PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS

Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 05

horizontal length between plumb

TOPIC OUTLINE lines at the points.

COMPOSITION OF TAPING
PARTY
A. Composition of Taping
Party
Taping is the process of
a. Head Tapeman directly measuring distances
b. Recorder with the use of graduated tape,
c. Flagman When the measurement is
d. Rear Tapeman undertaken in fairly level
ground in an open field, the
B. The Procedure of Taping
taping party usually consists
a. Aligning the Tape of the following individuals.
b. Stretching the Tape
c. Plumbing 1. Head Tapeman. The person
d. Marking Full Tape responsible for the
accuracy and speed of all
Lengths
linear measurements with
e. Tallying Taped the tape. He determined
Measurements and directs the marking of
f. Measuring Fractional points or stations, orders
Lengths the clearing out of
obstructions along lines
C. Breaking Tape
to the measured, and is
D. Slope Taping the person who carries the
E. Corrections in Taping zero end of the tape
F. Correction due to ahead.
incorrect tape length 2. Recorder. Keeps a record
of all measurements,
sketches and observations
taken during the process
LEARNING OBJECTIVES of measurement.
3. Flagman. The person whose
duty is to hold the range
pole (or flagpole) at
1. To be able to learn and selected points. He also
study the composition, helps the tapeman in
procedure, aligning, making measurements and
stretching, marking and assists in clearing out
measuring horizontal distances obstructions along the
in surveying. line to be measured.
4. Rear Tapeman. The person
whose duty is to assist
OVERVIEW the head tapeman during a
taping operation. He is
the one who holds the 30-m
end or any intermediate
One of the most important
meter mark of the tape
operations in surveying is
during a measurement.
measurement of horizontal
distance between two points. If
the points are at different
elevations, the distance is the
THE PROCEDURE OF TAPING

1
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 05

head tapeman, after being

The usual procedure in the lined-in properly, exerts
taping of distances will the required pull on the
involve the process of aligning tape, notes the zero end
the tape, stretching it, and sets a pin beside it.
plumbing selected tape marks, The chaining pin may be
marking and recording tape set vertically in the
lengths. ground or given a slant at
right angles to the line
1. Aligning the tape. When a measured.If the head
line is to be measured, tapeman is satisfied that
both ends must first be the measurement was done
marked. It may also be accordingly, he
necessary to establish a signalsthat the point
few intermediate points to marked is acceptable.
serve as guides in 5. Tallying Taped
obtaining a straight line. Measurements. At the
2. Stretching the Tape. With initial point the rear
the 30-m mark held at the tapeman holds one pin and
initial point, and the the head tapeman begins
head tapeman aligned, the with ten pins carried on
rear tapeman calls out his steel ring. This is
“all right” or “OK”. The the reason why a set of
head tapeman takes his eleven pins is normally
position just to the left used during taping
(or right) of the line, operations. The first pin
kneels, and pulls the tape which the rear tapeman
taut. The tape may be held holds indicates that one
between the fingers and tape length has already
the palm. He then sticks a been measured, and the
chaining pin into the total number of pins in
ground to mark the zero- his possession indicates
meter end of the tape. the total number of full
When the head tapeman sets tape lengths that have so
his pin, the rear tapeman far been measured.
should be holding his end 6. Measuring Fractional
of the tape precisely on Lengths. When the last
the mark. segment of the line is to
3. Plumbing. When the ground be measured, this will
is covered by obstacles, often be a measurement
weeds, low brush, and which will consist of a
irregularities in the fractional tape length.
ground surface, it will Upon reaching the end of a
difficult or impossible to line, the head tapeman
lay the tape on the ground comes to a halt and the
during measurement. Both rear tapeman positions
ends of the tape should himself at the last pin
instead be held above set. The rear tapeman
ground and in a horizontal holds the tape in such a
position. manner that a whole meter
4. Marking Full Tape Lengths. mark is aligned with and
When a full tape length opposite the pin. The
measured the rear tapeman terminal point should fall
holds his end of the tape within the end meter mark
opposite the pin earlier of the tape which is
set on the ground. The subdivided into smaller

2
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 05

graduations, usually in In Fig., if the angle ∝ is

centimeters. known, the horizontal distance
between points A and B can be
computed from the relation
BREAKING TAPE
D = s cos∝ ………………….……….……Eq.(1)

Where d is the horizontal

In measuring down a slope, the
distance between the two
zero end of the tape is carried
points, s is the measured slope
ahead. When the full tape
length between the points, and
length is stretched out, the
head tapeman lays the tape on ∝ is the angle of inclination
the ground and returns ups the from the horizontal.
slope to pick up the tape at
some meter mark which will If the difference in
allow him to hold horizontally elevation, h , between the ends
a convenient length between of the line (or tape) is known,
himself and the rear tapeman. the horizontal distance is
The tape is usually held at computed using the following
about the level of the waist or expression derived from the
chest. After the head tapeman pythagorean theorem.
plumbs his end of the tape and
marks its projection on the d=√𝒔𝟐 − 𝒉𝟐 ………………..………………Eq.(2)
ground, he drops the tape and
proceeds down the slope to hold
the tape horizontally at some CORRECTIONS IN TAPING
other convenient meter mark.

