What is a "surveying tape" primarily used for?

A surveying tape is primarily used for measuring distances between points on a site. This tool is designed to provide precise measurements, making it an essential instrument in surveying practices. The tape is typically flexible and can be extended over varying terrain, allowing surveyors to accurately determine horizontal distances, which are crucial for plotting and constructing on a site.

In more detail, when surveyors need to establish the boundaries of a plot, lay out a building foundation, or create any kind of design that requires precise spacing, they use the surveying tape to ensure that measurements are accurate. This reliance on accurate distance measurements is foundational to various surveying tasks, including establishing control points and setting out reference lines.

While surveying tapes can assist in other activities, their primary and most critical function is measuring distances accurately. Other options, such as measuring angles or marking land boundaries, typically require different tools and methods tailored specifically for those tasks, such as theodolites for angles or property markers for boundaries. Likewise, creating contours for mapping generally involves leveling instruments or topographic surveys more than a simple measuring tape. Thus, the use of surveying tape is focused squarely on measuring distances.