Bearing

• The angle made by a line

with the magnetic north in a
clockwise direction is known
as bearing.
Fore bearing and back bearing
• The bearing of a line in the direction of progress of survey is called
F.B.
• The bearing of a line in the direction opposite to the direction of
progress of survey is called B.B.
Calculation of bearing from included angles
• The bearing of a side PQ of a pentagon PQRSTP is 120 degree. If the
pentagon runs counter clockwise and if the first three interior angles
are 100 degree each and if the remaining angles are 120 each.
Calculate the bearing of remaining sides. Finally convert them to
Reduced Bearing.

• The bearing of the side of AB of a regular pentagon ABCDE was found

to be 54 degree. Compute the bearings of the remaining sides if the
pentagon is run counter clockwise.
Bearing of any line = B.B. of preceding line +
included angle
Calculation of Included angle from bearing
• The following were observed for a closed traverse ABCDEA. Calculate
the interior angles.

AB= 140°30΄
BC=80°30΄
CD= 340°
DE=290°30΄
EA=230°30΄
 Determination of true bearing from Magnetic Bearing
• If magnetic bearing at the time of observation is known then the true
bearing of the line, say AB can be determined from its magnetic bearing
and vice versa.

• IF declination is east then,

• True Bearing= Magnetic Bearing + declination

• IF declination is West then,

• True Bearing= Magnetic Bearing - declination
Questions
1. Magnetic bearing of line AB is 85° 45΄. Calculate the true bearing if
• Magnetic declination is 5° 30΄East
• Magnetic declination is 4° 45΄West

2. A line is drawn to have magnetic bearing 25° 30΄ in an old map when
the declination was 2° 30΄ E. Determine the present magnetic bearing
of line if the present declination is 5° 30΄ W°
 Local Attraction
• Local attraction is attraction of magnetic needle to a local magnetic field
other than the earths magnetic field.
• Caused by iron fence, steel bars, vehicles, steel doors, iron deposits, even
small items like wrist watch can also cause local attraction.
• Magnetic needle normally points towards magnetic north.
• If there are magnetite in the ground, wires carrying electric current, steel
structures, iron pipes near a station, they deflect the needle and the
needle no longer points to the true magnetic north
• The difference between true magnetic north and north pointed by the
magnetic needle at a particular station is known as local attraction.
• F.B. and B.B. of a line should differ by 180 degree. If they do not it is due to
local attraction.
Correction for Local Attraction
• If there is a local attraction at a station, all the bearings measured at
the station will be affected by equal amount, assuming that local
magnetic field does not change during the period the bearing are
taken.
• There are two methods for correction of local attraction:

• Method 1:
• Correction for each station found using FB and BB of different line.
• Find the line whose FB an BB differ exactly by 180 degree
• There is no local attraction at both end station of the line.
• All bearing taken will be free from Local attraction
• Now , the observed bearing are corrected by finding out the error at each
station and applying correction to all the bearing taken at that station.
Line FB BB
• As BB and FB of line BC differ by 180 , station AB 140° 318°
B and C are free from local attraction BC 60° 240°
• BB of line AB and FB of CD are also correct. CD 125° 302°
• Correct FB of AB is (318°-180°)= 138°. DE 150°

• As measured bearing of AB is 140°, there is error of +2° at A, so correction

of -2° has to be applied.
• BB of CD should be (125+180)=305°.
• But measured value is 302°. Error of -3 , so correction of +3 required at D.
• Correct FB at DE= (150°+3°)= 153°
• In case, there are no line whose FB and BB differ exactly by 180
degree, select the line in which the difference of FB and BB are
nearest to 180
• Determine the value by applying half of the error to each of the line.
• Eg: BB of BC= 239°30΄ FB of BC= 60°
• Discrepancy = 30΄
• Now, corrected bearing= 59°45΄ and 239°45΄
• Bearing determined by same procedure
• Method 2:
• In this method included angles are used for determining correct bearing.
• At an affected station, local attraction draws needle a certain amount
away from magnetic meridian.
• Included angle compounded from the bearing are not affected by the
local attraction as being taken from station are affected equally in same
direction.
• Included angles between different lines calculated from observed
bearing, starting from unaffected line.
• The bearing of all the other lines are calculated from compound angles.

• As first method if there is no line that is unaffected, then take the line
whose FB and BB differ least from 180 degree.
• A compass traverse ABCDEA was run anticlockwise and the following
bearings were taken where local attraction was suspected.

