ELEMENTARY SURVEYING

FIELD MANUAL
 2006

FIELD WORK NO. 3

TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND

COURSE AND SECTION: ____________

SUBMITTED BY:

SN. __ NAME: __________________ STUDENT NO.:_________________

GROUP NO. _______ CHIEF OF PARTY: ______________

DATE OF FIELDWORK: ________ DATE OF SUBMISSION: _________

SUBMITTED TO:

PROFESSOR: ______________________ GRADE

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 15
 GROUP NO. ______ CHIEF OF PARTY: ___________

MEMBERS:

1. 4.
2. 5.
3. 6.

FIELD WORK NO. 3

TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND

OBJECTIVES:

1. To develop the skills in determining the horizontal distance of a sloping

ground by breaking the tape method up and down the slope.
2. To acquire the skills in determining the horizontal distance of a sloping ground
by using the tape and the Abney hand level.

INSTRUMENTS:

1. 2 range poles or equivalent

2. chalk and/or 1 set of marking pins or any markers
3. 2 plumb bobs or makeshift similar instrument
4. Meter tape or any measuring tool
5. Abney hand level and magnifying lens or protractor or equivalent

PROCEDURE:

BREAKING THE TAPE METHOD

MEASURING UP THE SLOPE

1. The student designates two points on a sloping ground to be measured

marked the lower point down the hill as A and uphill as B. It can be the stairs
or step inside the house or similar inclined plane. (Note: Make sure that point
A with a range pole or equivalent will be visible from B to keep the path
straight). The student may seek for assistance from family members in the
conduct of this activity.
2. Set or hold range poles or equivalent behind points A and B or outside the
course AB. These poles or equivalent will aid the students to travel in a
straight path. The student (front tapeman) holds the reeled out tape while the
0-mark elevated by about a breast high is held by the family member (rear

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 16
 tapeman) directly over point A with the use of the plumb bob or similar
makeshift tool.
3. The student (front tapeman) aligns himself along the course AB with the aid
direction given by the family member (rear tapeman). The student while
holding the end of a tape length, pulls the tape taut to make the tape
horizontal. (Note extra care is needed to make sure that the tape is along the
line AB and the ends of the tape are on one horizontal level).
4. The student (front tapeman) drives a marking pin on the ground or marks a
chalk on the pavement or any markers once the tape is horizontal and the
course is a straight path from A to B.
5. The family member (rear tapeman) leaves point A and moves up the slope to
the pin previously driven by the student (front tapeman). Family member
(front tapeman) now moves further upward.
6. Procedures 3-4 are repeated until all possible full tape length can be
accommodated by the course.
7. The last partial tape length is measured if possible with the 0-mark of the tape
now held at B. All data must be carefully recorded on the computation sheet
provided for this field work.

MEASURING DOWN THE SLOPE

1. The same two points will be used by the students but this time the 0-mark is
now held by the family member (front tapeman) and they are to travel down
the slope on a course from B to A.
2. Set or hold range poles or equivalent behind points A and B or outside the
course AB. These poles will aid the students to travel in a straight path. The
student (front tapeman) now must hold the 0-mark about a breast high with
the aid of a plumb bob or makeshift similar instrument.
3. The family member (rear tapeman) on the upper hill B now guides the student
(front tapeman) to straighten his path. The family member (rear tape man)
holds the end of the full tape length.
4. Once the alignment is attained, the student (front tapeman) drops the plumb
bob or equivalent and drives a marking pin or marks the pavement with a
chalk or any marker where the plumb bob dent is found.
5. The family member (rear tapeman) leaves point B and moves down the slope
to the pin previously driven by the student (front tapeman). Student (front
tapeman) now moves further downward.
6. Procedures 3-4 are repeated until a full tape length can be accommodated by
the course.
7. The last partial tape length is measured if possible with the 0-mark of the tape
now held at B. All data must be carefully recorded on the computation sheet
provided for in this field work.

