CORRECTION DUE TO

INCORRECT TAPE LENGTH

- MANUFACTURER 0F ASSORTED MEASURING TAPES DO NOT
USUALLY GUARANTEE THEIR PRODUCTS TO BE EXACTLY THEIR
CORRECT LENGTH. THEY DO NOT PROVIDE A STANDARDIZATION
CERTIFICATE UNLESS REQUESTED.

-THESE TAPES RARELY CORRESPONDS EXACTLY WITH ITS SPECIFIED

NOMINAL LENGTH SINCE THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE SLIGHTLY
SHORTER OR LONGER. THIS IS OFTENED DUE TO IMPERFECTIONS IN
THEIR MANUFACTURE, STRETCHING OR WEAR. ALSO, DUE TO
CONSTANT USE TAPES BECOME WORN, KINKED, AND MAYBE
IMPROPERLY REPAIRED WHEN BREAKS OCCUR. THE NET RESULT IS
THAT TAPES MAY VARY BY A FEW MILLIMETERS OR CENTIMETER
FROM THEIR CORRECT LENGTHS.
THE ABSOLUTE VALUE FOR THE CORRECTION PER TAPE LENGTH
(CORR) IS DETERMINED FROM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
TRUE OR ACTUAL LENGTH OF TAPE (TL) AND THE NOMINAL
LENGTH OF TAPE (NL) OR

CORR = TL - NL

(+ )TOO LONG
( - )TOO SHORT
SLOPE TAPING
A MEASUREMENT IS MADE ALONG A LINE THAT IS INCLINED BY
A VERTICAL ANGLE OF AS MEASURED USING A HAND LEVEL AND
CLINOMETER.
EX: THE SLOPE MEASUREMENT IS 756.52m. WHAT IS THE
CORRESPONDING HORIZONTAL DISTANCE?
given:
s s=756.52m

solution:

d =756.52cos(1525
=729.30m ( EQUIVALENT HORIZONTAL LENGTH OF THE LINE
MEASURED ALONG THE SLOPE )
CORRECTION DUE TO SLOPE:
WHEN DISTANCE ARE MEASURED ALONG THE SLOPE, THE
EQUIVALENT HORIZONTAL DISTANCE MAY CORRESPONDINGLY BE
DETERMINED BY APPLYING AN APPROXIMATE SLOPE CORRECTION.
SLOPE CORRECTION: WHERE:
s = measured slope distance bet. Pt. A and B
h = difference in elevation bet. A and B
d = equivalent horizontal distance AC
ch= slope correction or the difference bet. the
S slope length and the horizontal distance,
h ch = s - d

ch
d
CORRECTION DUE TO ALIGNMENT
- IT IS USUALLY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE TAPE IN PERFECT
ALIGNMENT WITH THE END MARKS WHEN TAPING THROUGH GRASS
OR WHEN A STRONG WIND IS BLOWING. THE HEAD TAPEMAN IS
LIKELY TO SET THE ZERO END OF THE TAPE ON ONE SIDE AND
SOMETIMES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CORRECT LINE.
THE LINEAR ERROR DUE TO INACCURACY IN ALLIGNMENT OF A TAPE
IS SIMILAR TO THE EFFECT OF SLOPE AND CAN BE COMPUTED IN THE
SAME MANNER. IT IS HOWEVER, EASIER TO CONTROL AND THE
RESULTING ERROR IS MUCH SMALLER IN MAGNITUDE.
ERROR DUE TO ALIGNMENT IS GENERALLY THE LEAST IMPORTANT
AMONG THE DIFFERENT ERRORS ENCOUNTERED IN TAPING.
- THE ERROR CANNOT BE ELIMINATED, BUT CAN BE REDUCED TO A
NEGLIGIBLE AMOUNT BY LINING IN CAREFULLY, SETTING PINS PRO-
PERLY, STRETCHING THE TAPE TAUT, AND KEEPING THE TAPE
STRAIGHT. THE TAPE MAY ALSO LAID OUT STRAIGHT BY SNAPPING IT
WHILE TENSION IS BEING APPLIED. BY TAKING NECESSARY
PRECAUTION, THE REAR TAPEMAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THE
HEAD TAPEMAN WITHIN 30CM. OFF THE CORRECT COURSE.
CORRECTION DUE TO TEMPERATURE
-THE TAPE LENGTHENS AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES AND
SHORTENS AS THE TEMPERATURE FALLS. ANY CHANGE IN THE
LENGTH OF THE TAPE DUE TO VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE IS
CRITICAL WHEN UNDERTAKING PRECISE MEASUREMENTS.
-IT CAN ALSO BE SIGNIFICANT EVEN FOR MEASUREMENT OF
LOWER PRECISION AS IN MOST ENGINEERING-TYPE SURVEYS.
-TEMPERATURE VARIATION IS A SOURCE OF VARIABLE
SYSTEMATIC ERROR AND IS IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO THE
NUMBER OF TAPE LENGTHS MEASURED.
CORRECTION APPLIED TO THE LENGTH OF THE TAPE DUE TO CHANGE
IN TEMPERATURE Ct IS GIVEN IN THE FORMULA:

Ct = CL ( T – Ts )
WHERE:
C = THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE IN LENGTH PER UNIT LENGTH PER DEGREE CHANGE IN
TEMPERATURE
L =LENGT OF THE LINE MEASURED OR THE TAPE
T = OBSERVED TEMPERATURE OF THE TAPE AT THE TIME OF MEASUREMENT
Ts =TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE TAPE WAS STANDARDIZED

IF THE TAPE USED IS STEEL

C =O.OOOO116 PER DEGREE CELCIUS
VALUE OF Ts IS 20 DEG. CELCIUS
• AS A GENERAL RULE, TO OBTAIN MORE ACCURATE MEASURE
VALUES, TAPING SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN WHEN THE
TEMPERATURE DOES NOT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE
TEMPERATURE USED DURING STANDARDIZATION.
• IF AN INVAR TAPE IS EMPLOYED, ERRORS DUE TO VARIATIONS IN
TEMPERATURE ARE REDUCED TO NEGLIGIBLE AMOUNT BECAUSE
OF ITS VERY LOW COEFFICIENT OF LINEAR EXPANSION.
• BETTER RESULTS ARE USUALLY OBTAINED WHEN MEASUREMENT
ARE MADE ON CLOUDY DAYS, EARLY IN THE MORNING, OR LATE
IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN TEMPERATURE VARIATION ARE
SMALL
THERMOMETER SCALE.

8 9
CORRECTION DUE TO TENSION
DURING CALIBRATION (or standardization) A TAPE IS
SUBJECTED TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STANDARD PULL OR
TENSION ON ITS ENDS. WHEN USED IN THE FIELD DURING TAPING,
IT IS ELONGATED OR SHORTENED ACCORDINGLY, DEPENDING ON
THE AMOUNT OF PULL APPLIED ON IT.
IF THE PULL IS GREATER THAN THAT FOR WHICH IT WAS
CALIBRATED, THE TAPES ELONGATES AND BECOMES TOO LONG
AN ERROR IN MEASUREMENT RESULTS WHENEVER THE PULL
APPLIED IS DIFFERENT FROM THE STANDARD TENSION USED IN
CALIBRATION
-CORRECTION HAS TO BE ADDED TO OR SUBTRACTED FROM THE
MEASURED LENGTH
THE TAPE STRETCHES IN AN ELASTIC MANNER AND, SINCE THE MODULUS OF ELASTICITY OF A
MATERIAL CAN BE EXPRESSED AS THE RATIO OF UNIT STRESS TO UNIT ELONGATION, THE
CHANGE IN LENGTH CAN BE DETERMINED AS FOLLLOWS:

E = Unit stress / elongation per unit length = P/A / e/L

(Pm – Ps ) =P and e = Cp
where :
Cp = ( Pm – Ps )L / AE Cp = total elongation in tape due to pull
Pm= pull applied to the tape during measurement (kg)
L ‘ = L ± Cp Ps = standard pull for the tape or pull where tape is
calibrated (kg)
L = measured length of line (m)
A = cross-sectional area of the tape (sq. cm)
E = modulus of elasticity of the tape material (kg/ sq. cm)
L’ = corrected length of the measured line (m)
 MEASURING THE THICKNESS AND WIDTH
OF A STEEL TAPE BY MEANS OF CALIPER

- THE CROSS- SECTIONAL AREA MAY ALSO BE CALCULATED BY DIVIDING THE

TOTAL WEIGHT (W) OF THE TAPE BY THE PRODUCT OF ITS LENGTH (L) AND THE UNIT
WEIGHT OF STEEL WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY kg/