Line Fore Bearing Back Bearing

AB 150 329 45
BC 77 30 256
CD 41 30 222 45
DE 314 15 134 45
EA 220 15 40 15

• Determine the local attraction and correct bearing by both the methods.
• As the FB and BB of EA differ exactly by 180°, station A and E are free from local
attraction.
• FB of AB and BB of DE are free from Local attraction. Line FB BB
• 1st Method AB 150° 329° 45΄
BC 77° 30΄ 256°

• Correct FB of DE = 134° 45΄+180= 314° 45΄ CD 41° 30΄ 222° 45΄

DE 314° 15΄ 134° 45΄
• Error at D= 314° 45- 314° 45΄= - 30΄
EA 220° 15΄ 40° 15΄
• Correction at D= +30΄
• Correct BB of CD= 222° 45΄ + 30΄ = 223 15΄
• Correct FB of CD= 223° 15΄ -180° = 43 15΄
• Error at C= 41° 30 - 23° 15= -1 45΄
• Correction at C= + 1 45΄
• Correct BB of BC=256° + 1 45΄ = 257 45΄
• Correct FB of BC= 77° 45΄
• Error at B=-15 Correction=+15΄
• Correct BB of AB=330°
• Error at A= 150° -150° =0 (Check) As mentioned A is free from local attraction
• 2nd Method : First Calculate the interior angles.
• ∠ A= 150° -40° 15΄ = 109 ° 45΄ Line FB BB
AB 150° 329° 45΄
BC 77° 30΄ 256°
• ∠ B= 329° 45΄ -77 30΄ = 252 ° 15΄ CD 41° 30΄ 222° 45΄
=(360 ° - 252 15΄)=107 ° 45 ΄ DE 314° 15΄ 134° 45΄
EA 220° 15΄ 40° 15΄

• ∠ C= 256° - 41 ° 30΄ = 214 ° 30΄ = (360 ° -214 ° 30 ΄)= 145 ° 30 ΄

• ∠ D= 314° 15 ΄ -222° 45 ΄ = 91 ° 30 ΄

• ∠ E= 220° 15΄- 134° 45 ΄ = 85° 30 ΄

• Sum of all angles= 540°

• There is no error in sum of included angles
• As there is no local attraction at A, the FB of AB is correct,
Line FB BB
• Correct BB of AB= 150 ° +180 ° = 330 ° AB 150° 329° 45΄

• Correct FB of BC= Correct FB of AB+ ∠B BC 77° 30΄ 256°

CD 41° 30΄ 222° 45΄
=330 ° + 107 ° 45 ΄
DE 314° 15΄ 134° 45΄
= 437 ° 45 ΄ - 360 ° = 77 ° 45 ΄
EA 220° 15΄ 40° 15΄
• Correct BB of BC= Correct FB of BC + 180 °
= 77 ° 45 ΄ + 180 ° = 257 ° 45 ΄

• Correct FB of CD= Correct BB of BC + ∠C

= 257 ° 45 ΄ + 145 ° 30 ΄
= 403 ° 15 ΄ -360 ° = 43 ° 15 ΄
• Correct BB of CD= Correct FB of CD +180 ° Line FB BB
= 43 ° 15 ΄ + 180= 223°15 ΄ AB 150° 329° 45΄
BC 77° 30΄ 256°

• Correct FB of DE= Correct FB of CD+ ∠D CD 41° 30΄ 222° 45΄

DE 314° 15΄ 134° 45΄
=223 ° 15 ΄ + 91 ° 30 ΄
EA 220° 15΄ 40° 15΄
= 314 ° 45 ΄

• Correct BB of DE= Correct FB of DE – 180

= 314 ° 45 ΄ – 180 ° = 134 ° 45 ΄

• As there is no local attraction at E, the computed BB of DE is equal to the

observed bearing.
• Following are the observed bearings, determine the correct included
angles.
Line FB BB
AB 150°30 329° 45΄
BC 78° 256°30
CD 42° 30΄ 222° 45΄
DE 315° 45΄ 134° 15΄
EA 220° 15΄ 40° 15΄
• Given below are the bearings observed in a traverse survey
conducted with a prismatic compass at a place where local attraction
was suspected,
Line FB BB
AB 124°30 304° 30΄
BC 68°15 246°
CD 310° 30΄ 135° 15΄
DA 200° 15΄ 17° 45΄

• At what station do you suspect local attraction? Find the correct

bearings of lines and included angles.