Traverse

Computations and
Adjustments
CIVL 205: SURVEYING I
CIVIL ENGINEERING

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 Learning objectives and outcomes
Objectives
• To equip students with the necessary skills in traverse
computations and adjustments.

• To teach students to be able to conduct traversing projects on

the field.

Outcomes
• Students should be able to compute horizontal angles and
bearings within a traverse.

• Students should be able to calculate errors in a traverse

computation and make adjustments. 2
 Introduction
A series of connected straight lines each joining two points on the ground, is
called a ‘traverse’. End points are known as traverse stations & straight lines
between two consecutive stations, are called traverse legs.

 A traverse survey is one in which the framework consists of a series of

connected lines, the lengths and directions of which are measured with a chain
or a tape, and with an angular instrument respectively.

Traverses may be either a closed traverse or an open traverse:

• 1. Closed Traverse: A traverse is said to be closed when a complete circuit is
made, i.e. when it returns to the starting point forming a closed polygon or when
it begins and ends at points whose positions on plan are known. The work may
be checked and “balanced”. It is particularly suitable for locating the boundaries
of lakes, woods, etc. and for the survey of moderately large areas.
•
2. Open Traverse: A traverse is said to be open or unclosed when it does not
form a closed polygon. It consists of a series of lines extending in the same
general direction and not returning to the starting point. Similarly, it does not
start and end at the points whose positions on plan are known. It is most suitable
for the survey of a long narrow strip of country e.g. the valley of a river, the coast
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 Classification of traverses

 Classification of traverses based on instruments used:

1. Chain Traversing: In chain traversing, the entire work is done by a chain or tape
& no angular measuring instrument is needed. The angles computed by tie
measurements are known as chain angles.

2. Compass Traversing: The traverse in which angular measurements are made

with a surveying compass, is known as compass traversing. The traverse angle
between two consecutive legs is computed by observing the bearings of the sides
.
3. Plane Table Traversing: The traverse in which angular measurements between
the traverse sides are plotted graphically on a plane table with the help of an alidade
is known as plane table traversing.

4. Theodolite Traversing: The traverse in which angular measurements between

traverse sides are made with a theodolite is known as theodolite traversing.

5. Tachometric Traversing: The traverse in which direct measurements of traverse

sides by chaining is dispensed with & these are obtained by making observations
with a tachometer is known as tachometer traversing.
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 Important Technical Terms:
1. Meridians and Bearings: The direction of survey lines may be defined in two
ways:
a). Relatively to each other
b). Relatively to some reference direction

In the first case, directions are expressed in terms of the angles between two
consecutive lines. In second case, these are expressed in terms of bearings.

The fixed direction on the surface of the earth with reference to which, bearings of
survey lines are expressed is called a meridian. The meridians of reference
directions employed in surveying may be one of the following:
a). True Meridian b). Magnetic Meridian
c). Grid Meridian* d). Arbitrary Meridian

o The line of intersection of the earth surface by a plane containing north pole, south
pole and the given place is called true meridian or geographical meridian.

oThe geometrical longitudinal axis of a freely suspended & properly balanced

magnetic needle, unaffected by local attractive forces, defines the magnetic north-
south line which is called the magnetic meridian.

o The convenient direction assumed as meridian for measuring bearings of survey

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lines is known as arbitrary meridian.
 Important Technical Terms:
The horizontal angle between the reference meridian and the survey line measured
in a clockwise direction is called bearing.
a). True Bearing b).Azimuth
c). Magnetic Bearing d).Grid Bearing

o The horizontal angle between the true meridian and a line measured in a
clockwise direction is called true bearing of the line.

o The smaller angle which a survey line makes with true meridian is called
azimuth.

oThe horizontal angle which a line makes with the magnetic meridian is called
magnetic bearing.

o Bearings of survey lines referred to and reckoned from grid lines are called grid
bearings.

o The angle between the true meridian & the magnetic meridian at any place is
known as magnetic declination, whereas, the angle between the true meridian &
the grid meridian at any place is known as grid convergence.

