Unit II Plane Table Surveying

Plane Table Surveying

Plane table is a graphical method of surveying in which the field works and the plotting is done simultaneously. It is particularly adopted in small mapping. Plane table surveying is used for locating the features in field and for computation of the area of field.

Basic Principle
For quick and approximate surveying, when great precision and accuracy is not needed, plane table surveying techniques is very suitable. It is particularly convenient for filling the details between the stations already fixed and surveyed by more precise method of triangulation or theodolite traversing. For small area surveys, plane table is recommended. The great advantage of this technique is that field work and map plotting is achieved simultaneously by use of graphical surveying. The principle used in plane table surveying is that an unknown point of interest can be established by measuring its directions from known points.

 Merits:

Plane Table

It is most suitable for preparing small scale map or surveying small area. It is most rapid method. Field book is not necessary. No great skill is required for satisfactory map. Errors of measurements and plotting may be readily detected by check lines. It is particularly suitable for magnetic area where prismatic compass is not reliable. Contour and irregular object may be represented accurately. It is economical.

Demerits:
Plane Table is essentially a tropical instruments. It is not suitable to work in wet climate. There are several accessories to be carried out and therefore they are likely to be lost. It is not suitable for accurate work. If the survey is to be re-plotted to a different scale or quantities are to be computed, it is of great inconvenience in absence of the field notes. It is heavy, cumbersome, and awkward to carry.

Plane Table Components

1. Drawing board mounted on tripod
A sheet of drawing paper, called plane table sheet is fastened to the board. Board is made up of well seasoned wood such as teak of size 40x30 to 75x60cm. it has plane and smooth top. It is mounted on a tripod in for easy leveling. Leveling of the table is done by shifting the legs of tripod. Some tripod provided with leveling screw or by ball and socket head for accurate leveling.

2. Alidade:
Alidade consists of two vertical sight vane fitted at end the end of straightedge. The straight edge ruler is usually made of brass or teak wood graduated beveled edge. One of the sight vanes is provided with narrow slit and the other with a central vertical wire or hair. Beveled working edge alidade is called fiducial edge.

Accessories for Plane Table

A through campus for marking the direction magnetic meridian on paper. Sprit level for leveling the table. Forked plumb for centering the table. Water proof cover to protect the sheet from rain.

 Centering:

Plane Table Operations

It is the process of keeping the table over the station that the point on the paper representing the station being occupied is vertically over the point on the ground. It is done by forked plumb bob.

Leveling:
The table has to be leveled by adjusting the tripod legs with the aid of sprit level

Orientation:
When the table has to be set up at more than one station it is necessary that it is be oriented so that the lines on the paper remain parallel to the lie which they represent on the ground. So orientation is the process of keeping the table to the position which is occupied at the first station. Orientation is done by two methods: Orientation by the magnetic needle:
To orient the table at any subsequent station, the through compass(or circular box compass) is placed along the line representing the magnetic meridian which has been drawn on the paper at the first station, and the board is then turned until the ends of the needle are at the zeros of the scale. The board is then clamped in position. It is suitable for rough small scale mapping.

Orientation by back sighting:

This is the most accurate method of orientation and is always be preferred. Suppose a table is set up over station Q on the line PQ which ahs been previously drawn as pq from station p. The alidade is placed along the line QP and board then turned until the line of sight bisects the ranging rod at P. Board is then properly clamped.

Plane Table Methods

Radiation Intersection Traversing Resection
Orientation by compass Orientation by back sighting Orientation by Three Point Problem
Mechanical Method (Tracing Paper Method) Graphical Method Lehmanns Method (Trail and Error Method)

Orientation by Two Point Problem

Radiation
Most direct and simple method of recording observations. The instrument station O is selected and instrument is set and oriented at this station. The point of interests, representing important ground features, natural or created, is located on map by drawing a ray from the plane table station to that point with the help of alidade and plotting to scale the measured distance Small land areas can be surveyed from a single instrument station on one table setting at a predetermined and located position. The instrument station is selected such that entire area is visible and approachable from this position for distance measuring and sighting.

