CHAIN SURVEY

Introduction:
Chaining is a term which is used to denote measuring distance either with the help of
a chain or a tape and is the most accurate method of making direct measurements. For work
of ordinary precision, a chain can be used, but for higher precision a tape or special bar can
be used. The distance determined by chaining form the basis of surveying. No matter how
accurately angles may be measured, the survey can be no more precise than the chaining.
Chain survey is the simplest method of surveying. In this survey only measurements are
taken in the field, and the rest work, such as plotting calculation etc. are done in the office.
This is most suitable adapted to small plane areas with very few details. If carefully done, it
gives quite accurate results. The necessary requirements for field work are chain, tape,
ranging rod, arrows and sometime cross staff.

It is a system of surveying in which sides of various triangles are measured directly in

the field and NO angular measurements are taken.
It is the simplest kind of Surveying

Chain survey may be executed in the following steps:

1. Reconnaissance
The preliminary inspection of the area to be surveyed is called reconnaissance. The surveyor
inspects the area to be surveyed, survey or prepares index sketch or key plan. Walk the whole
area and thoroughly examine the ground, note the position of boundaries, road, and river etc.,
various difficulties to chain lines, select stations, and prepare neat sketches called index
sketches or key plan.
2. Marking stations
Stations are marked with ranging rod, or wooden peg, driving a nail or spikes if hard surface,
or embedding stone with a cross mark.
3. Reference sketches
After marking the station should be referenced i.e. located by measurement called ties taken
from 3 permanent points which are easily identified such as corner of building.
4. Running survey line
After the preliminary work, chaining is started from base line and carried throughout all the
line of the framework continuously. So chain is laid and kept lying, offset are taken to locate
the nearby details. Make ranging wherever necessary. Measure the change and offset and
enter in the field book.
Chain Survey is Suitable when
1.
Ground is fairly level and simple
2.
Plans are required on large scale e.g. fields
3.
When area is small in extent
Chain Surveying is Not Suitable
1.
For Large Areas

2.
3.
4.

When too many details are required

Wooded countries
Undulating area

The various instruments used for the determination of the length of line by chaining are as
follows:
1) Chain or Tape
2) Arrows
3) Pegs
4) Ranging rods
5) Offset rods
6) Plasters laths and whites
7) Plumb bob
Chain:
Chains are formed of straight links of galvanized mild steel wire bent into rings at the
ends and joined each other by three small circular or oval wire rings. These rings offer
flexibility to the chain. The ends of the chain are provided with brass handle at each end with
swivel joint, so that the chain can be turned without twisting. The length of a link is the
distance between the centers of two consecutive middle rings, while the length of the chain is
measured from the outside of one handle to the outside of the other handle.
Following are various types of chains in common use:
i)
Metric chain
ii)
Gunters chain or Surveyors chain
iii)
Engineers chain
iv)
Revenue chain
v)
Steel band or band chain
Metric Chains:
After the introduction of metric units in India, the metric chains are widely used.
Metric chains are generally available in lengths of 5, 10, 20 and 30 meters. Figs 1 and 2 show
the 5m and 10m chains respectively, while Figs 3 and 4 show the 20m and 30m chains
respectively. Fig 5 shows the details of a metric chain.
To enable the reading of fractions of a chain without much difficulty, tallies are fixed
at every meter length for chains of 5m and 10 m lengths. And at every 5 meter length for
chains of 20 m and 30 m lengths. In the case of 20 m and 30 m chains, small brass rings are
provided at every meter length, except where tallies are attached. The shapes of tallies are
different at 1,2,3,4 meters. To facilitate holding of arrows in position with the handle of the
chain, a groove is cut on the outside surface of the handle. The tallies used for marking
distances in the metric chains are marked with the letters m in the order to distinguish them
from non-metric chains. The length of chain,5m,10m,20m,or 30m as the case may be,are
engraved on both the handles to indicate the length and also to distinguish the chains from
non-metric chains.