Taping operations could be

SLOPE TAPING either be of the following:
taping to determine an unknown
length or taping for the
purpose of laying out a
Taped measurements may be made required or specified length.
directly along the slopes when Regardless of which of these
the ground is of uniform two categories is involved,
inclination and fairly smooth, there are some corrections
rather than break tape every which are applied to the
few meters. This very practical original measurements to
method is generally preferred determine the correct and more
since measurements could be accurate length.
made quickly and more Corrections to taping are
accurately than horizontal applied by the use of the
measurements. following rules:

1st RULE: When a line is

measured with a tape that is
“too long”, the corrections are
applied to the observed length
by adding.
2nd RULE: When a specified or
required length is to be laid
out with a tape that is “too
long”, the corrections are
subtracted from the known

3
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 05

length to determine the tape used. In Eq. (3), when the

corrected length to be laid resulting difference is a
out. positive value, the tape used
3rd RULE: When measuring or is too long; and is too short,
laying lengths with a tape that if negative.
is “too short”, the corrections Correspondingly, corrected
are applied opposite to those distances which are measured or
stated in the first two rules. laid out with a tape that is
too long or too short can be
Considering these three rules, determined from the following
the student should note equations
carefully when a correction
should be added or subtracted. 𝑴𝑳
C1 = Corr ( 𝑵𝑳 )……………………………Eq. (4)
This should be given an
CL = ML ± C1 ……………………………Eq. (5)
important consideration
especially when the tape used
Where:
proves to be in appreciable
C1=total correction to be
error from the standard.
applied to the measured length
or length to be laid out
CORRECTIONS DUE TO CL=corrected length of the line
INCORRECT TAPE LENGTH to be measured or laid out
ML=measured length or length to
be laid out
Manufacturers of assorted NL=nominal length of tape
measuring tapes do not usually
guarantee their products to be ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM
exactly their correct length.
They do not provide a SLOPE TAPING. A measurement is
standardization certificate made along a line that is
unless requested, and this inclined by a vertical angle of
usually has to be paid an extra 15°25’ as measured using a hand
amount. They do not provide a level and clinometer. The slope
standardization certificate measurement is 756.52m. What is
unless requested, and this the corresponding horizontal
usually has to be paid an extra distance?
amount. These tapes rarely
correspond exactly with its
specified nominal length since
they may actually be slightly
shorter or longer.
The absolute value for the
correction per tape length
(Corr) is determined from the
difference between the true or
actual length of tape (TL) and Solution
the nominal length of tape (NL)
or d = s x cos∝ = 756.52 cos
(15°25’) = 729.30m
Corr = TL – NL …………………….Eq. (3)

This discrepany is normally

assumed to be distributed
uniformly throughout the tape
and is directly proportional to
the fractional segment of the

4
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 05

vertical lines at the points.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

REFERENCES

Measurement with Tape. A

rectangular lot was measured Elementary Surveying
using a 50-m steel tape which
was found to be 0.025 m too Alfeo La Putt
short. If the recorded length
and width of the lot are
180.455m and 127.062m,
Prepared by:
respectively, determine the
following:
a) Actual dimensions of the ENGR. ELMAR T. ANTOLIN
lot Faculty, Civil Engineering
b) Error in area introduced Department
due to the erroneous College of Engineering and
length of tape. Architecture

Laying out dimensions with

tape. A building 38mx45m is to
be laid out with a 50-m long
metallic tape. If during
standardization the tape is
found to be only 49.950 too
short, determine the following:
a) Dimensions of the laid
out, using this tape, in
order that the building
shall have the desired
dimension.
b) Using the same tape what
should the diagonals read?

SUMMARY

Distance measuring is generally

regarded as the most
fundamental of all surveying
observations.

Angles may be read but at least

one line must be measured to
supplement the angles in
locating points.
In plane surveying, the
distance between two points
means horizontal distance

If the points are at different

elevations, the distance is the
horizontal length between