Radiation : Procedure
The instrument station designated o is plotted on drawing sheet exactly oriented and leveled at ground station O with the help of U Fork. The various survey target points A, B, C etc. are sighted by centering the alidade on o and rays drawn along its edge. The distances OA, O B etc. can be measured by chain/tape and plotted as oa, ob, on the sheet. The N-line is marked at top of sheet with the help of compass. This way the traverse abcdef can be plotted. Accuracy can be checked by measuring ground distances AB, BC etc. and comparing with map distances ab, bc etc.

Plane Table: Radiation

Plane Table: Intersection

In intersection method of plane table surveying, the objects or points to be located are obtained at the point of intersection of radial lines drawn from two different stations. This method is generally preferred for plotting the details of ground, objects, which are far away or difficult to access, rivers etc., and the survey stations which can be subsequently used as instrument stations. It is particularly useful in rough and uneven regions where accurate linear measurements are tedious, or difficult or even impossible in some cases.

Intersection Procedure
In place of one ground station O, as in radial method, two ground stations O1 and O2 are selected on ground, such that all important features of area to be surveyed are visible from both stations. The line joining instrument station O1 and O2 is termed base line. It is the only distance which is required to be measured linearly on ground. With plane table positioned at one station (say O1) the point is transferred on sheet as o1 using an U Fork. With alidade pivoted at o1 different survey points A, B, C are sighted and radial lines o1a, o1b, o1c are drawn. Next the plane table is shifted and positioned (leveled and centered) at O2 . With alidade pivoted at o2, survey points A, B, C are sighted again and radial line o2a, o2b, o2c are drawn on sheet. The intersection of radial lines, e.g. (o1a and o2a) will give the location of A on sheet as a and so on, without making any linear measurement

Plane Table : Intersection

Plane Table Traversing

Plane table traversing are used for surveying of wide and large areas similar to chain and compass surveys, for both closed and open traversing. Survey lines O1 O2 O3 can be run between stations which are already pre-decided by other methods. The topographical details are fixed by plane table traversing.

Traversing Procedure
Traverse stations O1, O2 . . . , O3 are pre-decided on ground. Set and level the table at O1 and mark o1 on sheet exactly above O1 using U fork. Centering the alidade at o1, other traverse stations O2, O3 . . . etc. which can be sighted from O1, are observed and rays o1 o2 , o1 o3, o1 o4, . . . , etc. are drawn. For topographical details stations A, B, C, . . . , etc. are sighted and rays drawn. The table is then shifted to next station O2, fixed leveled and oriented by back sighting O1. Distance O1O2 is measured to fix point o2 Position of station O2 is marked on sheet. Radial rays o2 o1, o2 o3, o2 o4 are then drawn with alidade centered on o2. The intersection of rays o1 o3 and o2 o3 will give the location of station o3 on sheet and so on. The ground features A, B, C, . . . etc. can be similarly located on map by drawing rays from station O2. Details can also be located by method of radials. The process is continued till completion of survey. Accuracy is checked by sighting station O1, O2 . . . etc. from more than two stations so that three radial lines merge at referred station. If a particular traverse point is not observable from more than two traverse stations, some well defined object on area can be temporarily chosen as instrument station for checking.

Plane Table : Traversing

Plane Table :Resection

Resection is the process of determining the plotted position of the station occupied by the plane table, by means of sights taken towards known points, locations of which has been plotted The rays drawn from plotted points on map to known ground points after proper orientation are called resectors The intersection of the resectors, gives the instrument station If the table is not properly oriented, the intersection of the resectors will not give the instrument station location

Resection: Orientation with Compass

For small scale, rough mapping for which relatively large errors can be tolerated Let C be the instrument station to be located on the plan. A and B are two visible stations that have been plotted on the sheet as a and b. Set the table at C and orient it with compass, such that the North marked on map coincides with trough compass North. Pivoting the alidade about a, draw a resector to A Similarly, sight B from b and draw a resector. The intersection of the two resectors will give instrument station c. Using U fork transfer the instrument station to ground.

