TRAVERSE SURVEYS

USING COMPASS
COMPASS SURVERYING
 Compass traversing:
Important Definition

 True meridian: Line or plane passing through North

geographical north pole and geographical pole
south pole
True meridian
True bearing
 Magnetic meridian: When the magnetic Magnetic bearing
needle is suspended freely and balanced
properly, unaffected by magnetic
substances, it indicates a direction. This Magnetic meridian
direction is known as magnetic meridian.
The angle between the magnetic meridian
and a line is known as magnetic bearing or
simple bearing of the line.
 Coordinates.

You are all familiar with the following way of identifying a point P

+ P(x,y)

This is known as a RECTANGULAR Coordinate System.

 Rectangular coordinates
North

N Point B
B
(EB,NB)

N=NB-NA

NA
Point A E=EB-EA
(EA,NA)

East
EA E
Another way of identifying the same point P is
y

+P (r ,u )

u
x

This is known as a POLAR Coordinate System.

FOR SURVEYING we use a slightly different form of notation ...
instead of x,y we use E,N (Easting, Northing)

+P ( E ,N)

u
D

E
 Polar coordinates
North

Point B

Point A

 ~ whole-circle bearing
d ~ distance

East
 Coordinate conversions
EASTING is always quoted first and then NORTHING
θ is always measured in a CLOCKWISE direction from NORTH
θ is known as the WHOLE CIRCLE BEARING (WCB)

Rectangular to polar Polar to rectangular

 E 
  tan1   E  d sin 
 N 
d  E2  N2 N  d cos 

d N d N
 

E E
 COMPASS SURVEYING

SURVEYING

TRIANGULATION TRAVERSE

 Traverse–A series of connected survey lines of

known lengths and directions
 Traversing is employed when it is not possible to divide the
area into network of triangles.
 In traversing, a number of connected lines are run in the
area to be surveyed, the lengths are measured with chain or
tape and directions with angular instruments.
 What is a traverse?
 A polygon of 2D (or 3D) vectors
 Sides are expressed as either polar
coordinates (,d) or as rectangular
coordinate differences (E,N)
 A traverse must either close on
itself
 Or be measured between points
with known rectangular coordinates

A closed
traverse A traverse between
known points
 Compass
A compass consist of
 Magnetic needle
 Graduated circle
 Line of sight
 Compass cannot measure the angle between two
lines directly
 Angles with a meridian are determined separately
and then the difference of two values is found.
 Two forms of compass
 The Prismatic compass
 The Surveyor’s compass
The Prismatic Compass:
 Used for rough surveys-speed and not the
accuracy are main
consideration
 Working of Prismatic compass
 Centering
 Levelling
 Observing the bearing
The Surveyor’s Compass:
 Formerly used for land surveys, but now-a-days
little used
 Similar to prismatic compass except that it has
another plain sight having a narrow vertical slit
in place of the prism and that it carries an edge
bar needle
 Difference between Prismatic and Surveyor’s compass
Prismatic Compass
1. graduated ring being attached to
the magnetic needle remains
stationary when the compass box
and the sight vane is rotated
2. Graduations are marked on the ring
in clock-wise direction
0-360 south end of needle
90 at west, 180 at north,
270 at east
3. Sighting of an object and reading of
the bearing are done simultaneously
4.Can be used without a stand
Surveyor’s compass
1. Graduated ring being attached to the
compass box moves with the sights and
the needle remains stationary when the
box is moved
2. Graduations marked in both clockwise
and counter clockwise directions
0 points marked at north and south
90 at east and west
The east and west have been
interchanged from their true positions
3. An object is sighted first and the
bearing is then read with the naked eye
by going vertically over the middle point
4.This cannot be used without a stand
Bearing of a Line:
 Horizontal angle which a line makes with some reference
direction is known as meridian
 The reference direction may be any of the following
 A true meridian
 A magnetic meridian
 An assumed meridian
 True Meridian:
 True meridian of a place is a direction indicated by a imaginary circle
passing round the earth through that place and the two (north and
south) geographic poles.
 The horizontal angle between a line and the true meridian is called
true bearing of the line or azimuth
 Magnetic Meridian:
 The direction indicated by a freely suspended and properly
balanced magnetic needle unaffected by local attractive
forces is called the magnetic meridian
 The horizontal angle which a line makes with this meridian is
called magnetic bearing or simply bearing of the line
 An assumed or Arbitrary Meridian:
 It is usually the direction of the first line of survey of the
direction from a station to some well-defined permanent
object
 Such meridian has the advantage of being invariable and its
direction can be recovered whenever required if the stations
defining it are permanently marked or fixed by the
measurements from permanent objects
 The horizontal angle between a line and this meridian is
called assumed or arbitrary bearings of the line
Designation of Bearings
The bearings are expressed in the following two ways:
1. Whole circle bearings
2. Quadrantal bearings
1.Whole Circle Bearings (W.C.B):
 The horizontal angle which a line makes with the north direction of
the meridian in the clockwise direction is W.C.B
 Can value upto 360
 The prismatic compass measures the bearings of lines in the
whole circle system
2. Quadrantal Bearings:
 The horizontal angle which a line makes with the north or south
direction of the meridian whichever is nearer the line measured in
the clockwise or counter clockwise direction towards east or west
and can value upto 90 degrees in one quadrant of a circle is
known as quadrantal bearing of a line.
 Surveyor’s compass
 Whole circle bearings

