CHAIN SURVEY

Procedures
RECONNAISSANCE OR PRELIMINARY
INSPECTION

 Made by walking over the ground and visualizing the

work to be undertaken
 Presence of thick hedges, trees of other obstacles should
not be of any obstruction to the laying of chain
LAYOUT SKETCHING

 A rough sketch of the field of fields showing the

positions of the survey stations and the route of the main
chain line
 Ensure that no portion of the sketch goes beyond the
boundary of the area to be surveyed
SURVEY STATION

 Point of reference at the beginning and end of a chain

line
 Usually marked with ranging pole but for more
permanent mark, a wooden peg can be used
STATION SELECTION
While arranging the frame work of survey by selecting
different stations, the following points should be kept in
mind:
 1) All the main stations should be inter-visible.
 2) The first principle in surveying is the working from whole
to part and not from part to whole.
 3) Generally, a long line (base line) should be run
approximately through the centre and the whole length of the
area.
 4) All triangles should be well conditioned to make their sides
almost equal.
 5) Long offsets should be avoided.
 6) As far as possible, the no. of survey lines should be
minimized.
BASE, CHECK AND TIE LINES IN
TRIANGULATION SURVEY
CONTINUED….
 Base Line:
 The longest chain line in chain surveying is called the base
line.
 This is the most important line and the whole framework of
triangles is based on this line and therefore, the baseline
should be very accurately measured .
 It should be passing through the centre of the area
CONTINUED…
 Subsidiary or tie lines:

 When numbers of features are to be located and they are

far away from the main chain lines, then subsidiary or tie
lines are used to locate such details.
 From the figure, tie line FG is used to locate number of
features.
 Tie line is obtained by joining two fixed points on the main
survey line.
 Tie lines can also be used as check lines to check the
accuracy of measurements and plotting.
CONTINUED…
 Check lines:

 Check lines are also called as proof lines.

 The mistakes of the measurement and plotting can be easily
checked with the help of check lines.
 The check line is a line joining the apex of a triangle to some
fixed points on the opposite side, a line joining some fixed
points on any two sides of a triangle.
 Every triangle should be provided with a check line
 ftp://ftp.fao.
org/FI/CDro
CHAINING m/FAO_Trai
ning/FAO_T
raining/Gen
 Usually a chain is used eral/x6707e
/Index.htm
 Methods
1. Insert ranging pole as close as possible to the station
pegs in order that the position of the peg may be
located from a distance
2. For long lines, poles are placed immediately between
stations and lined in by eye. This was done to ensure
that straight line is measured
3. To measure line AB, the surveyor’s assistant takes ten
arrows and holding one end of the chain, walks from
A towards B, the surveyor remains at station A
CONT…
4. When the chain is fully extended, the surveyor
‘lines’ in the chainman with station B, who then
inserts an arrow at point A1
5. The surveyor then walks along the chain,
measuring any offsets required.
6. Upon completion of these measurements, the
chainman moves to point A2 dragging the chain
with him, while the surveyor remains at A1.
7. When the arrow has been inserted at A2, the
surveyor removes the arrow at A1 and proceeds to
take further offsets measurement
CONT…
8. This process is repeated until the end of the line
is reached or the chainman’s arrows are
exhausted
9. The collection of these arrows by the surveyor
forms a check upon the number of chains
measured
OFFSETS
 During the chaining process, the surveyor watches
carefully to see if there are any features near the line
which he wants to show on the plan; this may be
salient in the boundary, buildings, roads or etc., and
when he wishes to take an offsets he tells the
chainman to lay the chain on the ground and then,
giving the end of the tape to one of them
 The surveyor will then direct him to the feature
whose position he is about to establish
CONT…
 He will take up his own position on the chain at such
a place as will cause the offsets to be, as nearly as he
can judge, at right angles to the survey line from
which it is being taken
 Notes will then be taken by recording the distance
from the last station, at which the offset was taken,
the length of the offset, and the name of the object to
which it was taken
 Offsets should not be more than one chain in length
BOOKINGS
 A surveyor uses a field book, with blank pages
except for a single, or sometimes a double line
up the middle.
 Survey notes are started at the bottom of the
page and written upwards.
 Details of the survey and the date are written at
the bottom of the first page.
 Separate pages are to be used for each survey
line.
BOOKINGS
 The distance from station a along the survey
line, at which offsets was taken is noted at the
centerline.
 The length of each offsets written at the end of
its furthest from the survey line.
 The features are roughly sketched, and as much
information required given about each.
BOOKINGS
 It is noted that the drain that crosses the survey
line at 134 links has the position of both its
banks given, thus showing the width.
 Offsets are taken to it from various other points
to established the position of its meandering and
the direction of its flow indicated by an arrow.
OFFSETS AT CORNERS
 The positions of corners are established by taking 2
offsets from 2 different places on the survey line thus
forming a triangle, which can be plotted by using
drawing compass, whose apex is at the corner
OFFSETS AT CORNERS
 The method of taking 2 offsets should also be used to
establish the exact position of survey stones, corners of
buildings, or other important point