COMPASS SURVEYING

COMPASS SURVEYING

 is the branch of surveying in which the position of an object is located using

angular measurements determined by a compass and linear
measurements using a chain or tape.
COMPASS SURVEYING

 Compass surveying is not used in places which contain iron core, power
lines and etc. which usually attracts magnets due to their natural properties
and electromagnetic properties respectively.
 Compass surveying is done by using traversing. A traverse is formed by
connecting the points in the plot by means of a series of straight lines.
TRAVERSE
 Open traverse
 Geometrically don’t close
 No geometric verification
 Measuring technique must be
refined
 Close traverse
 Geometrically close (begins and close
at same point)-loop traverse
 Start from the points of known position
and ends to the point of known
position
ADVANTAGES OF
COMPASS SURVEYING
 They are portable and light weight.
 They have fewer settings to fix it on a station
 The error in direction produced in a single survey line does not affect other
lines.
 It is suitable to retrace old surveys.
DISADVANTAGES OF
COMPASS SURVEYING
 It is less precise compared to other advanced methods of surveying.
 It is easily subjected to various errors such as errors adjoining to magnetic
meridian, local attraction etc.
 Imperfect sighting of the ranging rods and inaccurate leveling also causes
error.
ERRORS IN COMPASS SURVEY

 Instrumental errors
 If the plane of sight not being vertical, it causes error in sighting and reading.
 If the magnetic needle is not perfectly straight or if it is sluggish, readings may not be
accurate.
 Personal errors
 Inaccurate leveling
 Inaccurate reading
 Inaccurate centering
 Natural errors
 Local attraction
 Proximity to the magnetic storms
 declination
CLOSED TRAVERSE
Angular Misclosure

 Total = (n-2)(180)
 n = 5, Total = 540°

86°26’ E
D
+ 107°09’
+ 108°25’
92°20’
+ 92°20’ 145°37’
+ 145°37’ A
= 539°57’ 86°26’
108°25’
Misclosure = -3’
107°9’ C
Acceptable?

B
Balancing Angular Error

 Contribution to Error
 Angles not consistent – more work
 Assign contribution - C

 Correction = C*(-error/ C)

 Say angle A, B turned twice; C,D, E 4 times
 A & B are twice as likely to contribute to error
CA = CB = 2, CC = CD = CE = 1

 Much easier if all angles contribute equally

Balancing Angular Error

Assuming all work is

consistent
E = error, n = number of angles
Correction = -E/n D
E
Reflect precision
92°20’
C = -(-3’)/5 = 36” 145°37’
A 86°26’
108°25’ C
107°9’

B
DEPARTURE AND LATITUDE
 Latitudes and Departures

Latitude = Length*Cos(Bearing Angle)

Departure = Length*Sin(Bearing Angle)

LatAB = 315.62 Cos(38°15’) E

D
= 247.86
DepAB = 315.65 Sin(38°15’)
= 195.40 A

B
Latitudes and Departures

Side Length Azimuth Bearing Latitude Departure

AB 315.62 321°45’ S 38°15’ E -247.86 195.40

BC 502.43 248°54’ N 68°54’ E 180.87 468.74

CD 176.95 177°19’ N 2°41’ W 176.76 -8.28

DE 502.06 89°40’ S 89°40’ W -2.92 -502.05

EA 187.05 55°18’ S 55°18’ W -106.48 -153.78

1684.11 0.37 0.03

Determine Linear Misclosure

 You should end up where you started

 Sum of Lat’s = 0
 Sum of Dep’s = 0
 Linear Misclosure (error)
 A line connects starting and ending point
 Linear error = length of line

eDep = 0.03
eLin  eLat
2
 eDep
2

eLat = 0.37
 0.362  0.032  0.37
Relative Error

 Is the linear error acceptable?

 Relative Error
 Relates error to total distance surveyed
 Expressed as 1/xxxx

eLin 0.37 1
RE   
Length 1684.11 4550
Adjust Linear Error

Transit rule
When angles are more accurate than
distances
Proportion L error based on total N-S distance
Proportion Dep error based on total E-W
distance
Compass Rule – more common
Assumes angles are as accurate as distances
Proportion both errors based on total distance
Adjust Linear Error

 Transit Rule

 eLat   eDep 
Lat  Latitude    Dep  Departure   
 Latitude   Departure 

 0.37 
Lat AB  247.86     0.12
 714.89 
 0.03 
Dep AB  195.40     0.004
 1328.25 
 Adjusting Lat’s and Dep’s
Adj’d Adj’d
Side Length Lat Lat Dep Dep
Lat Dep
AB 315.62 -247.86 195.40

BC 502.43 180.87 468.74

CD 176.95 176.76 -8.28

DE 502.06 -2.92 -502.05

EA 187.05 -106.48 -153.78

1684.11 0.37 0.03

714.89 1328.25
 Adjusting Lat’s and Dep’s
Adj’d Adj’d
Side Length Lat Lat Dep Dep
Lat Dep
AB 315.62 -247.86 0.128 -247.988 195.40 .004 195.396

BC 502.43 180.87 0.094 180.776 468.74 .01 468.73

CD 176.95 176.76 0.091 176.669 -8.28 0 -8.28

DE 502.06 -2.92 0.002 -2.922 -502.05 .011 -502.061

EA 187.05 -106.48 0.055 -106.535 -153.78 0.003 -153.777

1684.11 0.37 0.00 0.03 0.008

714.89 1328.25
Adjust Linear Error

 Compass Rule
 Proportion Lat, Dep error to length of side

 eLat   eDep 
Lat  Length    Dep  Length   
 Lengths   Lengths 
 0.37 
Lat AB  315.62     0.07
 1684.11 
 0.03 
Dep AB  315.62     0.006  0.01
 1684.11 
 Adjusting Lat’s and Dep’s

Adj’d Adj’d
Side Length Lat Lat Dep Dep
Lat Dep
AB 315.62 -247.86 195.40

BC 502.43 180.87 468.74

CD 176.95 176.76 -8.28

DE 502.06 -2.92 -502.05

EA 187.05 -106.48 -153.78

1684.11 0.37 0.00 0.03 0.00

 Adjusting Lat’s and Dep’s

Adj’d Adj’d
Side Length Lat Lat Dep Dep
Lat Dep
AB 315.62 -247.86 .07 -247.93 195.40 .01 195.39

BC 502.43 180.87 .11 180.76 468.74 .01 468.73

CD 176.95 176.76 .04 176.72 -8.28 0 -8.28

DE 502.06 -2.92 .11 -3.03 -502.05 .01 -502.06

EA 187.05 -106.48 .04 -106.52 -153.78 0 -153.78

1684.11 0.37 0.00 0.03 0.00

 Area by DMD

Double Meridian Distance

Use adjusted Lat’s and Dep’s
Meridian through west point
E
 Use Lat, Dep to define D
triangles, trapezoids
 Note formulas
A
 A = ½bh

 A = ½b(h1+h2)
C
 DMD – double area

B
Area by DMD

 Process follows around the boundary

 DMDBC = DMDAB + DepAB + DepBC
 Multiply DMD * Lat for each side
 Add up = Double area
 Divide total by 2
Areas by DMD

Adj’d Adj’d
Side DMD DMD x LAt
Lat Dep
AB -247.93 195.39 195.39 -48,443

BC 180.76 468.73 859.51 155,365

CD 176.72 -8.28 1319.96 233,263

DE -3.03 -502.06 809.62 -2,453

EA -106.52 -153.78 153.78 -16,381

0.00 0.00 321,352

Area = 321,352/2 = 160,676 square feet/43,560 = 3.69 acres