Chapter 4

Angle measurement
4.1 Horizontal and Vertical angles
4.1. Introduction

The general difference of theodolite and

tacheometric surveying is that in the former case the
theodolite is a device through which the horizontal
and vertical angles are accurately measured while in
the first case a tacheometer is an instrument by which
horizontal and vertical distances are measured and
from this tacheometry is defined as an optical method
of distance measurement.
 Depending on the facilities provided for reading
of observations the theodolites may be classified
as simple vernier theodolite, micrometer
theodolite, optical (glass arc) theodolite and
electronic theodolite while based on geometry of
the theodolite they are classified as transit and
non-transit theodolites. based on the movement
of telescope about its horizontal axis, the
theodolite is classified into two namely:
1.Transit Theodolite and
2.Non-transit Theodolite
Transit theodolite: - is the theodolite whose telescope
can be transited or which can be revolved through a
complete revolution (through 360 0) about its
horizontal axis in a vertical plane.
Non-Transit theodolite: - is the reverse of the transit
theodolite or that is a theodolite whose telescope
cannot be transited or revolved through a complete
circumference about its horizontal axis in a vertical
plane.
Adjustment of theodolite
Two general methods of adjustments for
theodolites namely:
1.Temporary adjustment and
2.Permanent adjustment
3.Temporary adjustments: - are made before making
observations at each instrument station. The
following are activities which are done during
permanent adjustment.
 Setting up the theodolite over the station (centering)
 The levelling screws must be at the center
 The shifting head of the theodolite is at its center so
that equal movement is possible in all the directions.
 The wing nuts on the tripod legs are tight enough so
that when raised, the tripod legs do not fall under
their own weight.
 Levelling of the theodolite i.e. making the vertical
axis truly vertical with the help of the foot screws.
 Elimination of parallax by series of focusing
through the eyepiece of the instrument.
1. Permanent adjustment: - the fundamental lines of a
theodolite are the vertical axis, the axis of the plate levels,
the line of collimation, the horizontal axis, and the bubble
line of altitude. The following adjustments are desirable:
 The axis of the plate levels must be perpendicular to the
vertical axis.
 The line of collimation must be at right angles to the
horizontal axis.
 The horizontal axis must be perpendicular to the vertical
axis.
 The axis of the telescope level must be parallel to the line of
collimation.
 Horizontal angle measurement: - are
measured through the theodolite’s vertical
circle by adjusting the upper and lower clumps
as well as the upper and the lower tangent
screws.
Then it is done by rotating the theodolite’s
telescope either forward or backward (i.e.
towards clockwise or counter clockwise
direction) in the horizontal plane.
Types of horizontal angle
1-Interior horizontal angle (included)
2 Deflection horizontal angles
Interior angles:-can be clockwise or anticlockwise depending
on the direction of turning the upper part of the theodolite

Deflection angles: similarly deflection angle can be deflection

to the right (clockwise) and deflection to the left
(anticlockwise)
There are four basic types of North.
1. Astronomic north
It is an imaginary line on the earth’s surface passing
through the north –South geographical north.
2. Magnetic north
- It is the direction of a vertical plane shown by a
freely suspended magnetic needle.
- It will be measured by surveyor compass.
3. Grid North
- A line through a point parallel to the Y–axis of a
rectangular coordinate system on the map.
4. Arbitrary North
- An arbitrary chosen line with a directional value
assigned by the observer.
 4.2 Azimuth and Bearing
The following are the two main horizontal angles
measured on the horizontal angles.
I. Azimuths (whole circle bearings ) and
II. Bearings (quadrantal bearings)
I. Azimuths (Azimuthally bearing)
 Azimuth is an angle measured clockwise from the
reference north direction.
 It is always measured clockwise and north direction and
ranges from 00 - 3600.
 Unlike bearing the cardinal direction symbols will never be
mentioned.
 Azimuth is sometimes called whole circle bearing or azimuthally
bearing (the bearing of line that is measured with magnetic north or
south) in a clockwise direction. Example: look at the following diagram
II. Bearings (Fore bearings)
 Bearing of a line is an angle measured either from the reference north or
south towards either east or west direction i.e. towards clockwise or
counterclockwise direction is sometimes called quadrantal bearing or
fore bearing.
 It is always measured from either of the two references to west or east
direction depending on whichever is nearer to the line for which bearing
is to be measured.
 It only extends from 00 - 900.
 It is shown with the cardinal direction within which it is referenced.
Relationship between bearing and azimuth

The relationship b/n bearing and azimuth in different

quadrants is different.
In I quadrant Angular Value of bearing = Azimuth
In II quadrant Azimuth = 180 0 - angular value of bearing
In III quadrant Azimuth = 180 0+ angular value of bearing
In IV Quadrant Azimuth = 3600-angular Value of bearing
Back azimuth and Back bearing
Back azimuth: - is the reverse the forward azimuth whose angular
difference between them is 1800 and as a result is sometimes called
reverse azimuth or that is the azimuth of a line opposite to the direction
of the survey progress.

Back azimuth of AB = Azimuth of BA

Back bearing: - is the bearing of a line in the opposite direction of
progress of survey is known as back bearing or reverse bearing.
Geometrically bearing and back bearing are opposite interior angles of
any straight line intersecting two parallel lines (i.e. they are equal in
magnitude but different in Direction).

Back bearing of AB = Bearing of BA or N 650 E = S 650 W respectively

 2.Vertical angle measurement
V.A is the angle subtended by the inclined line of
sight and the horizontal line of sight at the in a
vertical plane.
If the point sighted is above the horizontal axis of the
theodolite, the vertical angle formed is known as
angle of elevation and if the point that is sighted is
below the horizontal axis, the vertical angle formed is
angle of depression.
The maximum range of angle of elevation and angle
depression is from zero degree up to normal
Angle of elevation is represented by plus sign while angle of depression
is by minus sign
Algebraic relationship between the vertical angles
The theodolite set up on point A whose line of sight is
a target on the staff held on point B. The line of sight
relates the three angles except angle of depression.
Home work: Fore examples the lines AB, AC, AD and AE represent the line of sight of
theodolite whose station is at point A and targets at points B, C, D and E. If line AC is at an
observed angle of -30020’35’’, line AE is at observed or measured angle of 50045’15’’ and line
AD is also observed at an angle of -50010’08’’, compute the rest of them as follows.

Zenith angles for lines AB and AC will be _____________and ________________

Nadir angles for lines AB and AC will be _____________ and ______________

Angle of elevation for Line AB_____________________