• • ERRORS DUE TO
EXPEREINCED VARIATION
TAPEMAN OF PULLAPPLY
SOMETIMES DURING TAPING
A PULL WHICH
A = W / L ( Unit Weight ) OPERATION MAY BEOR
COULD BE GREATER EITHER RANDOM
LESS THAN OR SYSTHEMATIC.
THE REQUIRED STANDARD
• THESE
PULL, ERRORS
WHEREASCAN BE ELIMINATED
STUDENTS BY USING
OF SURVEYING A SPRING
AND OTHER
BALANCE TO MEASURE
INEXPERIENCED TAPEMENAND MAINTAIN
USUALLY THE TENDENCY
HAVE THE STANDARD TO
EXERTORA BY
PULL, PULL MUCH LESS
EXERTING THAN THEAMOUNT
A SPECIFIC STANDARD. OF PULL
• CONSISTENTLY
THIS IS ESPECIALLY
ANDTHE CASE AMONG
APPLYING THOSE WHO
CORRECTION FORHAVE
THE NOT
AS YET TRIED
DEVIATION USING
FROM A SPRING
THE BALANCE
STANDARD PULLATTACHED TO A
TAPE.
CORRECTION DUE TO SAG
- A TAPE ATTAINS ITS CORRECT LENGTH WHEN IT IS FULLY
SUPPORTED AND SUBJECTED TO THE PULL FOR WHICH IT WAS
STANDARDIZED .
-IF THE SUPPORT IS ONLY AT ITS END OR AT THE TWO POINTS
MEASURED, IT WILL SAG EVEN IF THE STANDARD PULL IS
MAINTAINED BECAUSE OF ITS OWN WEIGHT.
-THE TAPE TAKES THE FORM OF CATENARY WHEN IT SAGS
BETWEEN POINTS OF SUPPORT JUST AS AN ELECTRIC OR TELEPHONE
WIRE WHICH HANGS AND SWINGS LOOSELY BETWEEN TWO POSTS.
EFFECT OF SAG ON TAPING OPERATIONS :
30-m
0-m Steel tape mark
mark

Cs

2nd support
1st support
 - SAG SHORTENS THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN END
GRADUATIONS SINCE THE TAPE LENGTH REMAINS THE SAME . THUS,
WHEN A STRETCH TAPE SAGS, THE ACTUAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE
POINTS IS SOMETHING LESS THAN THE READING ON THE TAPE.
- THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ERROR DUE TO SAG DEPENDS ON THE
WEIGHT OF THE TAPE, THE UNSUPPORTED LENGTH, AND THE
TENSION APPLIED.
-WHAT IS GIVEN IMPORTANCE IS THE REDUCED CHORD DISTANCE
BETWEEN THE END GRADUATIONS AND NOT THE ACTUAL SAG OF A
TAPE.
THE CORRECTION DUE TO SAG IS DIFFERENCE IN LENGTH BETWEEN THE ARC
FORMED BY THE TAPE AND THE SUBTENDING CHORD.

IN DETERMINING THIS CORRECTION, THE ARC IS ASSUMED TO BE A PARABOLA,

AND IS COMPUTED WITH SUFFICIENT PRECISION BY THE FORMULA:

where:
Cs = correction due to sag or the difference
between the tape reading and the horizontal
SINCE W= Wl or ,
distance between supports (m)
w =weight of tape per unit length (kg/m)
W=total weight of tape between supports (kg)
L = interval between supports or the
unsupported length of tape (m)
P = tension or pull applied on the tape(kg)
 • THE EFFECT
• WHENEVER OF SAG
THE TAPE CAN BEABOVE
IS HELD REDUCED BY GROUND
THE INCREASED IT
TENSION
WILL
BUT IS NOT ENTIRELY ELIMINATED UNLESS THE TAPE IS
ALWAYS SUPPORTED
SAG AND THE EFFECT IS THAT OF SHORTENING THE
THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH.
TAPE.• BY APPLYING CORRECTIONS WE CAN ONLY REDUCE THE ERROR,
• A SYSTEMATIC
HOWEVER,ERROR
THESEISERRORS
INTRODUCED UNLESS THEEXACTLY.
ARE NOT DETERMINED SAME WHEN
CONDITIONS DURING
CONDITIONS STANDARDIZATION
ALLOW, ARE
IT IS PREFERABLE TO EMPLOYED
MEASURE ON THEWHEN
GROUND
OBTAINING WHERE THE TAPE IS SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT ITS
MEASUREMENTS.
ENTIRE LENGTH TO AVOID THE EFFECTS OF SAG.
CORRECTION DUE TO WIND
• STRONG WIND BLOWING PERPENDICULAR TO THE
DIRECTION OF TAPING WILL MOVE THE MIDDLE AND
UNSUPPORTED PORTION OF THE TAPE TO ONE SIDE OF
THE LINED MEASURED.
• THIS INTRODUCED AN ERROR TO THE MEASUREMENT
WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE EFFECT OF SAG BUT IS USUALLY
MUCH LESS.
• TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF ERROR, IT IS PREFERABLE NOT TO
UNDERTAKEANY TAPING WORK DURING WINDY DAYS
• IF IT CANNOT BE AVOIDED AND THE MEASUREMENT HAS
TO BE DONE ON WINDY DAYS, EFFORTS SHOULD BE TAKEN
TO SUPPORT THE TAPE FROM BEING AFFECTED BY THE
BLOWING WIND.