Plane Table Surveying

Sumesh K.C.
Plane Table Surveying - PTS
• PTS is a graphical method of surveying in which the field observation
and plotting proceed simultaneously.
• The necessary of transferring the field data to office and preparation
of map is completely avoided.
• The main advantage of plane tabling is that the topographic features
to be mapped are in full view.
• It is a simple and cheaper method.
• It is most suitable for small and medium scale mapping (1:10000 to
1:250000)
Plane Table Surveying - PTS
• The plan/map is drawn by the surveyor in the field, while the area to
be surveyed is before his eyes.
• Therefore, there is no possibility of omitting the necessary
measurements.
Instruments
• The plane table with levelling head having arrangements for
a) Levelling
b) Rotation about vertical axis and
c) Clamping in any required position
• Alidade for sighting (alidade or sight rule)
• Plumbing fork and plumb bob
• Spirit level
• Compass
• Drawing paper with rainproof cover
• Clinometer
• Drawing accessories
Instruments
Advantages
• The observations and plotting are done simultaneously. Hence, there
is no risk of omitting necessary details.
• The errors and mistakes in plotting can be checked by drawing check
lines.
• Irregular objects can be plotted accurately as the lay of land is in view.
• It is most rapid and useful for filling in details.
• No great skill is required.
• It is advantageous in magnetic areas, where compass survey is not
reliable.
Disadvantages
• It is not suitable for work in a wet climate and in a densely wooded
country.
• The absence of measurements (field notes) are inconvenient, if the
survey is to be replotted to some different scale.
• It is heavy and awkward to carry and the accessories are likely to e
lost.
• It does not give very accurate results.
• It can be used to tie topography by existing control and to carry its
own control systems by triangulation or traverse and by lines of
levels.
Plane Table
Plane Table
• Drawing board made of well seasoned wood with its upper surface
exactly plane (flat – not undulated)
• Supported on tripod and tightened normally with butterfly or wing
screw
• The table can be revolved about its vertical axis and can be clamped
in any position, when necessary.
• It is normally rectangular in shape with size 75cm x 60cm x 2 cm.
Plane Table
• The plane table consists of a drawing board with arrangement for
fixing on a tripod stand.
• There are various types of plane tables, depending upon the
arrangement of fixing the boards to the tripod, leveling of the table
and rotating arrangement in a horizontal plane.
• Simple Plane Table (Traverse Table) – generally used for small scale mapping
• Johnson Plane Table
• Costal Survey Table – superior than above two
Plane Table
• Plane table are available in the following different sizes:
Designation Sizes (mm)
Large 750, 600, 15
Medium 600, 500, 15
Small 500, 400, 15
Simple Plane Table
Simple Plane Table
• Rough most and most simple type
• Levelling and centering needs to be done by moving legs of tripod
(usually eye estimation)
• Can be placed in any horizontal direction or orientation by rotating on
horizontal plane with respect to vertical axis.
• Dra i g oard atta hed to the tripod ith etal plate at it’s e tre
on bottom side
• Can be used for works where normal accuracy is required
Johnson Plane Table
Johnson Plane Table
• Devised by William D. Johnson of US Geological Survey
• This consists of a drawing board usually 45cm x 60 cm or 60cm x 75cm.
• Attached with Special type of head called johnson head
• The head consists of a ball-and-socket joint and a vertical spindle with two
thumb screws on the underside
• The ball and socket joint is operated by the upper thumb screw.
• When the upper screw is free, the table may be tilted about the ball-and-
socket for levelling.
• The clamp is then tightened to fix the board in a horizontal position.
• When the lower screw is loosened, the table may be moved about the
vertical axis and can thus be oriented.
Coastal Survey Table
Coastal Survey Table
• This table is superior to the above two types and is generally used for
work of high precision.
• The levelling of the table is done very accurately with the help of the
levelling head (three foot screws)
• The table can be turned about the vertical axis and can be fixed in any
direction very accurately with the help of a clamp and tangent screws.
• Better for large scale and survey and mapping of large area
Tripod
• plane table is mounted on a tripod
• tripod is ge erall ade of ood, ith iro shoe at it’s toe. The tripod
may be made to fold for convenience of transportation.
• Tripod is provided with three foot screws at its top for leveling of the
plane table.
Alidade
• Straight edge with some form of sighting device
• An alidade is a device in which the vertical plane of the line of sight is
maintained parallel to a straight-edge ruler on which the sighting
arrangement is kept.
• It is used to draw a line parallel to the line of sight and thus provides
the direction of the object to be plotted.
• Depending on the type of sighting arrangement, alidades are
classified as Plain Alidade, Telescopic Alidade and Digital alidade.
Plane Alidade
Plain Alidade
• Simple form and used for ordinary work
• It consists of a straight-edge ruler, made of a metal or wood, with one
