Chain Surveying

NIT Rourkela
India
 Principle of chain surveying

• The principle of chain survey in triangulation

• In the chain survey area need to divided into numbers of well conditions
triangles

• The sides of triangles are measured directly on the field by chain or tape
and no angular measurement are taken

Check lines: control the accuracy of chain survey

 Well conditioned triangle

Well conditioned: no angle less than 30 degree or greater than 120 degree
Ideal : equilateral triangle (60 degree each)
ill conditioned triangle are not use in chain survey ( because apex point are not
sharp and well defined)
Suitability of chain survey

?
 Suitability of chain survey
• Suitable:
• when the ground surface more or less level
• The small area is surveyed
• A small map is to be prepared
• The formation of well conditioned triangle is easy

• Unsuitable:
•Area is crowed with many details
• Too many undulation
•Area is very large
•Formation of well condition trial are difficult due to obstacles
 Reconnaissance survey and Index sketch

• Primary investigation to have rough idea

• Before conducting any detailed survey work, the area need to be examined by
the surveyor, who will do possible arrangement of framework of the survey.

• The primary investigation of the area termed as reconnaissance survey

Work need to be done is reconnaissance survey:

• Surveyor should walk over the area

• take note various obstacle and inter-visibility of station are also
observed
•Main station are so selected to cover the whole area
 Reconnaissance survey and Index sketch
• Index sketch : the neat sketch of the area prepared during reconnaissance
survey is known as Index sketch or key plan
• It show the skeleton of the survey

• It Indicate the main survey stations,

sub stations, tie station, base line,
arrangement for framework of triangles
and approximate positions for different
object

• This sketch is an important for the

surveyor who will plot the map
It should be attached to the starting
pages of the filed book
 Important point
 Main stations(Δ) : consider along the boundary as main controlling
point, (A,B,C,D)
• Line joining the main station are called main survey line
 Subsidiary Station(ʘ): station on the main survey line or any other
survey line (S1,S2,S3)
 Tie Station (ʘ): similar to subsidiary station, used to fix the
direction of adjacent sides (T1, T2,T3)
• when triangulation is not possible, tie station is used to locate the
interior details
• line connected tie station is called tie line
 Base Line: line on which framework of survey is build, most
important line
generally longest line
 Check Line: line joining the apex point and some point in base
• Used to check the accuracy
 Offset in Chain surveying
• The lateral measurement taken form an object to the chain is known as offset
• Offset is required to locate object with reference to the chain line

 Perpendicular offset and oblique offset

• Perpendicular offset: when the lateral measurement are taken
perpendicular to the chain line

Perpendicular are preferable for the following reason

• The line can be taken very quickly

• The progress of survey is not hampered
•They entry in the field book becomes easy
•The plotting of the offsets also becomes easy
 Procedure to take perpendicular offset

• Method1: Swinging the tape from the object to the chain:

• the minimum reading on the tape will be base of perpendicular

• Method 2: by setting right angle triangle (ratio 3:4:5)

•Method3: using builder's square or tri-square

 Cross staff
• Cross staff consist of two pair of vertical silt providing two lines of straight
mutually at right angle
• French cross staff: consists of hexagonal brass tube
• advantage: 45 angle can be set out
• adjustable cross staff: consist of two cylinder placed one over another
•Upper cylinder can be rotated over the lower one graduated in degrees
and it subdivisions
•Offset can be set at any desirable angles
 oblique offset
• Suitable , When perpendicular off set are not possible
• Object are at a long distance from chain line

Method for oblique offset

Assume ‘ab’ is the chain line and ‘p’ is a corner of a building

Take measurement ‘ap’ and ‘bp’ and formed a triangle
When the triangle is plotted the apex point (p) represent the corner of the
building
 Number of offset

• There is no hard and fast rule regarding minimum the number of

offset which can be taken during chain survey
 Number of offset

(a) of boundary lien are approximately parallel, then offset are taken at
regular interval
(b) if the boundary line are straight and perpendicular offset at both end
 Number of offset
(c ) when the boundary line are zigzag, perpendicular are taken at every
point of bend to represent the shape of the boundary