Fig.1. 5-Meter chain

Fig.2. 10-Meter chain

Fig.3. 20-Meter chain

Fig.4. 30-Meter chain

Fig.5. Details of Metric chain

Gunters chain or Surveyors chain:

A Gunters chain or Surveyors chain is 66 ft .long and consists of 100 links, each link
being 0.6 ft.or 7.92 inches long. The length of 66 ft.was originally adopted for convenience in
land measurement since 10 square chains are equal to 1 acre.also,when linear measurements
are required in furlongs and miles, it is more convenient since 10 Gunters chains =1 furlong
and 80 Gunters chains= 1 mile
Engineers chain::
The engineers chain. Is 100 ft.long and consists of 100 links, each link being
1ft.long.At every 10 links, brass tags are fastened, with notches on the tags indicating the
number of 10 link segments between the tag and end of the chain. The distances measured are
recorded in feet and decimals.
Revenue chain:
The revenue chain is 33 ft.long and consists of 16 links; each link being 2 1/16
ft.long.The chain is mainly used for measuring fields in cadastral survey.
Steel band or band chain:
The steel band consists of a long narrow strip of blue steel, of uniform width of 12 to
16 mm and thickness of 0.3 to 0.6 mm. Metric steel bands are available in lengths of 20 or 30
m.It is divided by brass studs at every 20 cm and numbered at every metre.The first and last
links (20 cm length)are subdivided into cm and mm.Alternatively,in the place of putting brass
studs, a steel band may have graduations etched as metres,decimeters and centimeters on one
side and 0.2m,links on the other. For convenience in handling and carrying, steel bands are
almost invariably wound on special steel crosses or metal reels from which they can be easily
unrolled.
For accurate work, the steel band should always be used in preference to the chain,
but it should only be placed in the hands of careful chainmen. A steel band is lighter than the
chain and
Tapes are used for more accurate measurements and are classed according to the
material of which they are made, such as follows
1. Cloth or linen tape
2. Metallic tape
3. Steel tape and
4. Invar tape.
Cloth or linen tape:
Cloth tapes of closely woven linen, 12 to 15 mm wide varnished to resist moisture,
are light and flexible and may be used for taking comparatively rough and subsidiary
measurements such as offsets. A cloth tape is commonly available in lengths of 10 metres, 20
meters and 30 meters, and in 33 ft., 50ft., 66 ft.and 100 ft.The end of the tape is provided with
small brass ring whose length is included in the total length of the tape.
A cloth tape is rarely used for making accurate measurements, because of the
following reasons:
1) It is easily affected by moisture or dampness and thus shrinks
2) Its length get altered by stretching
3) It is likely to twist and tangle
4) It is not strong .Before winding up the tape in the case; it should be cleaned and
dried.
Metallic tape:

A metallic tape is made of varnished strip of waterproof linen interwoven with small
brass, copper or bronze wires and does not stretch as easily as a cloth tape. Since metallic
tapes are light and flexible and are not easily briken, they are particularly useful in crosssectioning and in some methods of topography where small errors in length of the tape are of
no consequence. Metallic tapes are made in lengths of 2, 5,10,20,30 and 50 meters. The outer
ends of these tapes are reinforced by a strip of leather or suitable plastic material of the same
width as the tape, for a length of at least 20 cm.tapes of 10, 20, 30 and 50 meter lengths are
supplied in a metal or leather case fitted with a winding device.

Fig. 6 Metallic Tape

Steel tape:
Steel tapes vary in quality and accuracy of graduation, but even a poor steel tape is
generally superior to a cloth or metallic tape for most of the linear measurements that are
made in surveying. A steel tape consists of a light strip of width 6 to 10 mm and is more
accurately graduated. Steel tapes are available in lengths of 1, 2,10,20,30 and 50 meters. The
tapes of 10, 20,30 and 50 meter lengths are provided with a brass ring at the outer end,
fastened to it by a metal strip of the same width as then tape. The length of the tape includes
the metal ring. It is wound in a well sewn leather case or a corrosion resisting metal case,
having a suitable winding device. Tapes of longer length are wound on metal reel.