of the edges beveled and graduated known as fiducial edge (working
edge), with two vanes (sight vanes) which are perpendicular to its
ends.
• The two vanes or sights are hinged to fold down on the rule when the
alidade is not in use.
• One of the vanes is provided with a narrow slit (eye vane) while the
other is open and carries a hair or the thin wire (object vane).
Plain Alidade
• Thus, the line passing through the slit of the eye vane joining the thin
wire of the object vane and passing beyond is known as the line of
sight of a plane alidade.
• Both the slits thus provide a definite line of sight which can be made
to pass through the object to be sighted.
• The alidade can be rotated about the point representing the
instrument station on the sheet so that the line of sight passes
through the object to be sighted.
• A line is then drawn against the working edge (fiducial edge) of the
alidade.
Plain Alidade
Plain Alidade
• It is essential to have the vanes perpendicular to the surface of the
sheet.
• A string is fitted at the top of the sight vanes and is used for inclined
sight.
• The alidade is not very much suitable on hilly area since the
inclination of the line of sight is limited.
• Plain alidade is not very accurate
Telescopic Alidade
Telescopic Alidade
Telescopic Alidade
Telescopic Alidade
• The telescopic alidade is used when it is required to take inclined
sights
• Also the accuracy and range of sights are increased by its use.
• It essentially consist of a small telescope as an arrangement for
sighting (similar to theodolite) with a level tube and graduated arc
mounted on horizontal axis.
• The horizontal axis rests on a A-frame fitted with vernier fixed in a
heavy rule, one side of which is used as the working edge along which
line may be drawn.
• The inclination of line sight can be read on the vertical circle.
Telescopic Alidade
• The telescope is fitted with a stadia diaphragm and can be used as
tacheometer also for computations of horizontal distance and vertical
elevations.
• The line of sight of the telescope is aligned along the fiducial edge.
• In this instrument, the object is sighted through the telescope and the
distance is scaled off in that direction along the fiducial edge.
• The telescopic alidade is designed for greater precision and longer
range of sights. It can be used with advantages for contouring and
plotting of details during topographic surveying.
Telescopic Alidade
• Alidade is equipped with a circle for measuring vertical angles.
• The horizontal distance between the instrument and the point
sighted can be computed by stadia readings on the staff at the point.
• The elevation of the point can also be computed by using
tacheometric relation.
• Nowadays, EDMI is mounted on alidade and facilitate plane table
operations.
Digital Alidade
• It consists of an EDM, with a built-in telescope for sighting, an
automatic angle sensor for registering vertical angle and a
microcomputer for yielding horizontal distance and difference in
elevation.
• It also consists of a liquid crystal display which is used to display and
thus read and retrieve the observed and calculated parameters.
• Digital alidade is particularly useful for accurate plotting of detail and
for the long line of sight.
Plumbing fork and plumb bob
Plumbing fork and plumb bob
• This is a U-shaped piece of metal with parallel arms of equal length, a
plumb bob attached to the free end of the lower arm
• The point of the upper arm and the plumb line are in same vertical
direction
• The plumbing fork is used for:
• Centering the table
The upper end of the plumbing fork is placed over the plotted point and the
plane table is so adjusted that the plumb bob is on the station point below.
• Transferring of the ground control
The plane table is centered over the underground point by means of the plumb
bob while the upper arm of the fork gives the point to be plotted on the
drawing sheet
Spirit Level
• A small spirit level either of the tubular variety or of the circular type
is used for ascertaining if the table is properly leveled.
• This can be ascertained by placing the level in two directions at right
angles to each other and observing that the bubble is central in both
cases.
Compass
• The compass is used for orienting the plane table to magnetic north.
• Usually a trough compass is used, tubular compass can be used
• The longer side of the trough are parallel and flat so that either side
can be used as a ruler or laid down to coincide with a straight line
drawn on a paper.
Drawing Paper
• The drawing paper used for plane tabling must be of superior quality so
that is may have minimum effect of changes in the humidity of the
atmosphere. (moisture proof and non-hygroscopic)
• The changes in the humidity and temperature of the atmosphere produces
expansion and contraction in different directions and thus alter the scale
and distort the map.
• The dimensions of the sheet should remain stable under variable
conditions of temperature and humidity.
• It should be capable of withstanding repeated erasures.
• It should also be stiff and tough and suitable for longtime archival, quality
storage.
Drawing Paper
• For work of high precision, fiber glass sheets or paper backed with
sheet aluminum are often used.
• Drawing Sheet – Permatrace

