Arba Minch University

Arba Minch Institute of Technology

Faculty of Civil Engineering
Course: Surveying I
Chapter 5
Traversing

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 Traversing
• Traversing is define as:
– Is the method of establishing horizontal controls
or act of establishing traverse stations and
making necessary measurements. Or
– Is the method of using length and directions of
lines between points to determine positions of
points.

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 Con….

 1-D → control which governs

height measurment
 2-D → control which governs
horizontal measurment
 3-D → Horizontal and height
measurment
3
 Methods of control surveys
• Traversing

• Triangulation

• Trilateration

• Triangulateration

• Satellite position fixing

 Traverse
• Traverse:
– Is a series of lines of connected with known lengths
related to one another by known angles.
– The length of the lines are determined by direct
measurement of horizontal distance, indirect
measurement.
• Lines runs between a series of points are
called traverse station.
• The angles at the traverse stations, between
the lines are measured by theodolite,
compass or plane table.
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 Traverse
• A traverse consists of a series of straight
lines connected successively at established
points, along the route of a survey.
• Traverse station,
• Traverse legs
• Angles: Theodolite
• Distance: tape, chain or EDM
• It can be closed and opened traverse
 Method of traversing:

On the basic of measuring the relative direction

of the traverse legs, the method of theodolite
traverse, may be divided in two to groups.
1. By measuring the angles between the two
consecutive traverse legs: included, external
and deflection angle
2. By measuring the direct bearing traverse legs
 Traverse
 Traverse surveys are made for many purpose;
from these:
– To determine the positions of the existing
boundary markers
– To establish the positions of boundary lines
– To determine the area encompassed (included)
within the boundary
– To establish ground control for photographic
mapping
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 Types of traverse
Open traverse
• Originates from a point whose position
may be known but terminates (ends) to a
point whose position is not known.
• In this type of traverse, computational
check is not possible to detect error or
mistake in distances or directions.
• To minimize error, repeated observations
for measurements need to be taken.
 Closed traverse
• Originates from a known position and also
terminates to known position then it is called a
closed traverse.
• If the origin and terminating points are the same
then it is called closed-loop traverse (Figure a).
• This type of traverse permits an internal check
on the accuracy of angular measurements.
 Closed Link Traverse
• A closed link traverse that originates from a known
point and terminates to another known point
(Figure b.
• close traverse provides computational checks
allowing detection of systematic errors in both
distance and direction and, therefore, preferred to
all other types of traverse.
 Angle measurment
Azimuths
Azimuths are expressed clockwise with reference to the
reference line.
1. Measured as the total angle between the reference line and the line
itself clockwise
2. Generally in geodesy it is measured from north
3. No referencing from the east or west
Bearing
Bearings are expressed by quadrant with respect to the
reference line.
1. Measured as the acute angle between the reference line and the line
itself
2. Measured either north or south
3. Referenced to the direction of the survey
 Designation Of Bearing
• The common systems of notation of
bearing are.
– The whole Circle bearing system (W. C. B) or
Azimuth system
– The Quadrantal bearing (Q.B) system
CALCULATIONS OF ANGLES FROM BEARING
 Example
1. The azimuths of the sides of a triangle ABC
are given as follows. Compute the interior
angle. Azimuth of AB=60º 00’ 00”, Azimuth of
BC=130 º 00’ 00”, Azimuth of CA=270 º 00’ 00”.
2. Bearing of the line AB N40E & AC N 30W
calculate the included angle of station/point A?
 Fieldwork of traversing

In traversing, field work is carried

out in the following stage .
• Reconnaissance
• Selection and making of station
• Measurement of traverse legs
• Measurement of traverse angle
• Booking of field notes
Sources of Error in Traverse Operations

