DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY – DASMARINAS
Dasmariñas, Cavite
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY
CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAM
Name : _________________________ Date Started : __________
Course-Year &Section : __________ Date Completed: __________
No. of Hours Required : __________ Date Due : __________
Rating : __________
Experiment No. 1
PACING
OBJECTIVES
• To determine individual pace factor.
• To measure distance by pacing.
INTRODUCTION
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DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. PACE – the length of a single step.
2. PACING – consist of counting the number of steps in a required distance.
3. STRIDE – two paces or a double step.
4. PACE FACTOR – a value determined by dividing the measured or known length of a line by the
mean number of paces taken to walk or traverse the line.
5. PACED DISTANCE – the length of a course as determined by pacing.
6. TAPING - the process of measuring the length of a line or course with a tape.
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7. DISCREPANCY – in any measurement is the difference between any two measurements
involving the same line or course.
8. RELATIVE PRECISION OF MEASUREMENT – a value determined by dividing the discrepancy
by the mean measured length, and where the numerator is reduced to unity or one.
9. BREAKING TAPE – a procedure which involves the measurement of short horizontal distances
usually along uneven or slopping ground and accumulating these distances to total full tape
lengths.
INSTRUMENTS / MATERIALS NEEDED
• Range poles
• Steel tape
• Markers (hubs, paint, chalk, or crayons)
PROCEDURE
1. Determining Pace Factor.
a) Select a straight and level course and on both ends establish markers at least 90 meters
apart. Designate these end points as A and B.
b) Walk over the course at a natural pace or gait starting with either heel or toe over point A
and count the number of paces to reach point B.
c) For succeeding trials, walk from B to A, then A to B, until 5 trials are completed, and the
number of paces recorded accordingly.
d) Refer to the accompanying sample format for the recording of observed field data.
TRIAL LINE TAPED DIST NUMBER OF MEAN NO. OF PACE FACTOR (m
(m) PACES PACES / pace)
1 AB
2 BA 30
3 AB
4 BA
5 AB
1. Measuring Distance by Pacing.
a) Define or establish the end points of another level course whose length is to be
determined by pacing. Designate these end points as C and D.
b) For the first trial, walk over the course from C to D at a natural pace and record the
number of paces. Then, walk from D to C and again record the number of paces.
c) Repeat the above procedure until all five trials are completed.
d) After the field data is recorded, make an actual taping of the course CD to determine the
taped distance.
e) Refer to the accompanying sample format for the recording of observed field data.
NO. OF PACED TAPED RELATIVE
TRIAL LINE MEAN % ERROR
PACES DIST DIST PRECISION
1 CD
2 DC
3 CD
4 DC
5 CD
COMPUTATIONS
1. Computing Pace Factor (PF).
a) Get the sum of the number of paces for the five trials performed on course AB then compute
the mean number of paces.
b) Divide the known or taped length of course AB by the mean number of paces for AB to
determine the pace factor.
2. Computing Paced Distance (PD).
a) Get the sum of the number of paces for the five trials performed on course CD and compute
the mean number of paces.
b) Multiply the mean number of paces for CD by the pace factor to obtain the paced distance.
3. Computing Relative Precision (RP).
a) Determine the difference between the taped distance of CD and the paced distance of CD.
b) Divide the difference by the taped distance of CD and reduce the numerator to unity to
determine the relative precision.
REMARKS, HINTS & PRECAUTIONS
1. The ends of the assigned courses should be marked with either hubs, marking pins, or by chalk
marks if on pavement.
2. Range poles are set or held behind the end points to serve as guides or markers during actual
pacing.
3. A steel tape should be used in laying out or in measuring the actual lengths of courses assigned
for pacing.
4. When taping, two measurements should be made for any line and the mean recorded as its
actual length.
5. The length of a single step is termed a pace. It may be measured from heel to heel or from toe to
toe. Also, each two paces or a double step is called a stride.
6. Pacing consists of counting the number of steps in a required distance and is best done by
walking with natural steps.
7. Pacing is used only when approximate results are satisfactory such as for estimating distances
used for sketching and in reconnaissance surveys. Pacing is also used as a means of checking
distances measured by more accurate methods.
8. To keep one on the line while pacing, it is good practice to fix one’s eyes on a distant object on
the range behind the pole at the farther end of the line being paced.
9. A partial pace at the end of the line should be figured out to the nearest one-fourth pace.
10. The accepted precision for measuring distance by pacing usually varies from 1/200 to 1/500.
11. Reject measurements that vary from the mean by more than three percent.
12. If the computed relative precision of the set of measurements is greater than one part in two
hundred, the measurements should be repeated.
CONCLUSION
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