i n g

er s
r av
T
Required readings: 9-1,9-2.1,9-2.2, 9-3 to 9-8
&9-10
10-1 to 10-7.1 &10-8, 10-10, 10-11, 10-15,
and 10-17
Required solved examples: 10-1 to 10-4
Required figures: 10-1, tables 10-1 to 10-5
 Traversing
• Definition: A traverse is a series of
consecutive lines whose lengths and
directions have been measured.
• Traversing: The act of establishing traverse
stations and making the necessary
measurements.
• Why?
• Closed (polygon or link) and opened
traverses
Procedure
Assume that you wanted to
map “calculate coordinates of A
the building, trees, and the E
fence in the drawing, you are
given points A and B only,
cannot measure angle and F D
B
distance to corner F or the Grass

trees!!
C
• You need to construct new control points “points of
known precise coordinates” such as C, D, and E to
measure from.
• You do that with a traverse
 Traverse Notations
• We will only discuss closed Traverse with interior
angles measured.
• The polygon corners will be numbered or lettered
in anti-clockwise direction.
• All angles are measured in a clockwise direction,
and the average of direct and reverse readings is
computed at all the angles.
• Angles are designated with three letters, the
backsight station will be given first, the occupied
station second, and the forsight station third.
 Traverse Stations
• Successive stations should be inter visible.
• Stations are chosen in a safe, easy to access places.
• Lines should be as long as possible, and as equal as
possible, Why?
• Stations must be referenced to retrieve them if lost
 Traversing by Interior Angles
• A polygon is established around the site
• All internal angles and all horizontal distances are
measured
• Each angle is measured in direct and reverse, the average
is a single observation of the angle, how many readings?
• Each angle is observed at least three times, how many
readings?
• A line of known direction should either be given or
assumed, what is a line with known direction?
• If the line of known direction is not a member of the
traverse, the angle to a traverse member should be
measured. Why? (SITES 1 AND 2 PROJECT 1)
 The concept of Angle Misclosure
• Here is how the measured traverse will look:

Line AB was
B c
correct
Line BC was
correct, but angle
B was wrong

The rest of the

lines and angles
are correct
A D
A
 Angle Misclosure
• The sum of internal angles of a polygon of (n) points =
(n - 2) * 180o
• Angle misclosure = difference between the sum of the
measured angles and the geometrically correct total for the
polygon.
• The misclosure is divided equally among the readings
keeping in mind the measuring accuracy, and should be
done at the beginning of the adjustment.
• Accuracy Standards: c = k * n where (n) is the number
of points.
• K: a constant defined according to which standards used,
example: The Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee: 1.7,
3, 4.5, 10, and 12” for first-order, second-order class I,
second-order class II, third-order class I, third-order class II.
 The concept of Linear Closing Error
B c
Assume that the
traverse in reallity
was a perfect
square.
Assume that there
was an error in
measuring the
length AB only, all
A’ other lengths and
ΔN D angles were correct
A
- A will close at A’,
ΔE
- AA’ is the linear
closing error
 N XDA XCD
- ve - ve
D
ΔY
C
Δ
X
If the traverse is closed, A
then ’
A
ΔX = ?0 and B
ΔY = 0? E
XAB XBC
If the traverse is not closed, + ve + ve

Then ΔX = Xw and ΔN = Ycw

 Computations of Linear Closing
Error
• If he closing error is (W) then
Xw = ΔX and
Yw = ΔY,
W = length of closing error =  Xw2 + Yw2
Fractional Closing error = traverse precision = W /
L
 Traverse Adjustment
• Two kinds of misclosures.
• Compute and adjust the angle misclosure
• Compute the linear misclosure:
– Compute the azimuth of a traverse side
– Compute the azimuth of all the sides
– Compute the departure and latitude of all the sides
– Compute the Misclosure in X direction = sum of the
departures.
– Compute the Misclosure in Y direction = sum of the latitudes.
– Compute the linear misclosure
– Use the Compass (Bowditch) rule to adjust:

Correction in dep or lat for AB = -(total dep or lat misclosure) x AB length

traverse perimeter
- Use Bowdich (Compass) rule to compute the adjustments for
departures and latitudes of all sides, for a line such as AB:

Correction in departure for AB = -(total departure misclosure) x length AB

traverse perimeter
And,

Correction in latitude for AB = -(total latitude misclosure) x length AB

traverse perimeter
• Add the corrections to the departure or the latitude of each line. Get
the adjusted departure latitude
• Compute the adjusted point coordinates using the corrected
departure/latitude:
Xi = X i-1 + D X
Yi = X i-1 + D Y
• Check that the misclosure is zero.
• To solve a problem, it is easier to use a table such as table 10-4
• Review equations in section 10-10.
• Three checks:
• Compare adjustments to errors
• After corrections are added, check that the sum of longitudes
is zero, same for longitudes
• Compare coordinates of last and first points after adjustment
• It is important to practice how to compute length and azimuth
from departure and latitude, or from coordinates:

tan(azimuth) = departure
latitude

departure latitude
length = sin (azimuth) =
cos (azimuth)
departure = D X = d (sin azimuth)
latitude = D Y= d (cos azimuth)
 D sin (Az) D cos (Az) Correction Balanced

Station Length Azimuth Departure Latitude Departure Latitude Departure Latitude X Y

(ft) L AZ -(Wx/P)* L -(Wy/P)* L

A 10,000 10,000

285.10 26 10.0’ 125.72 255.88 -0.06 +0.08 +125.66 +255.96

B 10,125.66 10,255
.96

610.45 104 35.2’ 590.77 -153.74 -0.13 +0.18 +590.64 -153.56

C 10,716.3 10,102
.4

720.48 195 30.1’ -192.56 -694.27 -0.15 +0.21 -192.72 -694.04

D 10,523.58 9408.3
4

203.00 358 18.5’ -5.99 202.91 -0.05 +0.06 -6.04 +202.97

E 10,517.54 9611.3
1

747.02 306 54.1 -517.40 388.5 -0.14 +0.19 -517.54 +388.69

A 10,000 10,000

Sum P=2466.0 Wx =+0.54 Wy =-0.72 -0.54 +0.72

Linear Misclosure = 0.90 ft
Relative precision = 0.90 / 2466 = 1: 2700
 Traverse Area
C
D

B
E

A
Traverse area = 1 S { Xi (Yi+1 - Yi-1)}
2
• Multiply the X coordinate of each point by the difference
in Y between the following and the preceding points, half the sum
is the area
• Formula page 27-4 will work for traverses lettered in a clockwise
direction, but it will give a correct area with a negative sign.
• The formula should work if you switch the X and the Y.