Distance Measurement
Florence A. Galeon
Assistant Professor
U.P. College of Engineering
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Outline
I. Introduction
II. Unit of Measurements
III. Significant Figures
IV. Methods of Distance Measurement
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Introduction
Distance measurement is the basis of all
surveying.
In plane surveying, the distance between two
points is understood to mean horizontal
distance, regardless of the relative elevation of
the points.
Lengths of lines is generally expressed in
meters.
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Unit of Measurement for Length
• Measurement is the process or the result of
determining the ratio of a physical quantity, such
as a length, time, temperature etc., to a unit of
measurement, such as the meter, second or
degree Celsius.
Fractions of a meter
Millimeter, 1/1000
Centimeter, 1/100
Multiples of a meter
Kilometer, x 1000
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Unit of Measurement for Length
Meter
It is 1/10,000,000
of one
meridional
quadrant.
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Origin of the Meter
• The origins of the meter go back to 18th century when in
1791, soon after the French Revolution, the French
Academy of Sciences set the meter to equal 10-7 or one
ten-millionth of the length of the meridian through Paris
from pole to the equator.
• In 1889, a new international prototype was made of an
alloy of platinum with 10 percent iridium, to within
0.0001, that was to be measured at the melting point of
ice.
• In 1927, the meter was more precisely defined as the
distance, at 0°, between the axes of the two central lines
marked on the bar of platinum-iridium.
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Origin of the Meter
• In 1960, the meter was redefined based upon the
wavelength of krypton-86 radiation.
• In 1983 this definition was replaced by the following
definition:
The meter is the length of the path travelled
by light in vacuum during a time interval of
1/299 792 458 of a second.
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Significant Figures
• Every measurement has a degree of uncertainty
associated with it. The uncertainty derives from
the measuring device and from the skill of the
person doing the measuring.
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Rules for Identifying Significant Digits
• All non-zero digits are considered significant.
Example: 91 has two significant digits (9 and 1).
• Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-
zero digits are significant. Example: 101.12 has
five significant digits: 1, 0, 1, 1 and 2.
• Leading zeros are not significant.
Example: 0.00052 has two significant digits: 5
and 2.
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Rules for Identifying Significant Digits
• Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal
point are significant.
Example: 12.2300 has six significant digits: 1, 2,
2, 3, 0 and 0. The number 0.000122300 still has
only six significant digits (the zeros before the 1
are not significant). In addition, 120.00 has five
significant digits.
• The significance of trailing zeros in a number not
containing a decimal point can be ambiguous.
Example: 1300
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Measurements can be Made
Either Directly or Indirectly
Direct measurement
It is made by applying a graduated
instrument directly to the quantity to be
measured.
Indirect measurement
The value of a quantity is determined by
its relationship to some other measurable
quantity or quantities.
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Methods of Distance Measurement
1. Pacing
It consists of counting
the number of steps or
paces in a required
distance. It is used to
approximate
measurement of
distances.
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Pace – defined as the length of a step in walking
Stride – equivalent to 2 paces or a double step
2 Methods to Calibrate One’s Pace
1. To determine the average length of an individual’s
normal step
2. To adjust one’s pace to some predetermined length
tiring and will only give less accurate results
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Factors Affecting Length of Pace
Speed of pacing
Roughness of the ground
Weight of clothing and shoes
Fatigue on the part of the pacer
Slope of the terrain
Age and sex/gender of the individual
Relative Precision: 1/200 to 1/100
seldom less than 1/300
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Methods of Distance Measurement
2. Taping
It involves direct measurement of the
distance with graduated tapes. This is the
most common method of determining
distances.
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Types of Measuring Tapes
1. Steel tape
2. Metallic tape
3. Non-metallic tape
4. Invar tape
5. Lovar tape
6. Fiberglass tape
7. Wires
8. Builder’s tape
9. Phosphor-bronze tape
10. Nylon-coated steel tape
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Taping Accessories
Range Pole Chaining Pins Wooden Stake
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Tension Handle Clinometer
Plumb Bob
Methods of Distance Measurement
3. Tacheometry
It is used to quickly determine the horizontal
distance to, and elevation of, a point.
