Area and Volume
Surveying 1
Topic 8
May 2008
Calculating Area
The determination of area is a key role of the modern surveyor. Area may be required
of parcels of land (for title deeds), lakes, fields etc. There are several methods that can
be used to determine the area enclosed with a loop traverse.
These include
1. Graphical methods, after plotting the traverse at some suitable scale.
Eg. Square counting, planimeter.
2. By calculating, after breaking up area into triangles (or other simple
geometrical shapes).
3. Using Eastings and Northing and the method of Double Meridian
Distances.
4. Using Eastings and Northings and the method of coordinates (This is
the most frequently used technique).
AREA OF TRAVERSES FROM COORDINATES
A general formula for the area of a traverse in terms of coordinates can be derived by
dividing the traverse into segments, whose areas can be calculated individually. For
this procedure the coordinates of each point are usually known.
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Area and Volume
Let the coordinates of A, B, C and D be equal to E1N1, E2N2, E3N3 and E4N4
respectively.
Now,
Area ABCD = Area b BCc + Area cCDd – Area bBAa – Area aADd
Where bBCc, cCDd etc. are trapezia with the following areas in terms of the
coordinates of A, B, C and D.
Area ABCD = (E2 + E3) (N2 – N3) + (E3 +E4) (N3 – N4)
2 2
+ (E4 +E1 ) (N1-N4) + (E1 +E2) ( N2 – N1)
2 2
i.e. 2 Area ABCD = (E1 +E2) (N1 – N2) + (E2 + E3 )( N2 – N3)
+ (E3 + E4) (N3-N4) + (E4+E1) (N4-N1)
which when expanded and simplified becomes:
2 Area ABCD = Ni (Ei+1 – Ei-1)
i.e. twice the area of a traverse equals the sum of the products of the north coordinate
of each point multiplied by the difference between the Eastings of the forward and
rear points.
The actual calculation can be performed by following the formula above or below or
by using a more convenient tabular form as follows:
Stations E N
A E1 N1
B E2 N2
C E3 N3
D E4 N4
E E1 N1
The products marked by the dashed arrows are added together and the
products marked by the solid arrows are added and then subtracted from the
first total. The order is not important, as the area is half the modulus value of the
difference between the two totals.
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Area and Volume
Example of Area by coordinates (after adjustment of coordinates)
E N
Line Dist E N 1000.000 1000.000
AB 25231’56” 471.689 -449.9375 -141.5866 550.063 858.413
BC 32318’29” 387.461 -231.5128 310.6893 318.550 1169.103
CD 4826’18” 333.842 249.7946 221.4794 568.344 1390.582
DA 13208’25” 582.1348 431.6555 -390.5822 1000.000 1000.000
-0.0002 -0.0001
Sum of = 1000 858.413 + 550.063 1169.103 + 318.550 1390.582 +
568.344 1000.000
= 2515807.20
Sum of = 1000 550.063 + 858.413 318.550 + 1169.103 568.344 +
1390.582 1000.000
= 2878545.14
Therefore the area obtained is extracted from the difference of these summations:
2 Area = 2878545.14 – 2515807.20
2 Area = 365737.97
Area = 182869.0 m2
Example 2 – Area calculations via coordinates
LINE Bearing Distance E N E N
1000.000 1000.000
AB 4332’21” 361.979 249.349 262.400 1249.349 1262.400
BC 10050’06” 370.651 364.043 -69.675 1613.392 1192.725
CD 22437’28” 390.756 -274.489 -278.111 1338.903 914.614
DE 18139’56” 251.796 -7.319 -251.690 1331.584 662.924
EA 31528’14” 472.831 -331.585 337.077 999.999 1000.001
-0.001 +0.001
Area = 158256.3 (From Closure Program – XEQ C)
Calculations:
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Area and Volume
AREAS DEFINED BY IRREGULAR BOUNDARIES
The area of regions that can be represented by regular shapes such as triangles (or other
polygons) can be calculated easily. Often boundaries of land allotments may be defined by
an irregular line, such as a creek bank, or a shoreline. In these cases, calculating the area
within such an allotment cannot be done by the triangle or traverse methods.
