Geomatics

Bearings

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz

Consultant Engineer
Civil Engineering Department
College Of Engineering

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 North

Magnetic north is the line passing through

a point and the two magnetic poles. It is the
direction indicated as north on a
magnetic compass. (Changeable by time)

True North
is the line passing through a point and the
two geographical poles (Fixed).
Magnetic variation:
is the angle on the horizontal plane between magnetic north and true north. This angle
varies depending on position on the Earth's surface and changes over time. (around 10
degrees)

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Bearing
The bearing of a line is the angle measured from a reference direction to that line. Two
types of bearings which are:

- Whole Circle Bearing W.C.B.

- The Reduced Bearing (R.B.)

Whole Circle Bearing (WCB) of a line (α):

It is the angle measured form the north direction to that line clockwise. It ranges from 0˚
to 360˚.

N E

D α

C
B

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Bearing
The Reduced Bearing (R.B.)

The reduced bearing of any line is defined as the angle measured between the
north-south line to that line under the condition that its value is ranging
between 0-90 degrees. In this case the RB should be represented as a value
assigned a certain symbol to show the quarter in which the line is located.

WCB TO RB

1st quarter: RB = N (WCB) E

2nd quarter: RB = S (180-WCB) E
3rd quarter: RB = S (WCB-180) W N
4th quarter: RB = N (360-WCB) W NW NE A
D

C SW
SE B
S
Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Bearing
Fore bearing & Back bearing
The difference between Fore bearing & Back bearing = +/-180

α AB – α BA = +/- 180

N α
B

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Bearing
Compute bearing of a line knowing the bearing of another line and the angle between
them.

α AC – α AB = θ

N B
αAC
θ C
αAB

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Coordinates and components

ΔYAB
αAB
ΔXAB
A

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
Calculate line components by knowing points coordinates:
ΔX (AB) = X(B) – X(A)
ΔY (AB) = Y(B) – Y(A)

Calculate the line length knowing coordinates of its ends:

ΔX (AB) = X(B) – X(A)
ΔY (AB) = Y(B) – Y(A)
L = AB = (ΔX2 + ΔY2) ^(0.5)

Calculate line components knowing its length (L) and bearing (α):
ΔX (AB) = L * sin (α)
ΔY (AB) = L * cos (α)

Calculate coordinates of point (B) knowing coordinates of another point

(A) and the length (L) and bearing (α) of AB:
XB = XA + ΔX (AB) Then: XB = XA + L * sin (α)
YB = YA + ΔY (AB) Then : YB = YA + L * cos (α)

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
Remarks:

Coordinates of AB (XA, YA) and (XB, YB) leads to components (ΔX (Xb-XA),
ΔY (YB-YA)).

If the fore bearing of AB = 30 and the back bearing of it = 210

Then the fore and back bearings of BA are inverted : fore bearing of BA = 210
and back bearing of it = 30

If AB components are (ΔX = +40.5 and ΔY = -70.25)

So components of BA are the same with opposite sign (ΔX = -40.5 and ΔY =
+70.25)

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Bearing Problems

1) Compute the angle B between two lines BA and BC if their bearings are
160 and 35 respectively.

2) Compute the angle B between two lines BA and CB if their bearings are
340 and 220 respectively.

3) Compute Bearing of BC if the angle B = 50 and BA bearing is 125.

4) Compute Bearing of BA if the angle B = 80 and CB bearing is 25.

5) Compute Bearing of CB if the angle B = 40 and AB bearing is 125.

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz
 Bearing Problems

1) Compute components of line AB if the coordinates of its ends are A(145.5N,

125.25E) and B(235.75N, 260.54E).

2) Compute components of line AB if Ab = 100 meters and its back bearing is

150 degrees.

3) Compute the coordinates of point B if line AB components are (ΔY = 50.25,

ΔX = 70.75) and the coordinates of A (200.25N, 300.45W)

4) Compute the coordinates of point A if line BA components are (ΔY = 25.25,

ΔX = 45.75) and the coordinates of B (100.25S, 200.75E)

5) Compute the coordinates of point B if line AB components are (ΔY = 25.25,

ΔX = 45.75) and the coordinates of A (100.25S, 200.75E)

Reference: Plane Surveying I. ISBN 978-977-90-1451-7, By: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdelhafiz