Lecture 02

In this lecture of Surveying–1, we will study the Basic Principle of Chain Surveying, which is one of the simplest and most fundamental methods used in land surveying. This lecture is important because chain surveying forms the basis for understanding distance measurement and simple field survey techniques used in civil engineering projects.

The lecture will focus on understanding:
The purpose and scope of chain surveying in engineering works
The basic principle of chain surveying, which involves measuring distances using linear measurements only
Important components such as chain line, base line, tie line, check line, and station points
The concept of ill-conditioned and well-conditioned triangles and their significance in accurate surveying
The rules to be followed while chaining to ensure accuracy and reliability of measurements
The procedure of using instruments in chain surveying during fieldwork
The equipment and accessories used in chain surveying

You will also learn about different surveying tools and their uses, including Gunter’s chain, Engineer’s chain, meter chain, ranging rod, cross-staff, offset rod, plumb-bob, arrows, tapes, and whites. The lecture will further explain the uses of different types of tapes such as linen tape, steel tape, and invar tape, which are commonly used for measuring distances with different levels of precision.
In addition, the practical uses of several accessories such as arrows, ranging rods, offset rods, cross-staff, prism square, box-sextant, and clinometer will be discussed to help you understand how measurements and offsets are taken in the field.
By the end of this lecture, you should be able to explain the basic principles of chain surveying, identify the main surveying equipment, and understand how these instruments are used to measure distances and prepare simple survey layouts in the field.
Students are encouraged to carefully review the lecture materials and practice identifying surveying instruments to develop a strong understanding of basic surveying techniques.
Best wishes for your continued learning in Surveying–1.