CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)

Fall 2018
WEEK 4b
Geometric Constructions – Polygons
Sheet No. 6
Polygons: To draw different polygons by the given different methods of construction.
Instruments required: Soft and hard pencils, eraser, sharpener, drawing sheet, t square, set squares, compass and
masking tape.

GENERAL METHOD TO CONSTRUCT REGULAR POLYGONS (Figure 1)

1. Draw a line AB equal to the given length.

2. At B, draw a line BP, perpendicular and equal to AB.
3. Draw a line joining A with P.
4. With center B and radius AB, draw the quadrant AP.
5. Draw the perpendicular bisector of AB to intersect the
straight line AP at point 4 and the arc AP at point 6.
6. A regular hexagon of side = AB can be inscribed in the
circle drawn with center as point 6 and radius = A6.
7. Similarly, a regular octagon can be drawn with center as
point 8 and radius = A8, and so on.

TO CONSTRUCT A REGULAR PENTAGON, METHOD I (Figure 2)

1. Draw a line AB equal to the given length.

2. With center A and radius = AB, plot the circle 1. Plot the
circle 2 with center B and the same radius.
3. Both the circles cut each other at C and D.
4. With center C and same radius, draw an arc to cut both the
circles at E and F.
5. Draw a perpendicular bisector of the line AB which cuts the
arc EF at G.
6. Draw a line EG and extend it to circle 2 at point P.
7. Draw a line FG and extend it to circle 1 at point R.
8. With P and R as centers and radius = AB, draw arcs that
intersect each other at Q.
9. Draw lines BP, PQ, QR, and RA to get the Pentagon.

Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan

Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page I of IV
CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)
Fall 2018
TO INSCRIBE A REGULAR OCTAGON IN A GIVEN SQUARE (Figure 3)

1. Draw the given square ABCD.

2. Draw diagonals AC and BD intersecting each other at
O.
3. With center A and radius AO, draw an arc cutting AB
at point 2 and AD at point 7.
4. Similarly, with centers B, C and D and the same radius,
draw arcs and obtain points 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. as shown.
5. Draw the lines 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 and 8-1, thus completing
the octagon.

TO INSCRIBE A POLYGON IN A GIVEN CIRCLE (Figure 4)

1. With center O, draw the given circle.

2. Draw a diameter AB, and divide it into equal number of parts (depends on the number of sides of the polygon. In our
case is 7.) and number them as shown.
3. With centers A and B and radius = AB, draw arcs intersecting each
other at point P.
4. Draw a line P-2 and produce it to meet the circle at C. So AC is the
length of the side of the polygon.
5. Starting from C, draw arcs on the circle, the radius being equal to
the length of side of the polygon.
6. Draw the lines CD, DE, etc. to get the required polygon.

Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan

Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page II of IV
CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)
Fall 2018
TO CONSTRUCT A REGULAR PENTAGON, METHOD II (Figure 5)

1. Draw a line AB equal to the given length.

2. Bisect AB at point C.
3. Draw a line BD perpendicular and equal to AB.
4. With center C and radius CD, draw an arc to intersect the
line AB extended to point E.
5. With center A and radius = AB, draw an arc which
intersects the arc drawn with center B and radius = AE at
point R.
6. Again, with center A and radius = AE, draw an arc which
intersects the arc drawn with center B and radius = AB at
point P.
7. With centers A and B and radius = AE, draw arcs that
intersect each other at point Q.
8. Draw lines BP, PQ, QR, and RA to get the pentagon.

TO INSCRIBE A REGULAR HEPTAGON IN A GIVEN CIRCLE (Figure 6)

1. With center O, draw the given circle.

2. Draw the diameter AB. With center A and radius = AO,
draw an arc cutting the circle at E and F.
3. Draw a line EF, cutting AO at point G.
4. Then EG = FG, which is the length of the side of
heptagon.
5. From point A, step off divisions equal to EG around the
circle.
6. Join the divisions and obtain the heptagon.

Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan

Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page III of IV
CE-112L: Engineering Drawing for Civil Engineers (Lab)
Fall 2018

Prepared by: Engr Arsalan Khan

Course Instructor: Engr. Hamna Shakeel Page IV of IV