• Errors in measurement of angles and

distances.
• Poor selection of traverse points.
• Failing to measure the angles an equal
number of times direct and reversed
(doubling and averaging)
• Selection of instrument type.
• Selection of methods for measurement.
 Traverse computation
The errors in closed traversing are :-
• Linear : summation of latitude and longitude
=0
• Angular: The sum of measured interior
angles should be equal to the theoretical
angle.
• IF NOT  Adjustment
Linear: Bowditch’s Method and Transit Rule
Angle: the correction distributed equally to all
angles
 Step of Traverse Calculations
1. Determine Angular Misclosure
2. Balance Angular Misclosure
3. Determine Directions of Sides
4. Latitudes and Departures
5. Determine Linear Misclosure
6. Adjust Linear Misclosure
7. Compute the x and y coordinates
8. Determine Area Enclosed
 Traverse computation (closed loop)
• Step 1: Balancing of angle (interior angle)
– Adjustments applied to angles are independent of
size of the angle
– Methods of adjustment:
• Make larger corrections where mistakes were most likely
• Apply an average correction to each angle or a combination

– For closed loop traverse: (n-2)*180 = Interior angle

o

where n is the number of stations

(angles)
– If not there an error.
– The angular error should be proportioned equally
among the angles of the traverse (average correction
to each angle) or make larger corrections where
mistakes were most likely.
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 Traverse computation (closed loop)
• Step 2: determining bearing or azimuth of each
line.
• Requires the direction of at least one line with
the traverse to be known or assumed.
• Form many purposes, an assumed is sufficient.
• A magnetic bearing of one of the lines may be
measured and used as the reference determining
the other directions.
• Step 3: determining and adjusting latitudes and
departures.
– Latitude of a line is its projection on the north-south
meridian and it is equal to the length of the line times
the cosine of its bearing.
– Latitude is the y component of the line (also known as
northing)
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 Traverse computation (closed loop)
• Step 3: determining and adjusting latitudes
and departures.
– Departure of a line is its projection on the east-
west meridian and is equal to the length of the
line times the sine of its bearing.
– Departure is the x component of the line (also
known as easting).
Closure:
• The sum of all latitudes
must equal to zero.
• The sum of all
departures must equal
to zero.
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 Traverse computation (closed loop)
•

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 Traverse computation (closed loop)
•

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  Area by triangles
• The land is divided into a network of triangles.
Given two sides, a and b, and the included angle
C^ Area of triangle = .l/2ab sin C
in which C is the included angle between the sides a
and b.
• It may be possible to sub-divide the plotted area
into a series of triangles, measures the sides a, b,
c, and compute the areas using:
Area = [s(s − a)(s − b)(s − c)]1/2
where s = (a + b + c)1/2
 Traverse field book
Statio Given Dep.
Anlge corr'n Adj angle Azimuth Length (m) Latitude Departure Lat. Corr'n Adj. Lat Adj. Dep. Coord. X Coor. Y Area (sq.m)
n angle Corr'n

A 00°00'00" (+ -) 00°00'00" 00°00'00" 0.00 0.00

00°00'00" 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.000 0000

B 00°00'00" (+ -) 00°00'00" 00°00'00" 0.00 0.00

00°00'00" 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.000

0.00
C 00°00'00" (+ -) 00°00'00" 00°00'00" 0.00 0.00

00°00'00" 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.000

D 00°00'00" (+ -) 00°00'00" 00°00'00" 0.00 0.00

00°00'00" 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.000 0.000

A 0.00 0.00

Sum 00°00'00" (+ -) 00°00'00" 00°00'00" 0.00 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

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Traverse field book format
Determine directions of traverse side:
 A  B? (left sided traverse)
 A  E? (right sided traverse)

E
D

92°20’
145°37’
A
86°26’
108°24’
107°8’ C

B
Fill in the traverse computation table:

Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correction Adjusted Coordinates

Statio s ta
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
e
A 86°26’ E
D

B 107°8’ 92°20’
145°37’
A
108°24’ 86°26’
C
108°24’
107°8’ C
D 92°20’

