Visayas State University

College of Engineering
Department of Geodetic Engineering
Visca, Baybay City, 6521-A, Leyte, Philippines

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Vision: The premier university of science and technology in the Visayas.
Mission: Provide excellent instruction, conduct relevant research and foster community engagement that
Produce highly competent graduates necessary for the development of the country.
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GEng 111g
General Surveying I

HORIZONTAL MEASUREMENT OF SLOPING GROUND BY TAPE

Exercise No. 6

Name: _______________________ Date Performed: __________

Group No.: ____________________ Date Submitted: __________

I. Introduction:
Make your own.

II. Objectives:
1. To define taping
2. To measure/determine the horizontal distance of a sloping ground using
measuring tape

III. Instruments and Accessories:

 Crayon or chalk, marking pins, steel tape/measuring tape, plumb bob, range pole

IV. Procedure:
1. A line of unknown length on sloping ground will be assigned by the instructor. Call
the downhill and uphill endpoint as C and D, respectively.
2. Place range poles behind each point. Head tapeman unreels and spreads out the
tape and pulls the zero mark uphill along the line from point C. The rear tapeman
raises the last mark end of the tape breast high while the head tapeman moves
back to a place on the line near a full meter mark where the ground surface is as
high as the other raised end of the tape. The head tapeman stays by the side of
the line measured and holds a chaining pin on the ground.

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 Figure 3.1 Breaking-the-Tape

3. The rear tapeman temporarily releases end of tape and signals head tapeman to
either move to the right or to the left in order to align him.
4. Rear tapeman plumbs from point C to the terminal mark of the tape with a plumb
bob and maintains this plumb bob steadily over C while head tapeman pulls the
tape tight, and making sure that the tape is on line by bringing one of its edges in
contact with the previously aligned pin. The head tapeman then moves the pin
opposite the nearest full meter or foot mark of the tape and he sticks it firmly into
the ground.
5. The rear tapeman leaves his end of the tape, moves up the slope and gets hold of
the tape at the point previously held by the head tapeman. The next measurement
is made horizontally from the pin stuck in the ground by the head tapeman as
done at point C.

6. The process is repeated until the whole tape length is used up thus finishing the
measurement of one tape length of horizontal distance.
7. After the measurement of the whole line is completed, a second measurement
should be made along the opposite (downhill) direction. The mean of the two
measurements is taken as the most probable value of the length of the line.

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 a. In measuring downhill, the tape is reversed to bring its zero-end forward in the
direction of point C along the line. Horizontal measurements starts from D with
the rear tapeman holding his terminal meter mark of tape in level with D.
b. After the plumb bob of the head tapeman has been aligned with the range pole
held at C, the head tapeman drops the plumb bob causing it to leave a mark
on the ground. He then sticks a pin at the ground mark left by the plumb bob.
1. The next horizontal measurement starts from the pin until one whole tape length is
measured. A sample table format for recording of observed field data is shown in
table 3.2; however, the student may opt to use their own table format.

Table 3.2. Taping on sloping ground

TRIAL LINE LENGTH MEAN
1 CD
2 DC

2. The required Relative Precision for this exercise must be greater or equal to
1/1000.

V. Results and Discussion:

VI. Conclusion and Recommendation(s):
VII. Reference:

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