Md.

Siddikur Rahman
Associate Professor
Dept. of Farm Structure
PLANE TABLE SURVEYING

Definition: It is one type of surveying in which observation and plotting are done simultaneously.
• It is suitable for plotting the interior details like buildings, trees, roads, electric post or any
other permanent objects.
• In plane tabling the main stations and lines are fixed by traverse survey.
Instruments:
i) Drawing board ii) Tripod stand iii) Alidade
iv) Trough compass v) Plumb bob vi) Plumbing fork or U fork
vii) Sprit level viii) Tape or chain
ix) Drawing sheet with board pins or clips

Field Procedure:
a) Setting up the table:
i) Place the table over station A
ii) Center the table with the help of the plumb bob in such a way that the point on drawing
sheet should be vertical above the station A on the ground.
iii) Level the table by putting a sprit level at any position on the table.
iv) At leveling position, the bubble of the sprit level should be always at the center of its run.
v) If not, then it is done by adjusting the legs of the tripod stand.

c d
C D
a b

A B
Figure-1

b) Orientation: Plane table is said to be oriented when a line drawn on the drawing sheet to
represent a corresponding line on the ground in such a way that the line lies in the same
vertical plane with the line on the ground.
In figure-1, if the point a is exactly vertical over the corresponding station A on the ground and
if ab and ac are exactly on the two vertical planes passing through AB and AC respectively,
then table is oriented and the process is known as orientation.

Methods of orientation:
a) Orientation by Trough Compass:
i) Set up the table over station A
ii) Place the trough compass at one corner of the drawing sheet and move the table in such a
way that needle stay its normal North-South position
iii) Draw a line along the longer edge of the compass and an arrow is put at the north end
iv) The table is now oriented with respect to the magnetic meridian
v) When the table is placed over any other station, place the trough compass with its longer
edge in coincidence with the previously drawn North-South line
vi) Rotate the table until the needle stays its normal North-South direction
vii) Clamp the table by the screw
viii) Now the table is oriented over that station

1
b) Orientation by Back Sighting:
i) Set up the table and center over station A
ii) Draw a line ab in proportionate scale on the drawing sheet after sighting the ranging rod at
B through the alidade and measuring the distance AB on the ground
iii) Shift the table and place over another station B and center so that the point b is exactly
vertical over the corresponding station B on the ground
iv) Place the alidade with its edge in coincidence with the line ab and turn the table till the
ranging rod A is sighted through the alidade
v) Clamp the table by the screw
vi) Now the line ba is parallel one over the line BA on the ground and the table is said to be
oriented at the station B
vii) Same procedure is followed for all other stations.

Methods of Plane Tabling:

a) Radiation b) Intersection c) Traversing and d) Resection
Radiation method:
• This method is very suitable for a small plot of land which is visible from a centrally located
point.
• Rays or lines are drawn from this point on the drawing sheet along the direction of the
objects or stations and distances are plotted on the sheet by measuring them with tape or
chain.
F E

A D

B C

Intersection method:
• In this method an object is located on the drawing sheet by the intersection of the rays or
lines drawn from two stations.
• This is the swiftest method for locating an object which is inaccessible.
• In this method except the base line, no linear measurement is required.
B

a b
A
p q p q
c d
P Q

D C

2
Traversing method:
• In this method the plane table is shifted from one station to next station fixing all details by
radiation.
• This method is used to run a survey where main station is fixed previously by theodolite or
compass.
• This method also checks the accuracy of survey work.

a b a b

c
A B

a b a b

d c d c
D C

Errors in Plane Tabling:

The common source of errors is:
i) The table not being horizontal
ii) Inaccurate centering of the table
iii) Incorrect orientation
iv) Inaccurate sighting through alidade
v) The alidade not being correctly centered on the station point on the drawing sheet
vi) The expansion and contraction of the drawing sheet
vii) Inaccuracy of plotting.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Plane Tabling:

Advantages:
i) As the observation and plotting are done simultaneously in the field, so there is less
possibility of any mistake.
ii) The surveyor can compare the plotted work with the actual features of the area surveyed.
iii) There is less possibility of overlooking of any important feature.
iv) The handling of the instrument is very simple.
v) It is very rapid and suitable for preparing small-scale maps.
vi) In this type of surveying no field book is required and hence the error arising due to
faulty writing is eliminated.
vii) It is particularly useful in magnetic areas where compass survey may not be used.
viii) It is simple and cheaper than the theodolite or any other type of surveying.
Disadvantages:
i) Since notes of measurements are not recorded, it is a great inconvenience if the map is
required to be prepared to some different scale.
ii) This type of survey is not suitable in wet weather.
iii) When the scale of the map is large, this type of survey is not preferred.
iv) Due to heaviness, it is inconvenient to transport.