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 17
 BREAKING THE TAPE METHOD

L=FULL LENGTH OF THE TAPE

L
A
L
L1=PARTIAL LENGTH
L OF THE TAPE

ABNEY HAND LEVEL AND TAPE METHOD

HD1
Θ1

A SD1 HD2
Θ2
A
HD3
SD2
Θ3
a
SD3

b B

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 18
TAPE AND ABNEY HAND LEVEL.

1. The same two points will be used but this time the 0-mark is now on the
student (front tape man) and they are on course from A to B.
2. Abney hand level or protractor or equivalent will be used with the pole on the
stations occupied such as the first point A.
3. The level or protractor or equivalent will be more accurate in seeing the
alignment of the end courses A and B.
4. The student (front tapeman) holds the 0-mark and drives the pin exactly at
the observed station after aligning it at B and after pulling the tape taut.
5. The sloping distance is measured and carefully recorded by the family
member (rear tapeman).
6. Using the Abney hand level or protractor or equivalent, the observed station
is sighted and the angle of inclination (if going up the sloping ground ) /angle
of depression ( if going down the slope) is carefully determined. Read from
the clinometer of the Abney hand level and then record the reading on the
computation sheet provided for in this field manual.
7. The instrument man with the Abney hand level or protractor or equivalent
and the range pole moves up the hill/down until he reaches the observed
station previously occupied by the student (front tapeman).
8. This procedure is to be followed until you have reached point B.

COMPUTATION:

PRINCIPLE

There are several ways that we can measure the horizontal distance of a sloping
ground. It can be accomplished by breaking the tape method, both in going up to its
slope and down to its slope. Another is by using the abney hand level, which is
usually a 50 cm long device. Abney hand levels consist of sighting with level on one
end as a deep sight opening for viewing sighted object. A horizontal line of sight is
established if the bubble is centered while sighting through the tube. This device is
simply a level adopted for measuring vertical angles. Vertical aide is acted on where
angles are read. It gives the value and the slope in terms of arc measure.

QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the breaking the tape
method in measuring the horizontal distance of a sloping terrain?
2. Give other methods of determining the horizontal distance between two
points.

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 19
 PRELIMINARY DATA SHEET

FIELD WORK 3 TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND

DATE: GROUP NO.

TIME: LOCATION:
WEATHER: PROFESSOR:

A. TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND (UP HILL AND DOWN HILL)

TRIAL LINE NUMBER OF PARTIAL TOTAL MEAN

FULL TAPE TAPE DISTANCE DISTANCE
LENGTH LENGTH (M) (M) (M)
1 AB
2 BA

1 TAPE LENGTH = _______

B. COMPUTATIONS:

C. TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND USING TAPE AND ABNEY HAND LEVEL

STATION STATION SLOPING VERTICAL CORRECTED TOTAL

OCCUPIED OBSERVED DISTANCE ANGLE DISTANCE DISTANCE
A 1
1 2
2 3
3 B

D. COMPUTATIONS:

E. SKETCH:

SIGNATURE OF STUDENT

SIGNATURE OF PROFESSOR

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 20
 FINAL DATA SHEET

FIELD WORK 3 TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND

DATE: GROUP NO.

TIME: LOCATION:
WEATHER: PROFESSOR:

B. TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND (UP HILL AND DOWN HILL)

TRIAL LINE NUMBER OF PARTIAL TOTAL MEAN

FULL TAPE TAPE DISTANCE DISTANCE
LENGTH LENGTH (M) (M) (M)
1 AB
2 BA

1 TAPE LENGTH = _______

B. COMPUTATIONS:

C. TAPING ON SLOPING GROUND USING TAPE AND ABNEY HAND LEVEL

STATION STATION SLOPING VERTICAL CORRECTED TOTAL

OCCUPIED OBSERVED DISTANCE ANGLE DISTANCE DISTANCE
A 1
1 2
2 3
3 B

D. COMPUTATIONS:

E. SKETCH:

SIGNATURE OF STUDENT

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING 21