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 Designation of Bearings:
Bearings are designated as:
1. The Whole Circle Bearing System (W.C.B)
2. The Quadrantal Bearing System (Q.B)

1. The W. C. B System: also known as Azimuthal System. In this system, bearing

of a line is measured from the true north or magnetic north in clockwise direction. The
value of a bearing may vary from 0° to 360°, utilizing the whole circle of graduations.
Prismatic Compass is graduated on whole circle bearing system.

2. The Q. B System: bearings of survey lines are measured eastward or westward

from North and South whichever is nearer. In this system, both north and south
directions are used as reference meridians & bearings are reckoned either clockwise
or anticlockwise, depending upon the position of the line. The quadrant in which a line
lies is mentioned to specify the location of the line. Surveyor’s compass is graduated
in quadrantal bearing system.

Bearings designated by Q.B. System are sometimes called Reduced Bearings.

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 Conversions

W.C.B into Q.B Q.B into W.C.B

CASE W.C.B Rule for Quadrant CASE R.B Rule for W.C.B
between Q.B W.C.B between
I 0˚ and W.C.B N.E.
90˚ I N α° E R.B 0˚ and
90˚
II 90˚ and 180˚ - S.E.
180˚ W.C.B II S β° E 180˚ - 90˚ and
R.B 180˚
III 180˚ and W.C.B - S.W.
270˚ 180˚ III S γ° W 180˚ and
180˚+R.B 270˚
IV 270˚ and 360˚ - N.W.
360˚ W.C.B IV N δ° W 360˚ - 270˚ and
R.B 360˚

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 Test examples: Question
 Conversion of bearing from one system to the other:

1. Convert the following whole circle bearing to quadrantal bearing:

a. 680 32’
b. 1320 12’
c. 2360 37’
d. 3340 52’

2. Convert the following reduced bearing to whole circle bearings:

a. N 360 16’E
b. S 280 14’E
c. S 470 26’ W
d. N 580 24’ W

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NUST Institute of Civil Engineering/Engr. Ahmed Rasheed Mirza
 Forward and Back Bearings
Every line may be defined by two bearings, one observed at either end of the line.
Both the bearings expressed in W.C.B System differ each other by 180°.

The bearing of a line in the direction of the progress of survey, is called Fore or
Forward Bearing (F.B) while the bearing in the opposite direction of the progress
of survey is known as Reverse or Back Bearing (B.B).

Relationship Between Forward and Back Bearings:

a). W.C.B System:

Back bearing = Forward Bearing + 180˚

Positive sign is used when forward bearing is less than 180˚ and negative sign is
used when the fore bearing is greater than 180˚.

b). Q.B System:

To convert the forward bearing of a line into its back bearing in Q.B system,
replace N by S, S by N, E by W and W by E , without changing the numerical
value of the bearing.

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 Forward and Back Bearings…

1. The following are the observed forward bearings of the lines:

a. AB, 380 14’ ; BC, 1420 18’ ; CD, 2080 37’ and DE, 3180 26’
b. Find their back bearings.

2. The forward bearings of the lines are as follows:

a. AB: N 320 12’ E; BC: S 430 18 E; CD: S 260 30’ W; DE: N 650 24’ W.
b. Find their back bearings
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 Calculation of included angles from bearings
Knowing the bearings of two adjacent lines, their included angles may be easily
calculated as under:
a) Given W.C.B of lines:
let W.C.B of the line AB = α̊
W.C.B of the line AC = β̊

Therefore , the included angle BAC = <NAC - <NAB

= β–α
= Bearing of AC – bearing of AB
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 Calculation of included angles from bearings…
b) Given Q.B of lines:
A diagram may be drawn and bearings of the lines plotted in their respective
quadrants. The included angle is calculated from one of the under mentioned
formulae:

1) If the bearings have been measured to the same side of the common meridian,
the included angle α = θ2 – θ1 i.e. the difference of the bearings. This is true for all
quadrants.[fig 4.25 a]

2) If the bearings have been measured to the opposite side of the common
meridian, the included angle α = θ1 + θ2 i.e. the sum of the bearings. [fig 4.25 b]

3) If the bearings have been measured to the same side of the different meridians,
the included angle α = 180˚ - (θ1 + θ2) i.e. the difference of 180 and the sum of the
bearings. [fig 4.25 c]

4) If the bearings have been measured to the opposite side of the different
meridians, the included angle α = 180˚ - (θ1 - θ2) i.e. the difference of 180 and the
difference of the bearings. [fig 4.25 d]

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SURVEYING – I (CE- 128)

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 Calculation of included angles from bearings…

Knowing the bearing of the line and the included angles between the successive
lines, the bearing of the remaining lines, may be calculated as under:

Let the observed bearing of the line AB be θ1 (given)

α , β , γ , δ , φ ………etc, the included angles measured clockwise between
adjacent lines. θ2 ,θ3 ,θ4 ,θ5, etc , the bearing of successive lines.

The bearing of BC = θ2 = θ1 + α -180˚

The bearing of CD = θ3 = θ2 + β - 180˚
The bearing of DE = θ4 = θ3 + γ - 180˚
The bearing of EF = θ5 = θ4 + δ + 180˚
The bearing of FG = θ6 = θ5 + φ - 540˚

From fig.4.26, it is evident that each of (θ1 + α), (θ2 + β) and (θ3 + γ) is more than
180˚;
(θ4 + δ) is less than 180˚ and (θ6 + φ ) is greater than 540˚.

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 Calculation of included angles from bearings…

Hence, in order to calculate the bearing of the next line, the following statements may
be made:
“Add the included angle measured clockwise to the bearing of the previous
line. If the sum is:
more than 180˚,deduct 180˚
more than 540˚,deduct 540˚
less than 180˚,add 180˚,to get the bearing of the next line.”

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 Traversing example

N (mag)

A
E

B D
Grass

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 Traversing example…
Horizontal Control

•Horizontal control is required for initial survey work (detail surveys) and for setting out.

•The simplest form is a TRAVERSE - used to find out the co-ordinates of

CONTROL or TRAVERSE STATIONS.

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 Traversing example…

•There are two types : -

a) POLYGON or LOOP TRAVERSE

b) LINK TRAVERSE

A
F B

A C

B E
D
E
F G
C
D
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 Traversing example…
A
X
F B

A C
E
B
D
E F G
C
D Y

a) is obviously closed
b) must start and finish at points whose co-ordinates are known,
and must also start and finish with angle observations to other known points.
• Working in the direction A to B to C etc is the FORWARD DIRECTION

• This gives two possible angles at each station.

LEFT HAND ANGLES RIGHT HAND ANGLES 20
 Traversing example…
A
F
Consider the POLYGON traverse

The L.H.Angles are also the

B INTERNAL ANGLES

E
Using a theodolite we can measure all the
C internal angles.
D
Σ (Internal Angles) = ( 2 N - 4 ) * 900

The difference between

Σ Measured Angles and Σ Internal Angles
is the Angular Misclosure
(or 3)
Maximum Angular Misclosure = 2 * Accuracy of
Theodolite *  (No. of Angles)
(Rule of thumb) 21
 Traversing example…
Standing at A looking towards F - looking BACK
ΘAF Hence ΘAF is known as a BACK BEARING
A
F
ΘBA
ΘAB Angle FAB
B (LH angle)
ΘBC

C Standing at A looking towards B - looking FORWARD

LH angle ABC Hence ΘAB is known as a FORWARD BEARING

BACK BEARING (ΘAF ) + L.H.ANGLE (<FAB)

= NEXT FORWARD BEARING (ΘAB)
Note: every line has two bearings
BACK BEARING ( ΘBA ) = FORWARD BEARING ( ΘAB )  1800
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 Traversing example…
Worked Example 12” / 4 = 3”

