Pacing Technical Report
Pacing Technical Report
Pacing Technical Report
College of Engineering
Department of Geodetic Engineering
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
Fieldwork 1: Pacing
2019 - 04380
AGUILAN, Kim Elijah M.
Date of Survey:
August 31, 2019
Submission of Report:
September 14, 2019
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
College of Engineering
Department of Geodetic Engineering
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
I. Introduction
Pacing is one of the most convenient methods of distance measurement. For one, it
requires almost no equipment and conveniently gives a rough estimate of the size of a relatively
small surveying area. Pace factor is defined as the ratio of the measured distance and number
of paces by a surveyor to cover the said distance. Determining one’s unique pace factor is one
of the earliest foundations of becoming a surveyor. Thus, in this field experiment, the
objectives are as follows: a.) to determine each student’s pace factor and; b.) to quickly
estimate distances by means of pacing method. However, it is necessary to consider that due to
technological developments, pacing method is not any longer reliable in determining the exact
measurements of an area. A lot of variables also affect the results of the experiment, which will
be discussed later.
The survey area was the perimeter of Melchor Hall in the University of the Philippines
Diliman.
Figure 1. The survey area with the paced distance highlighted in green.
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
College of Engineering
Department of Geodetic Engineering
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
The fieldwork was conducted from 8 AM to 9:30 AM on August 31, 2019. During this,
the skies were relatively clear, but the air was humid. There were few people in the area as it
was a Saturday. The sidewalks of Melchor Hall were not conducive for the pacing method as
the bricks were not properly leveled with each other due to poor maintenance. Several academic
buildings were encompassed by the block; the area is purely urban.
III. Equipment
The following materials were used in this experiment: a.) tape; b.) chalk and; c.) range
poles.
The 50-meter taped distance for the gathering of data in Table 1 was in the Melchor
Hall Parking Lot. To ensure that the surveyor was walking on a straight path, the line was
located on top of a straight fissure in the concrete pavement.
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
College of Engineering
Department of Geodetic Engineering
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
V. Discussion of Results
As stated earlier in the introduction, there were extraneous variables which affected the
results. The consistency of a pace can easily fluctuate due to factors such as topography, soil
surface, type of shoes, fatigue, weight, and height of the surveyor. The steps were done by a
relatively small person, thus the small value of the pace factor. The paces, however, were
consistent, as shown by the calculated precision of measurement.
The calculated pace factor was used to determine the relative precision of the conducted
pacing. More errors may have affected the calculations. Specifically, as the vicinity of Melchor
Hall was bounded by acacia trees, the GPS tracker of Google Maps had a difficulty in locating
the exact position of the surveyor, thus giving an erroneous map distance measurement. In this
measurement, only a small perimeter was measured, therefore a difference of a meter between
the actual distance and perceived actual distance (map distance) can significantly affect the
value of the relative precision. Fortunately, as the skies were relatively clear, the GPS tracker
can locate the accurate position of the surveyor after a few minutes of standing still. The
computed relative precision was within the accepted range for the pacing method which was
1 1
to 200.
100
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
College of Engineering
Department of Geodetic Engineering
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
VI. Conclusion
VII. Acknowledgement
The Survey Instrument Room is acknowledged for the success of this survey. Without
the necessary materials, this experiment would not be possible.
VIII. Documentation
Figure 2. Photos as I pace through the 50-meter taped distance in the Melchor Hall Parking Lot.
Figure 4. Our group as we pose with the range poles after the
fieldwork.