North Bearing are measured

0o clockwise from NORTH
and must lie in the range
0o    360o

4th quadrant 1st quadrant

West East
270o 90
o

3rd quadrant 2nd quadrant

South
180o
Reduced Bearings (R.B):
 The W.C.B when >90° may be converted or reduced into the
corresponding bearing in the quadrantal system which has the same
numerical values of the trignometrical functions. The bearing thus
obtained is R.B

Fore and Back Bearings:

The bearing of a line taken in progress of the survey or in the forward
direction is the fore or forward bearing (F.B) of the line
while,its bearing taken in reverse or opposite direction is known as
reverse or back bearing (B.B)
B.B. of a line= F.B ± 180°
N
N N

F.B
N A
Q B.B

uPQ uQP
P
Calculation of Angles from Bearings:
1.Given the bearings of the lines in the W.C.B
(a) when bearings of the two lines measured from their
point of intersection are given:
greater bearing-smaller bearing, if <180° interior angle
> 180° exterior
angle
if greater bearing-smaller bearing > 180°,
interior angle=360° - (greater bearing-smaller bearing)
(b) when bearings of the two lines measured not from
their point of intersection, are given:
express both the bearings as if they are measured from
their point of intersection, are given
then apply the above rule
2. Given the Bearings of the lines in the Quadrantal
System:
(a) if the lines are on the same side of the
meridian and in the same quadrant
the included angle= the difference of the two reduced
bearings
(b) if the lines are on the same side of the
meridian and in the different quadrants
the included angle=180°- sum of the two reduced bearings
(c) if the lines are not in the same side of the
meridian but they are in the adjacent quadrants
the included angle = sum of the two reduced bearings
(d) if the lines are not on the same side of the
meridian and also not in the adjacent quadrants
the included angle=180°- difference of bearings
 Applications of traversing

 Establishing coordinates for new points

(E,N)known

(E,N)known

(E,N)new
(E,N)new
 Applications of traversing

 These new points can then be used as a

framework for mapping existing features
(E,N)known
(E,N)new
(E,N)new (E,N)new (E,N)known

(E,N)new
(E,N)new
 Applications of traversing

 They can also be used as a basis for

setting out new work

(E,N)known

(E,N)known

(E,N)new
(E,N)new
 Traversing requires :
 An instrument to measure angles (theodolite) or
bearings (magnetic compass)
 An instrument to measure distances (EDM or tape)
Measurement sequence
C

E
 Computation sequence
1. Calculate angular misclose
2. Adjust angular misclose
3. Calculate adjusted bearings
4. Reduce distances for slope etc…
5. Compute (E, N) for each traverse line
6. Calculate linear misclose
7. Calculate accuracy
8. Adjust linear misclose
 Calculate internal angles
Foresigh Backsigh
Internal Adjusted
Point t t
Angle Angle
Bearing Bearing
A 21o 118o 97o
B 56o 205o 149o
C 168o 232o 64o
D 232o 352o 120o
E 303o 48o 105o
At each point :
 =(n-
• Measure foresight bearing
2)*180
• Meaure backsight bearing
Misclose • Calculate internal angle (back-fore)

Adjustment For example, at B :

• Bearing to C = 56o
• Bearing to A = 205o
• Angle at B = 205o - 56o = 149o
 Calculate angular misclose

Foresigh Backsigh
Internal Adjusted
Point t t
Angle Angle
Bearing Bearing
A 21o 118o 97o
B 56o 205o 149o
C 168o 232o 64o
D 232o 352o 120o
E 303o 48o 105o
 =(n-
535o
2)*180
Misclose -5o
Adjustment -1o
 Calculate adjusted angles
Foresigh Backsigh
Internal Adjusted
Point t t
Angle Angle
Bearing Bearing
A 21o 118o 97o 98o
B 56o 205o 149o 150o

C 168o 232o 64o 65o

D 232o 352o 120o 121o

E 303o 48o 105o 106o

 =(n-
535o 540o
2)*180
Misclose -5o

Adjustment -1o
 Compute adjusted bearings
 Adopt a starting bearing
 Then, working clockwise around the traverse :
 Calculate reverse bearing to backsight (forward
bearing 180o)
 Subtract (clockwise) internal adjusted angle
 Gives bearing of foresight