Resection: Orientation by Backsighting

If the table can be oriented by backsighting along a previously plotted backsight line, the station can be located by the intersection of the backsight line and the resector drawn through another known point More accurate than Compass orientation Let C be the instrument station to be located on the plan. A and B are two visible stations that have been plotted on the sheet as a and b. Set the table at A, orient it by sighting B along line ab. Pivoting about a, sight C and draw a ray. Roughly estimate the distance AC and mark it as point c1 in plan Shift the table to C, and center it over c1. Keep the alidade along c1a and orient it by backsighting to A. Pivoting the alidade about b, sight B and draw the resector bB to intersect the line ac1 at c. c is the location of the instrument station

Resection : Three Point ProblemMechanical Method

The process of mechanical method is applied using a tracing paper or cloth. The table is stationed, set and leveled at station O and is oriented as nearly as possible in its correct position either by visual judgment or by use of compass. A tracing cloth/paper is spread and stretched over the table. The position of O is guesstimated and fixed on the tracing to approximately locate the table station O on the map as o. With alidade centered at o, stations A, B and C are bisected and rays oa, ob and oc are drawn on the tracing. The tracing is then un-stretched and rotated until the three new drawn rays pass through plotted positions of a, b and c on the map.

 This will provide a new position of station O on map as o. This is transferred to map by a pin of a fine needle point. The alidade is then placed along oa and station A is bisected by rotating the table and then clamping it in new position. Stations B and C are then sighted and rays drawn as check. The new rays shall pass through o if new table orientation is correct. However, a small triangle of error may be formed as table orientation was only approximate. The above process is then repeated by trial and error till the triangle of error vanishes.

Resection : Three Point ProblemMechanical Method

Resection : Three Point ProblemGraphical Method

Three Point Problem Statement: Location of the Position on the plan, of a station occupied by the plane table by means of observation to three well defined points whose position have been previously plotted on the plan Several graphical methods available Simplest and most common method is Bessels Method also known as Method of Inscribed Quadrilateral

Resection : Three Point ProblemGraphical Method Procedure

The plane table is set up and leveled at new station O. The alidade is placed along known line ba on the map and table is rotated until A is sighted with a pointing towards A Clamp the table and sight C with alidade centered on b, draw a line x-x along alidade edge. The alidade is now placed along ab and table turned to bisect B with b towards B. Clamp the table and centre the alidade at a, bisect C by drawing the ray aC intersecting the previously drawn ray x-x at point c. Join cc. Alidade is now placed along cc and table turned till C is bisected and clamped in new position. The table is correctly oriented. The alidade is centered at b and B is bisected. Draw the ray to intersect cc in o. Similarly, if alidade is pivoted about a and A is sighted, the ray will pass through o if the process is accurate. Any minor error is corrected accordingly.

Resection : Three Point ProblemGraphical Method

Step 1 Step 2

Step 3

Resection : Three Point ProblemLehmanns Method

This method is very commonly used in field and is quite quick and very accurate. The plane table is stationed, set and leveled at station O and is oriented as nearly as possible into correct position either by visual judgment or by use of compass. Rays Aa, Bb and Cc through plotted points a, b and c are drawn sighting stations A, B and C along aA, bB and cC respectively. If the table was oriented correctly to start with, all these rays will intersect at common point o on the map indicating correct position of station O. However, since the initial orientation was only approximate, a small triangle o1 o2 o3 will be formed in place of a common point o. This triangle is called triangle of error.