Question
What are the characteristics of the drawing paper/sheet used in plane
ta le sur e i g? E plore ….
Working Operation
• Before mapping/plotting work can start with plane table, the
following steps are needed:
• Fixing
• Levelling
• Centering Setting
• Orientation
• Sighting the points
Working Operation
Fixing
• In this operation, first the top of the tripod stand is fixed in level by eye
estimation at convenient height with its legs uniformly spread and shoes fixed
firmly into the ground.
• The board is fixed to the tripod head by tightening the clamping screw.
• The working sheet should be carefully mounted with spring clips, thumb
screws or drafting tapes.
Working Operation
Levelling
• The plane table should be levelled
• For small scale work, levelling is done by estimation
• For work of accuracy, an ordinary spirit level may be used.
• The table is levelled by placing the level on the board in two positions at right
angles and getting the bubble central in both directions.
• For more precise work, a Johnson Table or Coast Survey Table may be used.
Working Operation
Centering
• The table should be so placed that plotted point on the sheet is
exactly over the ground point.
• The operation is known as centering the plane table.
• This is done through plumbing U-fork.
Working Operation
Orientation
• Orientation is the process of putting the plane table into some fixed direction
so that line representing a certain direction on the plan is parallel to that
direction on the ground
• This is essential condition to be fulfilled when more than one instrument
station is to be used.
• If orientation is not done, the table will not be parallel to itself at different
position resulting in an overall distortion of the map.
Working Operation
Note:
• The process of centering and orientation are dependent on each other.
• For orientation, the table will have to be rotated about its vertical axis, thus
disturbing the centering.
• If precise work requires that the plotted points should be exactly over the
ground point, repeated orientation and shifting of the whole table are
necessary.
Working Operation
Sighting the points
• When once the table has been set i.e. when levelling, centering and
orientation has been done, the points to be located are sighted through the
alidade.
• The alidade is kept pivoted about the plotted location of the instrument
station and is turned so that the line of sight passes or bisects the signal at
the point to be plotted.
• A ray is then drawn from the instrument station along the edge of the alidade.
• Similarly, the rays to other points to be sighted are drawn.
• The points are finally plotted on the corresponding rays either by way of
intersection or by radiation.
Principle Of Plane Table Survey
• The principle of plane tabling is parallelism means,
• line drawn on drawing sheet should e parallel to their
orresponding line on ground
• Parallelism obtained at phase of orientation
• The Position of plane table at each station must be identical, i.e. at
each survey station the table must be oriented in the direction of
magnetic north.

11/21/2017 Plane Table Survey, GP Sigdel, 2015 46

Orientation of PT
• Using Magnetic Compass
• By Back sighting
• By Resection
Orientation of PT
1. Magnetic Compass (Trough Compass or Tubular Compass)
• This is an approximate but quick method of orienting the plane table.
• The usual method is to place the trough compass on the plane table sheet
and to rotate the plane table till the needle floats centrally. This is the
direction of magnetic north and a fine pencil line is ruled against the long
side of the box.
• At any other station, where the table is to be oriented, the compass is
placed against this line and the table is turned till the needle freely floats in
the middle. The table is then said to be oriented and clamped.
• This method of orientation is not very accurate and also may get affected
by local attraction and is generally used for small-scale survey.
Orientation of PT
1. Magnetic Compass (Trough Compass or Tubular Compass)
The plane table can be oriented by compass under the following
conditions:
• When speed is more important than accuracy.
• When there is no second point available for orientation.
• When the traverse is so long that accumulated errors in carrying the
azimuth forward might be greater than orientation by compass.
• For approximate orientation prior to final adjustment.
• In certain resection problems
Orientation of PT
2. Back Sighting
• This is a more accurate method
• In this method, the fiducial edge of alidade is laid along a ray drawn
from previous station to the present station and the plane table is
then rotated till the line of sight of alidade bisects exactly the ranging
rod placed at previous station.
• The plane table is then clamped and said to be oriented.
• In this method, the level of the plane table has to be maintained
identical in both the stations.
Orientation of PT
2. Back Sighting
Two cases may arise:
• When it is possible to set the plane table on the point already plotted on the
sheet by way of observation from previous station.
• When it is not possible to set the plane table on the point. (Resection)
Methods of locating detail (Contouring)
Different methods of Plane Table Work
1. Radiation
2. Intersection
3. Traversing
4. Resection

