CE 371 Surveying

ANGLE MEASURING
Dr. Ragab Khalil
Department of Landscape Architecture
Faculty of Environmental Design
King AbdulAziz University
Room LIE15
Overview
• Introduction
• Kinds of Horizontal Angles
• Reference Meridian
• Bearing and Azimuth Angle
• Angle Measuring Instruments
• Theodolites
• Measuring angle methods

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Introduction
• An angle is determined by three elements:
1. reference line,
2. direction of turning; clockwise (cw)or counterclockwise (ccw),
and
3. angle magnitude.
• Units of angle measurement are three:
1. sexagesimal units of degrees, minutes, and seconds,
2. centesimal units of grads (gons),and
3. radians.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Kinds of Horizontal Angles
• Angles to the right: Measured clockwise from
the rear station to the forward station with
magnitudes from 0o to 360o.
• Angles to the left: measured counterclockwise
with similar magnitudes.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Kinds of Horizontal Angles
• Interior angles: on the inside of a closed polygon,
they can be angles to the right or to the left.
S (interior angles)= (n-2)x180o
• Exterior angles are on the outside of a closed
polygon, they can be angles to the right or to the left.
S (exterior angles)= (n+2)x180o

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Kinds of Horizontal Angles
• Deflection angles: Measured clockwise (R), or
counterclockwise (L) from an extension of the back line
to the forward station. Magnitudes are from 0o to 180o
preceded by R or L letters

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Reference Meridian
• It is the north-south reference line to which
directions of lines are referred.
• Four kinds of meridians are used:
1. True (astronomic) meridian: it defines the direction
of earth's geographic poles.
2. Magnetic meridian: it is defined by a freely
suspended magnetic needle.
3. Grid meridian: it is the direction of true north for a
selected central meridian of any coordinate system.
4. Assumed meridian: it is defined by the user in an
arbitrary manner
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Bearing Angle
• It is the acute horizontal angle measured from either the
north or south. Bearing is written as a number ≤ 90º
with letter N or S preceding it, and with letter E or W
following it.

N---W N---E
N70E
N30W

S35E

S55W
S---W S---E

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Azimuth Angle
• It is the clockwise angle measured from the
north direction of the reference meridian.
Azimuth angle can take values from 0o to 360o

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Relation Between Bearing And
Azimuth

• example

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Back Bearing And Back
Azimuth
• If bearing of line AB is N60oE, then back bearing of line AB will be
S60oW
• back bearing of a line is equal in magnitude but opposite in
direction.
• Back bearing of AB = Bearing of BA

• If azimuth of line AB is ≤ 180º,

 the back azimuth = azimuth + 180o

• If azimuth of line AB is > 180o, then

 its back azimuth = azimuth - 180o

• Back azimuth of AB = Azimuth of BA

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Calculation of Azimuths
• Azimuth of BC = Back Azimuth of AB + angle B (to the right)
• Example
• Compute azimuths of BC, CD and DE.
• Solution:
• Azimuth of AB=40o
• Back azimuth of AB=180+40= 220o
• Azimuth of BC=220+130=350o

• Back azimuth of BC=350-180= 170o

• Azimuth of CD=170+80=250o

• Back azimuth of CD= 250-180= 70o

• Azimuth of DE=70+320=390o> 360o (subtract 360o) = 30o
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Calculation of Bearings
• Example
• In the figure, angles to the right are measured
at B, C, & D, if bearing of AB is 40o, compute
bearings of BC, CD & DE.
• Solution:
• Bearing of BC= N10oW
• because 10 =180 - (40+130)
10
10

• Bearing of CD= S70oW

40
• because 70 = 80-10

• Bearing of DE= N30oE

• because 30 = 70+320-360 We can compute
Azimuth first then
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying compute bearing
Angle Measuring Instruments
• Compass
• Sextant
• Theodolite
• Total station

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Compass
• It consists of a magnetised pointer free to
align itself accurately with Earth's magnetic
field, which is of great assistance in navigation

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Sextant

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Sextant

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Theodolite
Theodolites are perhaps the most universal
surveying instruments, their primary use is for
accurate measurement or layout of horizontal
and vertical angles. A similar instrument
common in the U.S.A. is called "Transit".

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

 Theodolite parts
Vertical axis
Vertical circle
Collimation axis

Internal Focus
(For sighting object)
Horizontal axis

Alidade
Slow motion
tangent screw
(up / down)
Tubular vial Optical
Plummet

Slow motion
Horizontal
tangent screw
circle Tribrach (left / right)

Circular vial Leveling screw

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Theodolite axes

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Theodolite types
1. Optical mechanical theodolite

2. Electronic digital theodolite

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Theodolite types

Vernier Theodolite
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Theodolite types

Micrometer Theodolite
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Theodolite types

Digital Theodolite
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Theodolite types

Total station
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Double Centering
• To eliminate many instrumental errors, an angle is
measured first with face left, then the telescope is
plunged (or inverted) and a second reading with face
right is made, then the average is taken.
• Double centering eliminates the following instrumental
errors:
1. theodolite vertical axis is not perpendicular to the transverse
axis,
2. telescope line of sight is not perpendicular to the transverse
axis,
3. level vial axis is not parallel to the transverse axis.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Measuring angles
• Repetition method
• Directional method
• Closing the horizon method (Reiteration method)

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Repetition method
• This method is used for very accurate
work. In this method ,the same angle is
added several times mechanically and the
correct value of the angle is obtained by A B
dividing the accumulated reading by the
no. of repetitions. θ₃
θ₂
θ₁
• The No. of repetitions made usually in this
method is six, three with the face left and
three with the face right . o

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Directional method
• This method is another precise and comparatively less
tedious method of measuring the horizontal angles.
• It is generally preferred when several angles with
multiple repetitions are to be measured at a particular
station.
• The needed angles are measured on face left (from left
to right), then measured on face right (from right to
left)

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Reiteration method
• The same as directional method but including all angles
around a point
• This method consists in measuring several angles
successively and finally closing the horizon at the
starting point. The final reading of horizontal circle
should be same as its initial reading.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Summary
• Introduction
• Kinds of Horizontal Angles
• Reference Meridian
• Bearing and Azimuth Angle
• Angle Measuring Instruments
• Theodolites
• Measuring angle methods

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying