Computation of area
The main objective of the surveying is to compute the areas and volumes.
Generally, the lands will be of irregular shaped polygons.
There are formulae readily available for regular polygons like, triangle, rectangle, square and other
polygons.
But for determining the areas of irregular polygons, different methods are used.
Earthwork computation is involved in the excavation of channels, digging of trenches for laying
underground pipelines, formation of bunds, earthen embankments, digging farm ponds, land levelling and
smoothening. In most of the computation the cross sectional areas at different interval along the length of
the channels and embankments are first calculated and the volume of the prismoids are obtained between
successive cross section either by trapezoidal or prismoidal formula.
Calculation of area is carried out by any one of the following methods:
a) Mid-ordinate method
b) Average ordinate method
c) Trapezoidal rule
d) Simpson’s rule
Problem 1: The following offsets were taken from a chain line to an irregular boundary line at an
interval of 10 m:
0, 2.50, 3.50, 5.00, 4.60, 3.20, 0 m
Compute the area between the chain line, the irregular boundary line and the end of offsets by:
a) mid ordinate rule
b) the average –ordinate rule
c) the trapezoidal rule
d) Simpson’s rule
Mid-ordinate rule:
Required area= 10(1.25+3.00+4.25+4.80+3.90+1.60)
= 10*18.80=188 m2
By average-ordinate rule:
Here d=10 m and n=6 (no of devices)
Base length= 10*6=60 m
Number of ordinates= 7
Required area=((1.25+3.00+4.25+4.8+3.9+1.6)/7)60
= 161.14 m2
By trapezoidal rule:
Here d=10m
Required area=10/2{0+0+2(2.50+3.50+5.00+4.60+3.20)}
= 5*37.60=188 m2
By Simpson’s rule:
d=10m
required area=10/3{0+0+4(2.50+5.00+3.20)+2(3.50+4.60)}
= 10/3{42.80+16.20}
= 10/3*59= 196.66m2
2. The following offsets were taken at 15 m intervals from a survey line to an irregular boundary
line 3.50,4.30, 6.75, 5.25, 7.50, 8.80, 7.90, 6.40, 4.40, 3.25 m. Calculate the area enclosed between the
survey line, the irregular boundary line, and the offsets, by:
a) the trapezoidal rule
b) simpson’s rule
a) the trapezoidal rule required area=15/2{3.50+3.25+2(4.30+6.75+5.25+7.50+8.80+7.90+6.40+4.40)}
= 15/2{6.75+102.60} = 820.125 m2
b) simpson’s rule
if this rule is to be applied, the number of ordinates must be odd. But here the number of ordinates must
be odd. But here the number of ordinate is even (ten).
So, simpson’s rule is applied from O1 to O9 and the area between O9 and O10 is found out by the
trapezoidal rule.
A1= 15/3{3.50+4.40+4(4.30+5.25+8.80+6.40)}+2(6.75+7.50+7.90)
= 15/3(7.90+99.00+44.30) = 756.00 m2
A2= 15/2(4.40+3.25) = 57.38 m2
Total area= A1+ A2 =756.00+57.38 = 813.38 m2
Problem 3: the following offsets are taken from a survey line to a curves boundary line, and the
first and the last offsets by:
a) the trapezoidal rule
b) simpson’s rule
2.2
Here the intervals between the offsets are not regular throughout the length.
So, the section is divided into three compartments
Let
∆I= area of the first section
∆II= area of 2nd section
∆III= area of 3rd section
Here
d1= 5 m
d2=10 m
d3=20 m
a) by trapezoidal rule
∆I= 5/2{2.50+6.10+2(3.80+4.60+5.20)} = 89.50 m2
∆II= 10/2{6.10+5.80+2(4.70)} =106.50 m2
∆III= 20/2{5.80+2.20+2(3.90)} = 158.00 m2
Total area = 89.50+106.50+158.00 = 354.00 m2
b) by simpson’s rule
∆I= 5/3{2.50+6.10+4(3.8+5.20) + 2(4.60)} = 89.66 m2
∆II= 10/3{6.10+5.80+4(4.70)} =102.33 m2
∆III= 20/3{5.80+2.20+4(3.90)} = 157.33 m2
Total area= 89.66+102.33+157.33 = 349.32 m2