E 145°37’ B

A
Compute the angular error & adjust the angles:
Error = -5’
Total = (n-2)(180) e = x - xt Corr. = -(-5’) /5
error = measured value – true value
n = 5, Total = 540° = +1’
Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correction Adjusted Coordinates
Statio s ta
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
e
A 86°26’ 86°27’ E
D
B 107°8’ 107°9’ 92°21’
145°38’
A
C 108°24’ 108°25’ 86°27’
108°24’
D 92°20’ 92°21’ 107°8’ C

E 145°37’ 145°38’ B

A
Compute azimuth:
AzBC = AzAB + B - 180° (left sided traverse) NB: Use Adjusted Angles
E.g. AzBC = 141° 45’ + 107°9’ - 180° = 68°54’
Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correction Adjusted Coordinates
Statio s ta
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
e
A 86°26’ 86°27’
141°45’
B 107°8’ 107°9’
68°54’ E D
C 108°24’ 108°25’
357°19’ 92°21’
92°20’ 92°21’ 145°38’
D
A 141° 45’
269°40’
86°27’ 108°25’
E 145°37’ 145°38’
107°9’
235°18’ C
A
B
539°55’ 540°
Compute dep & lat: LatAB = 315.65 Cos(141°45’) = -247.86
Latitude = Length*Cos(Az) DepAB = 315.65 Sin(141°45’) = 195.40
Departure = Length*Sin(Az)
Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correction Adjusted Coordinates
Statio s ta
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
e
A 86°26’ 86°27’
195.4 -247.8
141°45’ 315.62 0 6
E 269°40’
8 ’
107°8’ 107°9’ 5°1 502.06
B
23
468.7 180.8 .0 5
68°54’ 502.43 7
4 7
A 18
C 108°24’ 108°25’
-8.28 176.7

14
357°19’ 176.95 6

1°
92°20’ 92°21’ 4’

31

45
D °5
68

5.

’
-502.0 -2.92

62
269°40’ 502.06 5
2.4 3
E 145°37’ 145°38’ 50
-153.7 -106.4 B
235°18’ 187.05 8 8

A
Compute the error of closure:
 You should end up where you started
o Sum of Lat’s = 0
o Sum of Dep’s = 0
 Linear Misclosure (error)
o A line connects starting and ending point
o Linear error = length of line
eDep = 0.03
e Lin  2
e Lat  e Dep
2

eLat = 0.37
 0 . 36
2
 0 . 03 2  0 . 37
 Relative Error
o Relates error to total distance surveyed
o Expressed as 1/xxxx
e Lin 0 . 37 1
RE   
Length 1684 . 11 4550
Compute correction for dep & lat:
 Compass Rule – more common
o Assumes angles are as accurate as distances
o Proportion Lat, Dep error to length of side and total distance

Correction is the term more popularly being used to define the m

agnitude of error but opposite in sign

  e Lat    e Dep 
Lat  Length    Dep  Length   
 Lengths   Lengths 
  0 . 36 
Lat AB
 315 . 62     0 . 07
 1684 . 11 
  0 . 03 
Dep AB
 315 . 62     0 . 006  0 . 01
 1684 . 11 
 . . . correction for dep & lat:

Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correctio Adjusted Coordinates

Statio s ta n
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
e
A 86°26’ 86°27’
195.4 -247.8
141°45’ 315.62 0 6 -.01 -.07

B 107°8’ 107°9’
468.7 180.8
68°54’ 502.43 -.01 -.11
4 7

C 108°24’ 108°25’
-8.28 176.7
357°19’ 176.95 0 -.04
6

D 92°20’ 92°21’
-502.0 -2.92 -.01 -.11
269°40’ 502.06 5

E 145°37’ 145°38’
-153.7 -106.4 0 -.04
235°18’ 187.05 8 8

A
1684.1 0.0 0.37 -.0
Adjust departure and latitude:

Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correctio Adjusted Coordinates

Statio s ta n
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
e
A 86°26’ 86°27’
195.4 -247.8
141°45’ 315.62 0 6 -.01 -.07
195.3 -247.9
9 3

