ELEMENTARY SURVEYING

(LECTURE)
TRAVERSING
• Open Traverse
• Closed Traverse
• Linear Error of Closure
• Missing Data
• Compass Rule
• Transit Rule
Traversing
What is Traversing:
A traverse is a series of consecutive lines whose lengths and directions
have been measured.

Traverse is one of the most important task for skilled surveying

engineer. It is used to find out coordinates of new control points (or stations).
Once control points are established, they can serve either as a part of a
network of control points or a base control points for a given construction
project.

Two types of traverse

• Closed Traverse
• Open Traverse
Key Terms:

Latitude of any line – is the projection on a north and south lines. It may be
called as north or positive latitude and south or negative latitudes.

Departure of any line – is the projection on an east and west lines. It may be
called as east or positive departure and west or negative departure.

Departure

Latitude
TRAVERSING
• Open Traverse
• Closed Traverse
• Linear Error of Closure
• Missing Data
• Compass Rule
• Transit Rule
Open Traverse
What is Open Traverse:
Open traverse is a traverse that starts at a point of known position and
terminates at a point of unknown position. An open traverse is suitable for
surveying along a narrow strip of land. For example, it is used for surveying
roads, railways, canals, rivers, coastlines, pipelines, etc.
TRAVERSING
• Open Traverse
• Closed Traverse
• Linear Error of Closure
• Missing Data
• Compass Rule
• Transit Rule
Closed Traverse
What is Closed Traverse:
A closed traverse is a series of connected lines whose lengths and
bearings are measured off these lines (or sides), which enclose an area.
TRAVERSING
• Open Traverse
• Closed Traverse
• Linear Error of Closure
• Missing Data
• Compass Rule
• Transit Rule
Linear Error of Closure
Linear Error of Closure :
In any closed traverse, there is always an error. No survey is
geometrically perfect until proper adjustments are made. For a closed
traverse, the sum of the north and south latitudes, same with the sum of east
and west departure, should always be zero.

𝐿𝐸𝐶 = 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝐿𝑎𝑡. 2 + 𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝐷𝑒𝑝. 2

𝐿𝐸𝐶
𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 =
𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑠

𝐶𝑑
tan 𝜃 =
𝐶𝑙
Problem 1: Linear Error of Closure
Given in the accompanying tabulations are the observed data for a closed
traverse obtained from a transit-tape survey. Determine the following quantities:
a. Latitude and departure of each course
b. Linear error of closure
c. Bearing of the side of the error
d. Relative precision of the measurements
Line Length (d) Bearing
AB 233.10 m S 57d 30m E
BC 242.05 m N 85d 15m E
CD 191.50 m N 20d E
DE 234.46 m N 26d 25m W
EF 270.65 m S 74d 8m W
FA 252.38 m S 33d W
TRAVERSING
• Open Traverse
• Closed Traverse
• Linear Error of Closure
• Missing Data
• Compass Rule
• Transit Rule
Missing Data

• In a closed traverse if lengths and bearings of all lines could not be measured due to
certain reasons, the omitted or the missing measurements can be computed provided
the number of such omissions is not more than two.
• In a closed traverse the following conditions must be satisfied:
σ 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 = 0 σ 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 = 0

DIRECTION BEARING
NE β
SE 180 – β
SW 180 + β
NW –β
Case 1: Distance and Bearing of one Line is
completely missing
• Problem:

LINE BEARING DISTANCE (m)

AB N 53°27’ E 59.81
BC
CD S 29°08’ W 76.63
DA N 52°01’ W 95.75
Case 2: The two Distances of two different
lines are completely missing
• Problem:

LINE BEARING DISTANCE (m)

AB N 53°27’ E
BC S 66°54’ E 70.37
CD S 29°08’ W 76.63
DA N 52°01’ W
TRAVERSING
• Open Traverse
• Closed Traverse
• Linear Error of Closure
• Missing Data
• Compass Rule
• Transit Rule
Compass Rule
• the correction to be applied in the latitude or departure
of any course is the total correction in latitude or
departure multiply to the ratio length of the course is to
the length of the traverse.

