Fundamentals of Surveying Laboratory 1

(FUNSURVEY1L)
MODULE 1

FUNSURVEY1L
Holy Angel University
School of Engineering andArchitecture
Department of Civil Engineering
FUNSURVEY1L

Chapter 02
Pacing

Introduction This chapter focuses on making measurements using our very own
walking pace which depending on the accuracy may become as
basis for a quick approximation of distances in the absence of
measuring devices

Content This chapter focuses on

 Pacing
 Determining Individual Pace factor

Objectives After this chapter, the student should be able to

 Make measurements using pacing
 Judge whether their paces are done with
relatively high accuracy

Related These are supplemental content necessary for this chapter

 Elementary Surveying 3rd Edition by Juny Pilapil

Readings La Putt

References  Ghilani, C. D. (2016). Elementary surveying: an introduction to

geomatics (14th ed.). Boston: Pearson

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Pacing

“Every breath you take and every move you make

Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you”
The Police

Pacing is one of the most basic ways to approximate distances without relying on any
instrument. It may not be as accurate as a tape or any precision instruments but if you only want a
general idea of distance and do not have any instruments in hand, it can be a very handy skill to know.

In order to perform pacing with utmost accuracy, you must to put in the work in the background.
There will be a lot of trials and also a lot of errors that can get you tired that makes your every breath
count. You also need to remember the number of paces you already did and sometimes your group
mates may confuse you by saying random numbers to make you lose count (true story) which can
really test the bonds of your group. Some members may try to go the easy way out and cut corners
but God, will be there watching you. (If ever the quarantine is over)

You need to put in the hard work in order to acquire your pace factor and apply pacing.

Determining Individual Pace Factor

Paced distances are acquired by multiplying the average number of steps recorded by one
individual, walking on a line with an unknown distance, to the same individual’s pace factor. These
measurements are satisfactorily precise for many functions in engineering surveying, forestry, military
field sketching, geology, and agricultural plotting. In addition, these measurements are also used in
checking and detecting errors in observations that advanced methods might possibly have overlooked.

In order to approximate a measurement for an unknown distance, one must identify first his/her
pace factor. This is best done by repeatedly walking in natural rhythm, back and forth, along a relatively
level ground surface that is at least 90 meters long. Recording the number of steps, (which is measured
from either toe-to-toe or heel-to-heel), made for each trial will give you the average number of steps
that the individual must make to completely walk through the given line. Dividing the average number
of steps over the total length of the given line provides the individual his/her pace factor, with a unit of
meter per pace.

Pace factors varies when walking uphill or downhill. It also varies depending on the age. One
individual’s pace factor may possibly change as one gets older.

Some surveyors count in strides. Stride simply denotes two steps or paces. Skillful surveyors can
provide estimated measurement to a line with an unknown distance with a satisfactory relative
precision of 1/200 to 1/500. Meaning, for every 500-meter line that is paced, only a 1-meter margin for

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error is accepted.

Pacing is essentially one of the skills that one must learn in surveying. It has convenient
applications for everyone and it can be performed without the use of any equipment. If the ground
surface is reasonably level and open, pacing can be executed with rational accuracy.

𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑋 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

Instruments Needed:

1. Tape or any measuring instrument

Steps to get your pace factor even at home:

2. Lay-out a 10-meter straight line using a tape or any measuring instruments such as ruler, steel
tape, etc on a level and unobstructed course or field and assign the end points of the laid-out
line as points A and B.

3. Walk across the level course while following the natural rhythm of the individual’s pacing.
Starting with either toe or heel, at point A, tally the total number of paces or steps used to reach
point B.

4. Walk from point A to point B, and then from point B to point A, until 10 successive trials are

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accomplished. Tabulate the recorded number of paces or steps in each trial, accordingly.

5. Make use of the associated table below for the recording of the completed field data.

MEAN
TAPED NUMBER OF PACE FACTOR
TRIAL LINE NUMBER OF
DISTANCE PACES (M/PACE)
PACES
1 AB 16
2 BA 17
3 AB 16
4 BA 16
5 AB 16.5 16.175p 0.6182m/pace
10 METERS
6 BA 17
7 AB 15.5
8 BA 15.75
9 AB 16
10 BA 16

You can have a 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 of a step at end points in order to improve accuracy.

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Take note that the number of steps should be consistent or close to one another. For example,
for the number of steps for each trial is 100, 101, 99, 100.5, 100.25, 99.75, 95, 99.25, 100, 101. As you can
see 95 is too far from the others which makes it an outlier. In a scientific experiment, you need to redo
trials that strays too far from the rest of the data to get accurate results.

In order to determine the measurement of a line with an unknown distance, procedure is as follows:

1. Establish the end points of another line on a level and unobstructed course, whose unknown
measurement is to be determined by method of pacing, and assign these end points as point X
and point Y.

2. Walk across the level course while following the natural rhythm of the individual’s pacing.
Starting with either toe or heel, at point X, tally the total number of paces or steps used to reach
point Y.

3. Walk from point Y to point X, and then from point X to point Y, until 6 successive trials are
accomplished. Tabulate the recorded number of paces or steps in each trial, accordingly.

4. Upon completion of the 10 trials, make an actual measurement of the unknown line XY to
determine the actual or taped distance.

5. Make use of the associated table below for the recording of the completed field data.

MEAN
NUMBER PACED TAPED RELATIVE
TRIAL LINE NUMBER
OF PACES DISTANCE DISTANCE PRECISION
OF PACES
1 XY 11
2 YX 11
3 XY 11.5
4 YX 11
5 XY 11.75 11.525p 6.9564m 7m 0.0062
6 YX 12
7 XY 12.5
8 YX 12
9 XY 11
10 YX 11.5

|𝑇𝐴𝑃𝐸𝐷 𝐷𝐼𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑁𝐶𝐸 − 𝑃𝐴𝐶𝐸𝐷 𝐷𝐼𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑁𝐶𝐸|

𝑅𝐸𝐿𝐴𝑇𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝐶𝐼𝑆𝐼𝑂𝑁 =
𝑇𝐴𝑃𝐸𝐷 𝐷𝐼𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑁𝐶𝐸

Note: transform the numerator into unity and round-down the denominator into the nearest tenths.

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Documentation:

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