0.00396 m (+ve)
 P  P0  15  10
Correction for pull, C p  L  30  0.00238 m (+ve)
AE 0.03  2.1  10 6

LW 2 30  0.6932
Correction for sag, Cs    0.00267 m (-ve)
24 P 2
24  15 2
Solution Contd.

• So, total correction for 30 m length of tape

= 0.00396 + 0.00238 - 0.00267 = + 0.00367 (+ve)

• So, actual length measured per 30 m = 30 + 0.00367 = 30.00367 m

30.00367
So, actual length measure measured =  780  780.094 m.
30
Solution Contd.
• Normal tension:
 Pn  P0  L LW 2
i.e. elongation due to pull = shortening due to sag or, 
AE 24 Pn 2
Pn 3  P0 Pn 2  W 2 AE / 24  0
or, Pn 3  10 Pn 2  0.6932  0.03  2.1  106 / 24  0
or, Pn 3  10 Pn 2  1260.65  0

• Solving, the above equation, Pn = 15.35 kg.

 P  P0  15.35  10
Correction for pull, C p  L  30  0.002548 m (+ve)
AE 0.03  2.1  10 6

2
So, the net correction
LW 30  0.693 2
Correction for sag, Cs    0.002548 m (-ve) required is zero
24 P 2
24  15.35 2
 5. Correction for slope
Distance measured along the slope is always greater than the horizontal
distance and hence the correction is always subtractive.
Correction for slope,
Cv  AB  AB1  L  L2  h 2
h2
 L  L 1 2
L
 h2 h4  h2 h4 h2 h4 h2
 L  L 1  2  4  ...   L  L   3  ...   3  ...
 2 L 8L  2L 2L 2 L 8L 2L

Also, Cv  L  L cos  L 1  cos    2 L sin 2  2 

• Binomial series:
6. Correction for horizontal alignment
• Bad ranging or misalignment: Tape is stretched out of line, measured
distance will always be more and hence the correction will be
negative.
d2
Correction, Ch 
2L

• Deformation of the tape in horizontal plane: If the tape is not pulled

straight.
d2 d2
Correction, Ch  
2 L1 2 L2
7. Reduction to sea level
The measured length can be reduced to its equivalent distance at mean
sea level.

D L
 
R Rh
1
R  h  h
or, D  L  L 1    L 1  
Rh  R  R
Lh
or, D  L 
R
Lh
Correction, Cmsl 
R
Next topic
On Chain Surveying
Chain surveying is that type of surveying in which only linear measurements
are made in the field.
The principle of chain survey is triangulation.
Chain survey provides a skeleton or framework consisting of a number of
connected triangles (well conditioned), as triangle is the only simple figure
that can be plotted from the lengths of the sides measured in the field.

• Survey stations ~ Main stations, Subsidiary stations, Tie stations ~ Selection

• Survey lines ~ Base line, check line • Offset
• Procedure • Plotting
Thank you…