(d) when the road crosses, the chain line perpendicularly, the chainage of
the intersection point is to be noted
 Number of offset
• When road crosses in obliquely, the chainage intersection points a and b
are noted. Then at least one offset is taken on both sides of the
intersection points. More offset can be taken depending upon the nature
of the road

• When the object is circular perpendicular offsets are taken at short and
regular interval
 Limiting length of Offset

• Maximum length of the offset should not be more than length of

the tape (in general 15 m)

• Limiting length depends upon the following factors

• accuracy of the map

• Scale of the map
• Nature of the ground
• Maximum allowable deflection of the offset from its true
direction
 Example problem1 related to offset

Q: An offset was laid out 5o from the true direction and the scale
of the map was 20m to 1 cm. Find the maximum length of offset
for the displacement of a point on the paper not to exceed 0.03
cm
Q: An offset was laid out 5o from the true direction and the scale
of the map was 20m to 1 cm. Find the maximum length of offset
on field for the displacement of a point on the paper not to
exceed 0.03 cm

BC is the displacement on the paper

and should not exceed 0.03 cm on paper
BC
sin 5o 
AB
BC  L sin 5o
0.03  L sin 5o  L *0.08715
L  0.33234
scale 1cm  20m on field
L on field  20*0.33234  6.8846 m
Q: The length of the offset is 15 m and the scale of the plan 10m to 1cm. If
the offset is laid out 3o from its true direction, find the displacement of the
plotted point on the paper, (a) perpendicular to the chain line and (b)
parallel to the chain line

(a) BC parallel to chain line

(b) DC perpendicular to chain line
Q : The length of the offset is 15 m and the scale of the plan 10m to 1cm. If the
offset is laid out 3o from its true direction, find the displacement of the plotted
point on the paper, (a) perpendicular to the chain line and (b) parallel to the chain
line
• Field book
 Field book
Single Line:
• Red line is drawn in the middle of the
field book
• It represents the chain line and
chainage (horizontal distance) are
written on it

• Offset are recorded with sketch tote

left or right of the chin line

•The recording of the field book is

started from the last page and
continued towards to first page

• Main station are marked by ‘triangle’

and substation are marked are marked
Double line: two red lines are 1.5 cm apart in ‘circle‘
 Selection of survey station

• Station should be inter-visible

• well condition triangle should be formed
• Base line should be longest of the main survey line

• Survey line should be fairly level ground

• Main survey line should be close to boundary line

• Survey line should close to objects so that they can be locate by short
offsets

• Survey line should not be very close to main road , as survey work may be
interrupted, Etc.
 Obstacle in Chaining
• In chain survey we perform chaining and making offsets
• During measurement , very often obstruction appear in the field

• The obstruction can be two types

(I) object do not obstruct the view (e.g. pond, river etc.)
(II) Object obstruct the view (such as building)
• The obstruction can be overcome by plotting extra parallel line,
perpendicular line
 Example obstacle to measurement
(object do not obstruct the view)

• Let ABCD is the chain line obstructed by pond

• Difficult to distance BC
• Need to take offset BE and CF of equal length
Chaining is done along EF

• Let DAB is the chain line obstructed by river,

• Lay off AC of any convenient length perpendicular to the AB
• Now lay of DC perpendicular to BC
 Example obstacle to measurement
(object do not obstruct the)
• Let AB is the chain line obstructed by river

•Assume a point I anywhere in the line AB

• take a point H in such a way that HI=HJ, and KH =BH

• now established L in the line AH and at the same time

in line JKL
•Now KL=AB
 Object obstruct the view
• DE is the chain line obstructed by building
• Now assume any arbitrary point C
• Make EC=CB and DC=CA
Thus, AB=DE

• Establish a point F at equal distance From D and E at

any convenient distance
• Make FH=FG
• Then DE=(HG x DF)/HF
Sample questions
 Thanks

Next compass survey

CROSS STAFF SURVEY
 OFFSETS
Offsets are run to locate details
Offsets are lateral lines to main lines or tie lines
 OFFSETS
• Offsets generally at right angles to chain line

• Oblique offsets are also taken

• Number of offsets depend upon the detail.

• Very long offsets are avoided.

NUMBER OF OFFSETS
NUMBER OF OFFSETS
Number of offsets