 For example (bearing of line BC)

 Adopt bearing of AB 23o
 Reverse bearing BA (=23o+180o) 203o
 Internal adjusted angle at B 150o
 Forward bearing BC (=203o-150o) 53o
 Compute adjusted bearings

C
Lin Forward Reverse Internal
e Bearing Bearing Angle
AB 23o 203o 150o
B
150 o BC 53o
D
CD

DE

A EA

AB
E
 Compute adjusted bearings
C
Lin Forward Reverse Internal
e Bearing Bearing Angle
65o
AB 23o 203o 150o
B
BC 53o 233o 65o
D
CD 168o

DE

A EA

AB
E
 Compute adjusted bearings
C
Lin Forward Reverse Internal
e Bearing Bearing Angle
AB 23o 203o 150o
B
121o BC 53o 233o 65o
D
CD 168o 348o 121o

DE 227o

A EA

AB
E
 Compute adjusted bearings
C
Lin Forward Reverse Internal
e Bearing Bearing Angle
AB 23o 203o 150o
B
BC 53o 233o 65o
D
CD 168o 348o 121o

DE 227o 47o 106o

-59o
A 106 o
EA
301o

E AB
 Compute adjusted bearings
C
Lin Forward Reverse Internal
e Bearing Bearing Angle
AB 23o 203o 150o
B
BC 53o 233o 65o
D
CD 168o 348o 121o

DE 227o 47o 106o

98o
A EA 301o 121o 98o

AB 23o
E (check)
 (E,N) for each line
 The rectangular components for each line
are computed from the polar coordinates
(,d)
E  d sin 
N  d cos 

Note that these formulae apply regardless of

the quadrant so long as whole circle
bearings are used
 Vector components
Line Bearing Distanc E N
e
AB 23o 77.19 30.16 71.05
BC 53o 99.92 79.80 60.13
CD 168o 60.63 12.61 -59.31
DE 227o 129.76 -94.90 -88.50
EA 301o 32.20 -27.60 16.58
 (399.70 (0.07) (-0.05)
)
 Linear misclose & accuracy
 Convert the rectangular misclose
components to polar coordinates
1  E 
  tan   Beware of quadrant when
 N  calculating  using tan-1
2 2
d  E  N
 Accuracy is given by
1 : (traverse length / linear misclose)
Quadrants and tan function
N
+ +

 negative  positive
add 360o okay
 +
 + E

 positive  negative
add 180
o
  add 180o
 For example…

 Misclose (E, N)

 (0.07, -0.05)

 Convert to polar (,d)

  = -54.46o (2nd quadrant) = 125.53o
 d = 0.09 m

 Accuracy
 1:(399.70 / 0.09) = 1:4441
 Bowditch adjustment

 The adjustment to the easting component of

any traverse side is given by :
Eadj = Emisc * side length/total perimeter

 The adjustment to the northing component

of any traverse side is given by :
Nadj = Nmisc * side length/total perimeter
 The example…
 East misclose 0.07 m
 North misclose –0.05 m
 Side AB 77.19 m
 Side BC 99.92 m
 Side CD 60.63 m
 Side DE 129.76 m
 Side EA 32.20 m
 Total perimeter 399.70 m
 Vector components (pre-adjustment)

Sid
E N dE dN Eadj Nadj
e
1A 30.16 71.05

AB 79.80 60.13

BC 12.61 -59.31

CD -94.90 -88.50

D1 -27.60 16.58
Mis
(0.07) (-0.05)
c
 The adjustment components
Sid
E N dE dN Eadj Nadj
e
1A 30.16 71.05 0.014 -0.010

AB 79.80 60.13 0.016 -0.012

BC 12.61 -59.31 0.011 -0.008

CD -94.90 -88.50 0.023 -0.016

D1 -27.60 16.58 0.006 -0.004

Mis
(0.07) (-0.05) (0.070) (-0.050)
c
 Adjusted vector components
Sid
E N dE dN Eadj Nadj
e
1A 30.16 71.05 0.014 -0.010 30.146 71.060

AB 79.80 60.13 0.016 -0.012 79.784 60.142

BC 12.61 -59.31 0.011 -0.008 12.599 -59.302

CD -94.90 -88.50 0.023 -0.016 -94.923 -88.484

D1 -27.60 16.58 0.006 -0.004 -27.606 16.584

Mis
(0.07) (-0.05) 0.070 -0.050 (0.000) (0.000)
c
 COMPASS SURVEYING

 Traverse–A series of connected survey lines of

known lengths and directions
 Traversing is employed when it is not possible to divide the
area into network of triangles.
 In traversing, a number of connected lines are run in the
area to be surveyed, the lengths are measured with chain or
tape and directions with angular instruments.
COMPASS SURVEYING