In some instance however, it is necessary to calculate the area of a figure with one or more
irregular boundaries. What is usually done is to run a traverse close to the irregular boundary
and to measure right-angled offsets from the traverse legs to the irregular boundary, as
shown:
Square Counting
One method of calculating the area of such a figure is through square counting, where a plan
is drawn and a grid of squares overlaid. The number of whole squares falling within the
irregular boundary is counted. Each square at the particular scale of the plan will represent a
certain area. So the total area of the figure is given by multiplying the area of a single square
by the total number of squares counted. Clearly the smaller each square the more accurate
the result will be.
Planimeter
The area within irregular boundaries on a plan may also be obtained by using an instrument,
which is known as a planimeter. The planimeter is used to calculate the area of the figure by
tracing its perimeter. The scales on the planimeter are usually graduated in a way that one
revolution of the wheel is made if the area covered is one square centimetre. If the scale of
the plan is known it is possible to calculate the area covered by the planimeter.
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Area and Volume
This add showing examples of digital planimeters appeared in a recent Geomatics
journal
Trapezoidal and Simpson’s Rule
C
If the perpendicular offsets along the line AB (eg: y 1, y2, etc) are taken at constant intervals
(h as shown above), then one of the following two methods may be used to calculate the
area between the traverse and the irregular boundary. There are two methods of determining
the area of this irregular shape. These include the Trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules.
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Area and Volume
Trapezoidal Rule - which assumes that each element of area between the traverse & the
irregular boundary is a TRAPEZIUM.
Where A1 = h/2 (y1 + y2)
A2 = h/2 (y2 + y3)
A3 = h/2 (y3 + y4)
A4 = h/2 (y4 + y5)
A5 = h/2 (y5 + y6)
A6 = h/2 (y6 + y7)
The total area is the sum of the constituent areas;
A = A1 +A2 + A3 + A4 + A5 + A6 + A7
However the above formula may be simplified, if there are n offsets, a constant distance h
apart, as;
Area ABCD = 1/2(y1 + y2) h + 1/2(y2 + y3) h + . . . . . . + 1/2(yn-1 + yn) h
= h/2(y1 + y2 + y2 + y3 + y3 + . . . yn-1 + yn-1 + yn)
= h {1/2(y1 + yn) + y2 + . . . yn-1}
Simpson’s Rule - which assumes that each element of the irregular boundary is a
parabolic arc, rather than a straight line.
The formula in this case is as follows (where n must be ODD):
= h/3{y1 + 2(y3 + y5 + . . .) + 4(y2 + y4 + . . .) + yn}
EXAMPLES
Offsets were taken every 100 meters. Compute the area using the Trapezoidal and
Simpson’s formulae.
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Area and Volume
Approximate area using Square Counting
Area = (100*67)+(100*70)+(100*84)+(100*125)+(100*83)
= 42 900
Trapezoidal Rule
= h{1/2(y1 + yn) + y2 + . . . yn-1}
= 100(1/2(0+0)+67+70+84+125+83))
= 100*429 = 42 900
Simpson’s Rule = h/3{y1 + 2(y3 + y5 + . . .) + 4(y2 + y4 + . . .) + yn}
= 100/3{0+2(70+125)+4(67+84+83)+0}
= 44 200
The results obtained by Simpson’s Rule are greater or smaller than those obtained by
the Trapezoidal Rule depending on when the boundary is concave or convex towards
the traverse line, and are in all cases more accurate.
The following is an example, illustrating offsets to a river bank from traverse lines.
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Area and Volume
Using the Trapezoidal Rule, the area between the traverse line AB and the river bank
can be calculated as:
From chainage 0 to 600:
= h{1/2(y1 + yn) + y2 + . . . yn-1}
= 200{1/2(180+220)+190+210}
= 200{200 +190 + 210}
= 200{600}
= 120 000 m2
From chainage 600 to 760:
= h{1/2(y1 + yn) + y2 + . . . yn-1}
= 160{1/2(220+220)}
= 160{220}
= 35 200 m2
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Area and Volume
CALCULATING VOLUME
Direct measurements of volumes are rarely made in surveying, since it is difficult to
apply a unit of measure to the material involved. Rather, indirect measurements are
obtained by measuring lines and areas that have a relationship to the volume desired.