The radiation and intersection methods are generally employed for

locating the details while the traversing method is used to plot the
network of stations and the resection method is employed to determine
and to plot the location of plane table as well as to orient the table
simultaneously.
Radiation
• In this method, a ray is drawn from the instrument station towards
the point, the distance is measured between the instrument station
and that point, and the point is located by plotting to some scale the
distance so measured.
• Evidently, the method is more suitable when the distances are small
(within a tape length) and one single instrument can control the
points to be detailed.
• The method has a wider scope if the distances are obtained
tacheometrically with the help of telescopic alidade.
Radiation
• Let us consider that a plane table is set up
at station X and the details in the area X is
to be plotted by radiation method.
• In order to carry out this, first the plane
table is set over the station X, clamped
and its position is plotted on paper as x.
Radiation
• Now, with alidade pivoted at x, salient
object points present in the area such
as A, B, C, D etc. of a building around
the plane table got bisected and radial
lines are drawn showing their
directions.
• The corresponding field distances XA,
XB, XC, XD are measured and scale off
on respective radial lines.
• Thus plotted their positions as a, b, c, d
etc.
• The plotted positions are then joined to
represent the object
Radiation
Radiation
• In the radiation method of plane table surveying, the direction of the
objects or points to be located are obtained by drawing radial lines
along fiducial edge of alidade after getting the objects or points
bisected along the line of sight of the alidade.
• The horizontal distances are then measured and scaled off on the
corresponding radial lines to mark their positions on the drawing.
Intersection
• One of the great advantages of plane table is the ease with which a
point can be located by intersection.
• When the distance between the point and the instrument station is
either too large or cannot be measured accurately due to some field
conditions, intersection method is employed.
• The location of an object is determined by sighting at the object from
two plane table stations (previously plotted) and drawing the rays.
The intersection of these rays will give the position of the object.
• It is therefore very essential to have at least two instrument stations
to locate any point.
Intersection
• The line joining the two instrument stations is known as the base line.
• No linear measurement other than that of the base line is made.
• The point of intersection of the two rays forms the vertex of a triangle
having the two rays as two sides and the base line as the third line of the
triangle.
• Due to this reason, intersection is also sometimes known as graphic
triangulation.

• In intersection method of plane table surveying, the objects or points to be

located are obtained at the point of intersection of radial lines drawn from
two different stations.
Intersection
Intersection
Traversing
• This method of plane table surveying is used to plot a traverse in
cases stations have not been previously plotted by some other
methods.
• In this method, traverse stations are first selected.
• The stations are plotted by method of radiation by taking back sight
on the preceding station and a fore sight to the following station.
• Here distances are generally measured by tachometric method and
surveying work has to be performed with great care.
Traversing
• Traversing is not much different from radiation as far as working
principles are concerned – the only difference is that in the case of
radiation the observations are taken to those points which are to be
detailed or mapped while in the case of traversing, the observations
are made to those points which will subsequently be used as
instrument stations.
• The method is widely used to lay down survey lines between the
instrument stations of a closed or unclosed traverse.
Traversing
Traversing
Resection
• This method of plane table surveying is employed to locate and plot
the position of the plane table during surveying. This also results in
the orientation of the plane table.
• Resection is the process of determining the plotted position of the
station occupied by the plane table, by means of sights taken towards
known points, locations of which have been plotted.
• Resection is a method of orientation used when the table occupies a
position not yet located on the map.
Resection
• The basic principle of resection is opposite to that of the method of
intersection.
• The method consists in drawing two rays to the two points of known
location on the plan after the table has been oriented. The rays drawn
from the unplotted location of the station to the points of known
location are called resectors, the intersection of which gives the
required location of the instrument station.
• If the table is not correctly oriented at the station to be located on the
map, the intersection of the two resectors will not give the correct
location of the station.
Resection
• The problem therefore, lies in orienting table at the stations and cen
be solved by the following four methods of orientation:
1. Resection after orientation by compass
2. Resection after orientation by backsighting
3. Resection after orientation by three-point problem
4. Resection after orientation by two-point problem
Resection
Resection