How to Read a Civil Scale Ruler

As engineers are designing roads, topographical structures and water mains, they use scales (size reduction) to transfer the design concept to a manageable size set of drawings that provide two- or three-dimensional representation of the project. Civil or engineer rulers (scales) refer to the tools that engineers and plan reviewers use to measure these projects as they are designing and building them. Accurately reading and interpreting civil scales, an important engineering skill, is vital for the success of any construction project.

Instructions

- 1
  Align the zero on your civil scale ruler with one end of the object you are measuring. This end represents the starting point.
- 2
  Identify the object's end point and read the ruler's corresponding number that aligns with this end point.
- 3
  Multiply the value you identify on the civil scale by 10 to get the actual length of the object you are measuring. If the corresponding number that aligns with your object's end point is 5, for example, you interpret the length of the object as 50 feet.
- 4
  Know that the small lines between the whole numbers on your civil ruler represent individual feet. If the corresponding number on the scale falls two marks to the right of the whole number 4, for example, you read the length as 42 feet.

Different Styles of Stairways

Cons of Building a Container House

Architecture