Resection : Three Point ProblemLehmanns Method

This triangle is attempted to shrink to a point by trial and error, so that in final positions lines aA, bB and cC pass through a single point o. To do this choose a point o approximately using Lehmanns rules. Keep the alidade along oa and rotate the table to sight A and clamp the table. This will give the next iteration of approximate orientation, more accurate than previous orientation. Keep the alidade at b and sight B draw a ray. Similarly draw the resector cC. The three resectors might meet in a triangle of size smaller than previous triangle of error. Thus by successive trail and error the triangle of error is reduced to a point

Lehmanns Rules
The process applied to achieve this object is known as Lehmanns rule. The triangle formed by joining stations A, B and C is termed great triangle while the circle passing through A, B and C as great circle

Lehmanns Rules

If the position of plane table station is inside the great triangle, its plotted position should be chosen inside the triangle of error (fig a) If the position of plane table station is outside the great triangle, its plotted position should be chosen outside the triangle of error . fig b) The plotted position of the plane table should be so chosen that its distance from the resectors is proportional to the distance of plane table station from the field positions of the considered objects . The plotted position of the plane table should be so chosen that it is to the same side of all the three rays. If the position of plane table station is outside the great circle, its plotted position should be so chosen that (Fig c)
It lies on the same side of ray to the most distant point as the intersection of the other two rays The intersection of two rays to the nearer points, is midway between the plotted position of the station and the ray to the most distant point .

If the position of plane table station is outside the great triangle but inside the great circle, the plotted position of the station is so chosen that the ray to the middle point lies between plotted station position and the intersection of the rays to the two extreme points (Fig d).

Lehmanns Rules
Fig b Fig a

Fig c

Fig d

Resection : Two Point Problem

The two-point problem consists of locating the position of a plane table station on the drawing sheet by observation of two well defined points, whose positions have already been plotted on plan.

Resection : Two Point Problem Procedure

Let O1 O2 be the two stations plotted as o1 and o2 on the drawing sheet. It is required to plot station O3 for plane tabling work. An auxiliary point A on ground is selected such that AO3 is approximately parallel to O1 O2 and the angle O3 O1 A and O3 O2 A are balanced angles, i.e. these are neither too acute or too obtuse. The table is set and leveled at A, and so oriented that line O1 O2 on ground is nearly parallel to line o1 o2 plotted on table map. Alidade, pivoted at o2 and sighting O2 on ground, a ray is drawn through o2. In the same way, draw a ray by pivoting alidade at o1 and sighting O1 on ground. This ray will intersect the first ray at a1 on the map.

Two Point Problem

Resection : Two Point Problem

With alidade touching a1, sight O3 and draw the ray a1 o3. Mark the estimated position of O3 on the map as o3. The table is removed from A and set at O3 with marked position of o3 over O3, properly leveled and similarly oriented. This is achieved by back sighting A from O3. Now with table at O3, keep alidade pivoted at o1 and sight O1 and draw a back ray resecting the line a1 o3 in o3. Here o3 is the point representing the station O3 with reference to the approximate orientation made at A. With alidade pivoted at o3, sight O2 and draw a ray to O2. If the ray passes through the plotted point o2, the orientation of the table is correct and o3 is the correct position of O3. Whereas, if this ray cuts the previously plotted line a1 o2 at some other point, say o2, then the position o3 is not the correct position of O3.

Resection : Two Point Problem

The orientation error will be equal to o2o1o2 between the lines o1 o2 and o1 o2. This error can be eliminated by rotating the table through the angle o2 o1 o2. This table rotation can be achieved by taking the following steps.
The alidade is placed along line o1 o2 and a ranging rod B is fixed in line with o1 o2, far away from the plane table. Alidade is now kept along true line o1 o2 and table is rotated so that ranging rod B is bisected. The table is clamped in new position. The true location of O3 on map is now marked by :
orienting alidade along o1 O1 and drawing the ray o1 O1, and orienting alidade along o2 O2 and drawing the ray o2 O2. The point of intersection of the two rays will give the correct position of O3 (the new table position) on map.

