Figure 5-16. Tape clamps
f. Tension Scale. When a steel tape is held above ground between two crew members without
support throughout, a certain amount of tension must be applied to reduce the sag in the tape. This can
be done by using a tension scale, which is graduated in pounds from 0 to 30 (see Figure 5-17). It is
clipped to the eye at the end of the tape, and tension is applied until the desired reading appears on the
scale. The proper amount of continuous tension that needs to be applied to a steel tape is 20 pounds.
Figure 5-17. Tension scale
g. Taping Pin. A taping pin is a metal pin that is 1 foot long. It has a circular eye at one end
and a point for pushing it into the ground at the other (see Figure 5-18, page 5-16). These pins come in
sets of 11 and are carried on a wire ring that is passed through the eyes of the pins. Taping pins can be
used to temporarily mark points in a great variety of situations. They are also used to keep count of tape
increments in the taping of long distances. Each pin represents one tape length measured but not
necessarily a full tape length. The number of taping pins used equals the number of distances that are
measured and recorded in the recording book.
5-15
EN0591
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