Typically three methods for measuring volume are used:
1. Grid levelling
2. Cross sections
3. Contours
Grid Levelling
A grid is set out over the area of interest and each grid intersection point is levelled
too to determine its elevation and height difference from reduced level of design
surface. For example, if were after the volume of earth in the following area:
Volume above 37.0 m
Volume = Area Height
= 10 10 mean of h’s in grid square
= 100 (2.0 + 3.1 + 4.0 + 2.9)
4
For a series of grids the total amount of volume is the sum of all the volumes of the
single grids.
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Area and Volume
Cross-section method
This method of calculating volume is used frequently for construction projects such as
highways and roads. Typically cross-sections are determined from which volume is
calculated.
Cross sections along a proposed road – plane view
Cross section example
After determining the area of the cross sections, it is possible to calculate the volume:
Volume = Area 1 + Area 2 distance between cross sections
2
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Area and Volume
Volumes from contours
Volumes based on contours can be obtained by using a planimeter to determine the
area enclosed by each contour. This technique is commonly used in software
packages.
Contour Map of Dam
The area formed by each contour can be calculated by using a planimeter, which is a
mechanical instrument used to compute the area of a planar region.
Examples of Planimeters
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Area and Volume
The volume between two contour intervals, can be calculated using:
V1 = Areacontour 1 + Areacontour 2 contour interval
2
For example if the area of each contour was measured as:
A100 = 10000 m2
A101 = 30000 m2
A102 = 50000 m2
A102.5 = 66000 m2
Then the volume between contours 99.5 and 100 m would be:
V1 = 0 + 10000 0.5
2
= 2500m3
V2 = 10000 + 30000 1
2
= 20000m3
V3 = 40000m3
V4 = 29000m3
Therefore the total volume calculated is 91500m3.
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Area and Volume
Balance Planes
It is also possible to determine the height above some datum level that the volume of
cut is equal to the volume of fill. This height is referred to as the balance plane. For
example consider the following grid levelling application;
Adopt datum plane (below lowest RL)
of RL 54.000.
where A = 10 * 10 = 100 m2
= 1.468 + 0.611 + 0.127 + 1.052 =
3.258 m
= 1.374 + 0.611 + 0.127 + 1.052 =
6.885 m
= 1.117 + 0.862 + 0.607 =
2.586m
Therefore total volume V
= 100/4 [ 3.258 + 2(8.885) + 4(2.586)] =
684.30 m3
Figure 2 – Grid Levelling
-To determine the balance plane:
Balance plane = volume above datum
total area of grid
-for data above:
-volume above RL 54.000 m = 684.30 m3
-therefore the height of the balance plane above 54.000 m is:
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Area and Volume
684.30 = 0.855 m
40* 20m
-therefore the reduced level of the balance plane is 54.000 + 0.855 = 54.855 m
References
Elfick et al., 1998 “ Elementary Surveying” 8th Edition
McCormac, J., 1985 “ Surveying” 2nd Edition
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Area and Volume
Determining Contours for a Survey Plan
Producing Contours
Steps 1 and 2 – Plot ground levels and interpolate contours
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Area and Volume
Step 3 – Connect contour lines
Notes on producing contours (from Survey Drafting Notes)
The most commonly used method of contouring an area is by interpolation from spot
heights. To simplify the field-work and the office plotting it is common practice to set
out some form of grid and take levels to each intersection point on the grid.
The spot levels are then shown on the front at each intersection point. The contours
are then lightly marked in pencil in the front by interpolating their values across the
grid. It is often quicker to mark a couple of major contours first and then proceed to
define intermediate contours afterwards. Contours are interpolated by taking the
distance between spot levels, calculating the rise or fall between these levels and
dividing the distance proportionately to carry these lines. For example take four points
as shown with grid levels 221.62, 219.00, 220.50 and 215.01 on a grid of 10 meter
squares. The maximum contour will be 220 and the minimum 215. The minimum
contour will pass through the intersection point and the maximum contour will be
slightly to the right of the 220.50 grid intersection. The intervening distance is divided
into 5 equal parts by approximate scaling and we then have the points for the 216,
217, 218 and 219 contours as well.
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