Errors in Plane Table

The main sources of errors in a plane table survey can be broadly classified as follows :
Due to faulty instrument Human errors of Manipulation and Sighting Errors due to Inaccurate Centering.

Instrumental Errors

Undulated plane table surface : Error in observation as well as plotting will occur if the top surface of the plane table is not perfectly plane. Curved or inclined fiducial edge : If the fiducial edge of the alidade is not straight, the rays drawn would not be straight and an error in relative location of object will occur. Loose fittings in plane table : If the fittings of the plane table and that of tripod are loose, the plane table will not remain stable and error in surveying will occur. Improper magnetic compass: If the magnetic compass is sluggish or does not represent proper magnetic direction, an error in orientation of the plane table will occur, (if it is done with the magnetic compass) and thus basic principle of plane table surveying will get violated. Non-perpendicularity of the sight vanes : If the sight vanes are not perpendicular to the base of the alidade, there would be an error in sighting. Defect in level tube: If the level tube is defective, the plane table will not be horizontal when the bubble is central. The plot thus obtained will be inaccurate. Unseasoned, poor quality drawing paper : Poor quality drawing paper gets affected by the weather changes and thus it may expand or contract and changes the scale of plotting. The plot thus obtained will be incorrect.

Errors of Manipulation and Sighting

Improper leveling of plane table : If the plane table is not properly leveled and made horizontal, the sight vanes will be inclined to the vertical. There would be an error and the points located will not be correct. Inaccurate Centring : If the plane table is not accurately centred, the error in plotted position of station will cause error in plotting of all other details from that station. Improper orientation : If the plane table is not oriented properly, the fundamental principle of plane table surveying will get violated and thus plotting in general will be inaccurate. Improper clamping of plane table : Improperly clamped plane table will disturb its orientation, and thus error due improper orientation will creep into. Inexact bisection of object : If the object is not sighted accurately or not bisected properly, error in direction of object will occur and thus its plotted position. Improper plotting : This may be caused due to any error in measurement of distance or direction of ray, due to error in instruments or error in manipulation or sighting. This will lead to inaccurate map of the survey and thus the objective of surveying will be poorly achieved. Instability of tripod stand : If the tripod stand is not set in stable, the whole of surveying and plotting will get disturbed and thus error in surveying and making map.

Errors due to Inaccurate Centering

Centering is very important for plotting detail through plane table surveying. Error in centering leads to error in plotting of location of objects. So, the operations involved in centering need careful consideration. On the other hand, plotting accuracy provides a limit within which no error gets perceptible in plotting. Thus, accuracy with which centering should be done depends on the scale of plotting and accordingly care in centering of plane table should be taken. Thus, if S is the scale of plotting and 0.25mm is the minimum dimension of plotting, then 0.25 X S is the amount of error in field distance which may be allowed during centering without any effect on actual plotting. For example, if the plotting scale is 1: 1000, then centering within 0.25 meter distance on ground can be permitted without any error in plotting.

Practical Tips
For GOOD location of details through plane table surveying, following practical hints may be followed:
The drawing board should be well seasoned and good quality but should be free from glare. The tripod stand should be placed in stable condition before fixing the drawing board. The level of the plane table should be set up at a height slightly lower than the height of the elbow of the surveyor. Time should be spent for centering to achieve accuracy within plotting error or better but not very accurate is required. The plotted positions of the stations should be checked before starting any location of details. This is to be done by method of resection to some prominent objects present in the area. Orientation of the table better be checked intermittently and verify by method of back sighting. To plot the plane table location through three point problem, occupy a position inside the great triangle. Sliding of alidade on drawing paper should be avoided. Alidade better be used by lifting its object vane side getting its sight vane side pivoted. The portion of the sheet which is not being used at any time may better be kept covered with a waterproof cloth . The fiducial edge of the alidade in use should be cleaned intermittently to remove graphite. Use hard pencil (such as 4H) to avoid smudging. During storage, the plane table board should be stored on edges, This helps in minimizing warp.