Observations, using a Zeiss O15B, 6” Theodolite, were taken in the field for an
anti - clockwise polygon traverse, A, B, C, D.
C N Traverse Station Observed Clockwise
Horizontal Angle
B 0 ‘ “
A 132 15 30 - 3”
A B 126 12 54 - 3”
C 69 41 18 - 3”
D D 31 50 30 - 3”
Σ (Internal Angles) = 360 00 12
Line Horizontal
Σ (Internal Angles) should be
Distance (2N-4)*90 = 360 00 00
Allowable = 3 * 6” * N= 36”
AB 638.57 OK - Therefore distribute error
BC 1576.20 The bearing of line AB is to be
CD 3824.10 assumed to be 00 and the
co-ordinates of station A are 23
DA 3133.72 (3000.00 mE ; 4000.00 mN)
LINE BACK BEARING WHOLE
HORIZONTAL

STATION ++
ADJUSTED LEFT
CIRCLE
BEARING
DISTANCE
HAND ANGLE
LINE FORWARD ==
BEARING Check 1
Use Distance
q and Bearing to go
POLAR to RECTANGULAR to get
D from

AD 227 44 33 Delta E and Delta N values.

A 132 15 27
AB +or- 00 00 00 00 00 00 638.57
BA 0180 00 00
B 180 126 12 51
BC +or-306 12 51 306 12 51 1576.20
CB 0126 12 51
C 180 69 41 15
CD +or-195 54 06 195 54 06 3824.10
DC
0 15 54 06
D 180 31 50 27
DA 47 44 33 47 44 33 3133.72
AD 227 44 33

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 Traversing example…
WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES
HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

q D DE DN

00 00 00 638.57 0.000 +638.570

306 12 51 1576.10 -1271.701 +931.227

195 54 06 3824.10 -1047.754 -3677.764

47 44 33 3133.72 +2319.361 +2107.313

-0.094 -0.654

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 Traversing example…

DEBC
C

DNBC =+931.227m
B
=+638.570m
DNAB
DNCD
=-3677.764m A

DNDA =+2107.313m

DECD

DEDA 26
 Traversing example…
C
e =  (eE2 + eN2 )
e is the LINEAR
MISCLOSURE B

eE
A
eN e
A’

D
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 WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES
HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

q D DE DN

00 00 00 638.57 0.000 +638.570

306 12 51 1576.10 -1271.701 +931.227

195 54 06 3824.10 -1047.754 -3677.764

47 44 33 3133.72 +2319.361 +2107.313

G 9172.59 G -0.094 -0.654
eE eN

e =  (eE2 + eN2) =  (0.0942 + 0.6542) = 0.661m

Fractional Linear Misclosure (FLM) = 1 in G D / e
= 1 in (9172.59 / 0.661) = 1 in 13500
[To the nearest 500 lower value] 28
 Traversing example…

Acceptable FLM values :-

•1 in 5000 for most engineering surveys

•1 in 10000 for control for large projects

•1 in 20000 for major works and monitoring for

structural deformation etc.

Check 2

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 WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES
HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

q D DE DN

00 00 00 638.57 0.000 +638.570

306 12 51 1576.10 -1271.701 +931.227

195 54 06 3824.10 -1047.754 -3677.764

47 44 33 3133.72 +2319.361 +2107.313

9172.59 -0.094 -0.654
eE eN

e =  (eE2 + eN2) =  (0.0942 + 0.6542) = 0.661m

Fractional Linear Misclosure (FLM) = 1 in G D / e
= 1 in (9172.59 / 0.661) = 1 in 13500
If not acceptable i.e. 1 in 13500 then we have an error in fieldwork 30
 Traversing example…

If the misclosure is acceptable then distribute it by: -

a) Bowditch Method - proportional to line distances

b) Transit Method - proportional to DE and DN values

c) Numerous other methods including Least Squares Adjustments

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