Chapter 6

TRAVERSE

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.

1
 N

A
E

B D
Grass

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.

2
 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.
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

A X
F B
A C
E
B D
E F G
C
Y
D
Both types are closed. 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

3
 A
F Consider the POLYGON traverse

The L.H.Angles are also the

INTERNAL ANGLES
B
E
C
Using a theodolite we can
D measure all the internal angles.

(Internal Angles) = ( 2 N - 4 ) * 900

The difference between
Measured Angles and Internal Angles
is the Angular Misclosure
(or 3)
Maximum Angular Misclosure = 2 * Accuracy of
(Rule of thumb) Theodolite * (No. of Angles)

Standing at A looking towards F - looking BACK

AF Hence AF is known as a Azimuth
A
F
BA
AB Angle FAB
B (LH angle)
BC

C Standing at A looking towards B - looking FORWARD

LH angle ABC Hence AB is known as a FORWARD Azimuth

BACK Azimuth (AF ) + L.H.ANGLE (<FAB)

= NEXT FORWARD Azimuth (AB)
Reminder: every line has two bearings
BACK Azimuth ( BA ) = FORWARD Azimuth ( AB ) 1800

4
 Traverse 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
0
B
A 132 15 30 - 3
A B 126 12 54 - 3
C 69 41 18 - 3
D D 31 50 30 - 3
(Internal Angles) = 360 00 12
Line Horizontal
(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
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
and Bearing to D
POLAR to RECTANGULAR to get
go 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
180 0126 12 51
C 69 41 15
CD +or- 195 54 06 195 54 06 3824.10
DC
180 0 15 54 06
D 31 50 27
DA 47 44 33 47 44 33 3133.72
AD 227 44 33

5
 LATITUDES AND DEPARTURES

FIGURE 6.5:
LOCATION OF A POINT.
A)POLAR TIES
B)RECTANGULAR TIES

LATITUDE = NORTH(+) SOUTH (-)=distance(H) x cos

DEPARTURE = EAST(+) WEST (-)= distance(H) x sin

WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES

HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

D E N

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

6
 EBC
C

NBC =+931.227m
B
NAB =+638.570m
NCD
=-3677.764m A

NDA =+2107.313m

ECD

EDA

e is the LINEAR MISCLOSURE

C
e = (eE2 + eN2 )

eE
A
eN e
A

7
 WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES
HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

D E N

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 * D / e
= 1 in (9172.59 / 0.661) = 1 in 13500
[To the nearest 500 lower value]

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.

8
 WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES
HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

D E N

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 * D / e
= 1 in (9172.59 / 0.661) = 1 in 13500
Check 2
If not acceptable ie 1 in 3500 then we have an error in fieldwork

If the misclosure is acceptable then distribute it by: -

a) Bowditch Method - proportional to line distances

b) Transit Method - proportional to E and N values

c) Numerous other methods including Least Squares

Adjustments

9
 a) Bowditch Method - proportional to line distances

The eE and the eN have to be distributed

For any line IJ the adjustments are E IJ and N IJ

E IJ = [ eE / SD ] x D IJ Applied with the opposite

sign to eE

N IJ = [ eN / SD ] x D IJ Applied with the opposite

sign to eN

WHOLE CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES

HORIZONTAL
CIRCLE
DISTANCE CALCULATED
BEARING

D E N

00 00 00 638.57 0.000 +638.570

306 12 51 1576.20 -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 SD / e
= 1 in 9172.59 / 0.661 = 1 in 13500
Check 2

10
 E IJ = [ eE / SD ] x D IJ Applied with the opposite
sign to eE

eE = -0.094m SD = 9172.59 m

E IJ = [+0.094 / 9172.59 ] x D IJ = +0.0000102479... x D IJ

Store this in the memory

For line AB
E AB = +0.0000102479x D AB = +0.0000102479x 638.57
E AB = +0.007m
For line BC
E BC = +0.0000102479x D BC = +0.0000102479x 1576.20
E BC = +0.016m
For line CD
E CD = +0.039m For line DA E DA = +0.032m

CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES S
T
CO-ORDINATES A
CALCULATED ADJUSTMENTS ADJUSTED T
I
O
N
E N E N E N E N

0.000 +638.570 +0.007

-1271.701 +931.227 +0.016

-1047.754 -3677.764 +0.039

+2319.361 +2107.313 +0.032

-0.094 -0.654
eE eN

11
 N IJ = [ eN / SD ] x D IJ Applied with the opposite
sign to eN
eN = -0.654m

N IJ = [+0.654 / 9172.59 ] x D IJ = +0.000071299... x D IJ

Store this in the memory

N AB = + 0.000071299 x D AB = + 0.000071299x 638.57

N AB = +0.046m

N BC = +0.112m N CD = +0.273m

N DA = +0.223m

CO-ORDINATE DIFFERENCES S
T
CO-ORDINATES A
CALCULATED ADJUSTMENTS ADJUSTED T
I
O
N
E N E N E N E N

3000.00 4000.00 A
0.000 +638.570 +0.007 +0.046 +0.007 +638.616 3000.01 4638.62 B

-1271.701 +931.227 +0.016 +0.112 -1271.685 +931.339 1728.32 5569.96 C

-1047.754 -3677.764 +0.039 +0.273 -1047.715 -3677.491 680.61 1892.46 D

+2319.361 +2107.313 +0.032 +0.223 +2319.393 +2107.536 3000.00 4000.00 A

-0.094 -0.654 S= 0 S= 0 Check 3

eE eN

12
 6.13 SUMMARY OF TRAVERSE
COMPUTATIONS

1. Balance the field angles (1st step)

2. Correct (if necessary) the field distances (2nd step)
3. Compute the bearings and/or azimuths (3rd step)
4. Compute the linear error of closure and the precision ratio of the traverse
(4th step)
5. Compute the balances latitudes (y) and balanced departures (x) (5th step)
6. Compute coordinates (6th step)
7. Compute the area (7th step)

6.14 AREA OF A CLOSED TRAVERSE BY THE

COORDINATE METHOD

The double area of a closed traverse is the algebraic sum of each

X coordinate by the difference between the Y values of the
adjacent stations.
The final area can result in a positive or negative number,
reflecting only the direction of computation (either clockwise or
anti clockwise). However there area is POSITIVETHERE ARE NO
NEGATIVE AREAS.

13
6.14 AREA OF A CLOSED TRAVERSE BY THE
COORDINATE METHOD

14
6.14 AREA OF A CLOSED TRAVERSE BY THE COORDINATE
METHOD

15
 END OF CHAPTER 6
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION

16