Fig. 7 Steel Tape

Fig. 8 Steel Tape on reel

Invar tape:
Invar tapes are used mainly for linear measurements of a very high degree of
precision, such as measurements of base lines. The invar tape is made of alloy of nickel (36
%) and steel, and has very low coefficient of thermal expansion-seldom more than about onetenth of that of steel, and often very much less. The other great advantage of invar is that
bands and wires made of invar enable base lines to be measured very much more rapidly and
conveniently. Invar tapes and bands are expensive, much softer and are more easily deformed

than steel tapes. Another great disvantage of invar tape is that it is subjected to creep due to
which it undergoes a small increase in length as time goes on. Its coefficient of thermal
expansion also goes on changing .It is therefore, very essential to determine its length and
coefficient of expansion from time to time. Invar tapes are normally 6 mm wide and are
available in lengths of 20, 30 and 100m.
The difficulty with invar tapes is that they are easily bent and damaged. They must,
therefore, be kept on reels of large diameter, as shown in Fig.8

Fig.8.Invar tape on reel

ARROWS:
Arrows are making pins are made of stout steel wire, and generally,10 arrows are
supplied with a chain. An arrow is inserted into the ground after every chain length measured
on the ground. Arrows are made of good quality hardened and tempered steel wire 4 mm (8
s.w.g.) in diameter, and are black enameled. The length of arrow may vary from 25 cm to 50
cm, the most common length being 40 cm.One end of the arrow is made sharp and other end
is bent into a loop or circle for facility of carrying. Fig 9.shows the details of a 40 cm long
arrow as recommended by the Indian Standard.

Fig.9.Arrow
PEGS:
Wooden pegs are used to mark the positions of the stations or terminal points of a
survey line. They are made of stout timber, generally 2.5 cm or 3 cm square and 15 cm ling,
tapered at the end. They are driven in the ground with the help of a wooden hammer and kept
about 4 cm projecting above the surface.

Fig.10.Wooden Peg
RANGING RODS:
Ranging rods have a length of either 2 m or 3 m, the 2 meter length being more
common. They are shoed at the bottom with a heavy iron point, and are painted in alternative
bands of either black and white or red and white or black, red and white in succession, each
band being 20 cm deep so that on occasion the rod can be used for rough measurement of
short lengths. Ranging rods are used to range some intermediate intermediate points in the
survey line. They are circular or octagonal in cross-section of 3 cm nominal diameter, made
of well-seasoned, straight grained timber. The rods are almost invisible at a distance of about
200 meters, hence when used on long lines each rod should have a red, white or yellow flag,
about 30 to 50 cm square, tied on near its top

Fig.11.Ranging and Offset rod

Ranging poles:
Ranging poles are similar to ranging rods except that they are longer and of greater
diameter and are used incase of very long lines. Generally they are not pointed, but in all
cases they are provided with a large flag. Their length may vary from 4 to 8 meters, and

diameter from 6 to 10 cm.The foot of each pole is sunk 0.5m into the ground, the pole being
set quite vertical by aid of a plumb bob
OFFSET RODS:
An offset rod is similar to a ranging rod and has a length of 3m.They are round
wooden rods, shod with pointed iron shoe at one end, and provided with a notch or a hook at
the other. The hook facilitates pulling and pushing the chain through hedges and other
obstructions. The rod is mainly used for measuring rough offsets nearby. It has also two
narrow slots passing through the center of the section, and set at right angles to one another,
at the eye level, for aligning the offset line.
Butt rod:
A butt rod is also used for measuring offsets, but it is often used by building surveyors
or architects. It generally consists of two laths, each of 1 yard or 1 m in length loosely riveted
together. The joint is also provided with a spring catch to keep the rod extended. The rod is
painted black. the divisions of feet and inches are marked out with white and red paint.
PLASTERS LATHS AND WHITES:
In open level ground, intermediate points on a line may also be lined out with straight
laths, to 1 meter long, made of soft wood. They are light both in color and weight, and can be
easily carried about and sharpened with a knife when required. They are also very useful for
ranging out a line when crossing a depression from which the forward rod is invisible, or
when it is hidden by obstacles, such as hedges etc.
Whites:

Fig.12.Whites
Whites are pieces of sharpened thin sticks cut from the nearest edge, and are used for the
same purpose as the laths, through not so satisfactory in use. They are sharpened at one end
and split with the knife at the top, and pieces of white paper are inserted in the clefts in order
to make them more visible when struck up in the grass. They are also useful in crosssectioning or in temporary marking of contour points.
PLUMB BOB:
While chaining along sloping ground, a plumb bob is required to transfer the points to
the ground .It is also used to make ranging poles vertical and to transfer points from a line
ranger to the ground .In addition ,it is used as centering aid in theodolites,compass,plane table
and a variety of other surveying instruments.

Fig.13.Plumb Bob