Two Common Methods of this Type of Measurement
a) Stadia Methods
In this method the distance is obtained by sighting
the telescope of an instrument on a graduated rod (called
stadia rod) held at the other end of the line, and observing the
interval on the rod included between two special horizontal cross
hairs (called stadia hairs) set in the telescope.
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Stadia Method Illustration
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Stadia Method
ratio
rod interval: H
1: 100
rod
interval
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Methods of Distance Measurement
b) Subtense Bar Method
The Invar subtense bar is set on a tripod and aligned
perpendicular to the survey line by means of a sighting device on
top of the bar. Fixed targets near the bar ends are precisely two
meters apart. The horizontal angle between targets is measured
with a theodolite reading to one second or smaller and the horizontal
distance is computed.
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Subtense Bar
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Subtense Bar Method Illustration
2m 1m
tan α/2 = 1
H
H H
H= 1
α/2 tan α/2
α
H = cot α/2
Relative Precision: 1/3000 with sights of about 150 m or
less using a 1” theodolite
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Methods of Distance Measurement
4. Electronic Distance Measurement or EDM
It includes electro-optic and electromagnetic
instruments. The basic principle of electro-optical devices
is the indirect determination of the time required for an
electromagnetic radiation to travel between two stations.
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Advantages:
speed and accuracy
lightweight and portable
low power requirement
easy to operate
ease in measurement over inaccessible terrain
applicable to measurement of both short and long
lengths
automatically measures, displays and records needed
data
slope measurements are internally reduced to horizontal
and vertical components
automatically accumulates and averages reading for
slope range, horizontal and vertical angles.
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Methods of Distance Measurement
5. Graphical/Mathematical Method
It relates known and unknown
distances geometrically.
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Methods of Distance Measurement
6. Use of Mechanical Devices
a) Odometer
It is an instrument
attached to the wheel of a
vehicle to measure its
revolutions, which, when
multiplied by the
circumference gives the
surface distance covered
roughly.
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Uses: Route Location Surveys
Preliminary Surveys
Small-scale Mapping
Relative Precision:
1/200 on fairly
level ground
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b.) Measuring Wheel
It is very similar to odometer except that it is a more
portable and self-contained device.
Uses: Determining distances along irregular or
curved lines and boundaries.
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Use of Mechanical Devices
c) Pedometer
It is a small pager-size device worn on
the belt that simply records the number of
steps taken based on the body’s movement.
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Use of Mechanical Devices
d.) Passometer
It registers a pace by impact each time a foot
touches the ground.
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e.) Optical Rangefinder
It determines distances approximately by
focusing.
Uses: Field Sketching
Plane Table Work
Reconnaissance Surveys
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Methods of Distance Measurement
7. Total Station
It is an incorporated digital
transit and electronic distance
measuring device.
LEICA TCA2003 TPS1200 33
Trimble DTM-302
Methods of Distance Measurement
8. Global Positioning System or GPS
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Sample GPS Survey
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Methods of Distance Measurement
9. Smart Station
It is an incorporated total station and GPS
Leica TPS1200 Series 36
Methods of Distance Measurement
10. Tellurometer
It is a surveying
instrument that measures
distance by measuring the
roundtrip travel time of
reflected microwaves.
prototype tellurometer 37
Sample Modern Tellurometers
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Methods of Distance Measurement
11. Laser Range Finders
LASER means "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation"
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Methods of Distance Measurement
12. LiDAR
- which stands for Light
Detection and Ranging,
is a remote sensing
technology that
measures distance by
illuminating a target with
a laser and analyzing
the reflected light.
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Sample LiDAR Applications
www.leidos.com Image courtesy University of Central Florida
Caracol Archaeological Project
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