International Institution for
the History of Surveying and Measurement
A Permanent Institution within the International
Federation of Surveyors (FIG)
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Standards
and Units of Measure
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Cadastral Map from Denmark. Courtesy Kort
& Matrikelstyrelsen, Denmark, KMS and Den danske
Landinspektørforening DdL. |
No surveying is possible without a
measurement tool whether it be for angles or distances and any such tool
must be properly standardised and calibrated if the results are to be the
best achievable. In addition when delving into the history of surveying
there is a multiplicity of units and conversions from one to another. This
is a large subject in its own right into which many researchers into
contact. Various reference works list and briefly discuss many different
units but are in general not appropriate for the specifics of
standardisation of measures used in surveying. For this resort has usually
to be made to individual scattered technical papers although even these are
few and far between.
For the major survey schemes of the past
there is often a section in the official report devoted to standards and
units
Among useful reports are:
Comparison
of standards of length of England, France, Belgium, Prussia, Russia, India
and Australia. A R Clarke. 1866. HMSO London
Results
of the comparisons of the standards of length of England, Austria, Spain,
US, Cape of Good Hope and of a second Russian standard scale. A R
Clarke. 1873. Phil.
Trans. Roy.Soc.
A series of papers by L Pfeifer in the Survey
Review Nos. 277-281 (July 2000 - July 2001). These cover details of
numerous old standards and scales.
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