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = Σ𝐿𝑎𝑡
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = Σ𝐷𝑒𝑝
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
Problem 3
• From the given technical description of a lot. Adjust
using Compass Rule.
Lines Bearings Distances
AB N 48°20’ E 529.60 m
BC N 87°00’ E 592.00 m
CD S 7°59’ E 563.60 m
DE S 80°00’ W 753.40 m
EA N 48°12’ W 428.20 m
Solution
Adjustment Adjusted
Lines Bearings Distances Lat Dep Lat Dep Lat Dep
AB N 48°20’ E 529.6 +352.076 +395.624 − 3.786 0.724 355.862 394.900
BC N 87°00’ E 592 +30.983 +591.189 − 4.232 0.810 35.215 590.379
CD S 7°59’ E 563.6 − 558.138 +78.276 − 4.029 0.771 -554.109 77.505
DE S 80°00’ W 753.4 −130.826 −741.954 − 5.386 1.031 -125.440 -742.985
EA N 48°12’ W 428.2 +285.409 −319.213 − 3.061 0.586 288.470 -319.799
Sum 2866.8 −20.496 3.922 0.00 0.00
AB:
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = Σ𝐿𝑎𝑡 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = Σ𝐷𝑒𝑝
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
529.6 529.6
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = −20.496 = −3.786 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = 3.922 = 0.724
2866.8 2866.8
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = 352.076 − (−3.78) = 355.862 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = 395.624 − (0724) = 394.900
Transit Rule
• the correction to be applied in the latitude or departure
of any course is the total correction in latitude or
departure multiply to the magnitude of latitude or
departure of that course is to the arithmetical sum of all
the latitudes or departures in the traverse without
regards to sign.
|𝐿𝑎𝑡|
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = Σ𝐿𝑎𝑡
Σ|𝐿𝑎𝑡|
|𝐷𝑒𝑝|
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = Σ𝐷𝑒𝑝
Σ|𝐷𝑒𝑝|
Problem 4
• From the given technical description of a lot. Adjust
using Transit Rule.
Lines Bearings Distances
AB N 48°20’ E 529.60 m
BC N 87°00’ E 592.00 m
CD S 7°59’ E 563.60 m
DE S 80°00’ W 753.40 m
EA N 48°12’ W 428.20 m
Solution
Absolute Value Adjustment Adjusted
Lines Bearings Distances Lat Dep Lat Dep Lat Dep Lat Dep
AB N 48°20’ E 529.6 +352.076 +395.624 352.076 395.624 -5.316 0.730 357.392 394.894
BC N 87°00’ E 592 +30.983 +591.189 30.983 591.189 -0.468 1.090 31.451 590.099
CD S 7°59’ E 563.6 − 558.138 +78.276 558.138 78.276 -8.427 0.144 -549.711 78.132
DE S 80°00’ W 753.4 −130.826 −741.954 130.826 741.954 -1.975 1.368 -128.851 -743.322
EA N 48°12’ W 428.2 +285.409 −319.213 285.409 319.213 -4.309 0.589 289.718 -319.802
Sum -20.496 3.922 1357.432 2126.256 0.00 0.00

AB:
|𝐿𝑎𝑡| |𝐷𝑒𝑝|
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = Σ𝐿𝑎𝑡 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = Σ𝐷𝑒𝑝
Σ|𝐿𝑎𝑡| Σ|𝐷𝑒𝑝|
352.076 395.624
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = −20.496 = −5.316 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑝 = 3.922 = 0.730
1357.432 2126.256
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = 352.076 − (−5.316) = 357.392 𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐿𝑎𝑡 = 395.624 − (0.730) = 394.894
Questions and clarifications?