B 107°8’ 107°9’
468.7 180.8 468.7 180.7
68°54’ 502.43 4 7 -.01 -.11
3 6

C 108°24’ 108°25’
-8.28 176.7 176.7
357°19’ 176.95 6 0 -.04 -8.28
2

D 92°20’ 92°21’
-502.0 -2.92 -.01 -.11 -502.0
269°40’ 502.06 5 6
-3.03

E 145°37’ 145°38’
-153.7 -106.4 0 -.04 -153.7 -106.5
235°18’ 187.05 8 8 8 2

A
Compute coordinates of X and Y:
XB = XA + Dep AB YB = YB + Lat AB

Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correcti Adjusted Coordinates

Statio s ta on
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. de lat. dep. lat. x y
e p.
A 86°26’ 86°27’ 100 300
195.4 -247.8
141°45’ 315.62 0 6 -.0
-.07
195. -247.9
1 39 3

B 107°8’ 107°9’ 295.3 52.0

9 7

468.7 180.8 -.0 468.

68°54’ 502.43 4 7 1
-.11
73
180.76

C 108°24’ 108°25’ 764.1 232.

2 83

-8.28 176.7
357°19’ 176.95 0 -.04 -8.28 176.72
6

D 92°20’ 92°21’ 755.8 409.

4 55
Determine area enclosed:

Measured Adjusted Azimuth Horizon Unadjusted Correctio Adjusted Coordinates

Statio s ta n
n H. angle H. angle distanc dep. lat. dep. lat. dep. lat. x y
E e
86°26’ 86°27’ D
A 100 300
195.4 -247.8
141°45’ 315.62 0 6 92°20’ 195.3 -247.9
145°37’ -.01 -.07
9 3
A
B 107°8’ 107°9’ 86°26’ 52.0 295.
7 39
108°24’
468.7 180.8 468.7 180.7
68°54’ 502.43 -.01 -.11
107°8’ 4 7 C
3 6

C 108°24’ 108°25’ 232. 764.

83 12
-8.28 176.7 176.7
357°19’ B176.95 6 0 -.04 -8.28
2

D 92°20’ 92°21’ 409. 755.

55 84
-502.0 -2.92 -.01 -.11 -502.0
269°40’ 502.06 5 6
-3.03

E 145°37’ 145°38’ 406. 253.

 Exercise 1
Example 1:
The following data is observed to closed loop traverses
ABCDE by using the given data below, calculate the
coordinates of stations A, B C & D and traverse area. (show
all necessary steps)
Bearing of EA = S 39°22'31"E
Coordinate XE =50000.00 and YE = 40000.00

Angle Length in m
< A = 109°43'54" AE = 107
<B = 127°29'42" BA = 75
<C = 104°33'53" CB = 95
<D = 105°12'04" DC = 91
<E = 93°02'57" ED = 121

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 Exercise 2
• Example 2:
• The mean observed internal angles and measured sides of a
closed loop traverse AEDCBA (in clockwise direction order)
are given below.
Given angle Length in meter
A = 121°38'34" AB = 86.5
B = 103°24'19" BC = 116.6
C = 83°23'37" CD = 134.4
D = 102°25'47" DE = 65.2
E = 129°03'13" EA = 79.6

• Besides, the Coordinate of station A is given, XA = 1000.00

and YA = 1000.00, and azimuth of line AE is 11°57'21". Then
compute the coordinates of traverse stations and area.
(Show all necessary steps)
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 Exercise 3
• Example 3:
• The following data is observed to closed loop traverses
ABCD by using the given data calculate the coordinates of
stations A, B & C and traverse area. (show all necessary
steps).
• AzDA= 198O 08′40″
• Coordinate XD = 50000.00 and YD = 40000.00
Angle Distance
< D = 112O34′14″ DA=70
< A = 84O25′10″ AB=99
< B =98O42′30″ BC=106
< C =64O 20′30″ CD=115

END!
THANKS !
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Q&A

? Thanks!