Name: DANICA JOY O. DURAN Yr.

& Section: 2 BSABE - A

Subject: ENSC 234 - SURVEYING Date: JULY 01, 2023

LAB EXERCISE NO. 5

CLOSED COMPASS TRAVERSE

INSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIES:

 Compass
OBJECTIVES:
a. To determine the magnetic bearings of each line of a closed compass
traverse
b. To learn how to adjust a closed compass traverse.

PROCEDURE:

1. Establish at least five traverse stations at designated points on the field assigned to
be surveyed. Call these stations (or corners) A, B, C, and so forth.
2. Set and level the compass at A and release the needle of the compass so that it will
swing freely on its pivot.
3. Sight the compass on the last traverse station and read the magnetic bearing.
Record this as the back bearing of the last line in the traverse.
4. Sight B and read the compass box. Record this as the forward bearing of line AB.
Name: DANICA JOY O. DURAN Yr. & Section: 2 BSABE - A
Subject: ENSC 234 - SURVEYING Date: JULY 01, 2023

Fig. 4-10. Closed compass traverse.

 5. Transfer the compass to B. Sight on A and read the compass box and record this as
the back bearing of line AB.
6. Turn towards the direction of C, then read and record the forward of line BC.
7. Transfer to C and sight on B. Read and record the back bearing of line BC, then sight
on D and also read and record the forward of bearing of line CD.

8. Proceed to the next station and repeat the above procedure of determining back
and forward bearings for each line. Continue until the last traverse station is
occupied and the forward bearing of the last line has been read and accordingly
recorded.
9. With a steel tape, measure the length of each line in the traverse tice and record
the mean as the actual length of the line.
10. Tabulate observed and adjusted values accordingly. Refer to the accompanying
sample format for the tabulation of field data.

Note: The following data are indicated in the illustrated sample closed compass
traverse : a) The mean length of each traverse line is shown as d1, d2, d3, etc., b)
Angular value corresponding to observed bearings are represented by the angle theta
(θ) All angle with odd-numbered subscripts correspond to forward bearings and angles
with even-numbered subscripts correspond to back bearings., c) The interior angle are
similarly represented by the angle theta but with subscripts shown in letters of the
alphabet such as θa, θb, θc, etc.

OBSERVED BEARINGS COMPUTED ADJUSTED

LINE LENGTH STA INT. ANGLE CORR. INT. ANGLE
FORWARD BACK

AB 24.3 m 90⁰ due E N 89⁰ W A 118⁰ - 1⁰ 24’ 116⁰ 36’

BC 27.25 m S 12⁰ W N 13⁰ E B 79⁰ - 1⁰ 24’ 77⁰ 36’
CD 21.5 m S 75⁰ W N 76⁰ E C 118⁰ - 1⁰ 24’ 116⁰ 36’
DE 15 m N 31⁰ W S 29⁰ E D 107⁰ - 1⁰ 24’ 105⁰ 36’
EA 21.65 m N 26⁰ E S 28⁰ W E 125⁰ - 1⁰ 24’ 123⁰ 36’

Name: DANICA JOY O. DURAN Yr. & Section: 2 BSABE - A

Subject: ENSC 234 - SURVEYING Date: JULY 01, 2023
 COMPUTATION:

1. The interior angle at each station of the traverse can be computed easily from the
observed forward and backward bearings taken from the station regardless of
whether or
not the needle is affected locally. A carefully prepared sketch is important since from
it the required calculations will be obvious.
2. The angular error of closure is determined by subtracting the sum of the computed
interior angles of the traverse from (n-2) x 180 deg, where n is the number of sides in
the traverse. Note that the computed value may be a positive or negative quantity,
and the resulting sign should be considered in all succeeding computations
3. The correction of each computed interior angle is determined by dividing th e angular
error of closure by the number of traverse stations. This computed value is then
added algebraically to each computed interior angle to determine the corresponding
adjusted interior angle.
4. Go over observed bearings and determine which line in the traverse is free from local
attraction or which could be arbitrarily chosen as the best line. The adjustment of
traverse lines affected by local attraction is then made by starting from the unaffected
or best line.
5. The forward and back bearings of all other lines in the traverse affected by local
attraction can then be easily computed and adjusted by again drawing a sketch thus
making all calculations obvious.
6. Finally, tabulate the adjusted bearings of the traverse. Refer to the accompanying
sample format below.

LINE LENGTH ADJUSTED BEARINGS

FORWARD BACK
AB 24.3 m S 89⁰ 18’ E N 89⁰ 42’ W
BC 27.25 m S 12⁰ 42’ W N 12⁰ 18’ E
CD 21.5 m S 75⁰ 42’ W N 75⁰ 18’ E
DE 15 m N 30⁰ 18’ W S 29⁰ 42’ E
EA 21.65 m N 26⁰ 42’ E S 27⁰ 18’ W