EAT 112 GEOMATIC

ENGINEERING

TOPIC:
TRAVERSE
 TRAVERSE
• A traverse is a series of consecutive lines whose ends
have been marked in the field, and whose lengths and
directions (angle, bearing or azimuth) have been
determined from measurements.
• Traverse are used as control surveys to:
1. Locate topographic detailed for the preparation of plans
2. Lay out (locate) engineering works, Process and other
earthwork and other engineering quantities.
3. Provide horizontal control for aerial surveys in the preparation
of photogrammetric mapping.
 TRAVERSE TYPES

1. A closed polygonal traverse starts and finishes on the

same known point.
2. A closed link traverse joins two known points.
3. An open traverse starts on a known point and finishes
on an unknown point.
1. Closed Polygonal Traverse
2. Link Traverse
3. Open Traverse
 Coordinate Calculation
• The start coordinates must be known
• The start orientation must be known
 CLOSING ERROR

• If the traverse misclosure is greater than is

desirable, there are two choices:
1. Adjust the survey
2. Repeat the survey
 1. Adjustment

• There are various methods used to adjust surveys

• No method will improve the accuracy of the observations
but only the consistency of the geometry
• Adjustment can generate a false confidence in the quality
of a survey
 2. Repeat the Survey

• This is the recommended choice as no amount of

statistical manipulation can improve poor observations
 SUMMARY OF TRAVERSE
COMPUTATIONS
1. Balance the angles.
2. Compute the bearing.
3. Compute the latitudes and departures.
4. Compute the linear error of closure
5. Compute the precision ratio.
6. Compute the correction in latitudes and departures
7. Compute the adjusted latitudes and departures
8. Compute balanced/adjusted latitudes and departures
to determine coordinates
9. Calculation for correction.
 1. Balancing angle

Sum of the interior angles in a n-sided :-

= (n – 2) 180°

*e.g., a 5-sided figure has…

= (5-2)180°
= 540°
• Balancing Angles: Misclosure errors must be distributed over the
interior angles of the traverse by:
1. Dividing the total error by the number of angle and applying the same
error to each interior angle.
2. Making larger corrections for poor setup locations such as areas where
tripod might settle (boggy spot), or instrument step up was difficult.

2 1
 Permissible Angular Error
TRAVERSE FOR PERMISSIBLE PERMISSIBLE
ANGULAR ERROR RELATIVE CLOSING
AREA

Land, road and railway surveys 1’ x √N 1 in 3000

City and important foundry survey 30’’ x √N 1 in 5000

Very important survey 15’’ x √N 1 in 10 000

N = number of sides of traverse

 2. Compute the bearing

• If recorded as azimuth, convert them to bearing

 3. Compute the latitudes and
departures
Definition
• Latitude
– is the north/south rectangular component of a line.
• North (+) and South (-)
• Departure
– is the west/east rectangular component of a line.
• East (+) and West (-)
 Cont..
• When working with azimuths, the +/- designation is
directly given by the appropriate trigonometric function:

Latitude (Δy) = distance (H) x cos θ

Departure (Δx) = distance (H) x sin θ

where,
θ = bearing/azimuth
H = horizontal distance
 4. Compute the linear error of
closure
• Error of closure of latitudes, ECLat :
The differences between the sum of north latitudes and the sum of
south latitudes.
• Error of closure of departures, ECDep :
The differences between the sum of east departures and the sum
of west departures.
• Linear error of closure, ECLin:
Horizontal linear distance between the location of the end of the
last traverse line (as computed from the measured angle and distance)
and the actual point of the beginning of the closed traverse.
 5. Compute the precision ratio
Precision ratio = ECLin/P

where,
ECLin = Linear error of closure
P = Perimeter

The fraction of ECLin/P is always expressed so that the

numerator is 1, and the numerator is rounded to the closest 100
units.

Refer to Table for Permissible relative closing error @

precision ratio for comparison.
 6. Compute the correction in latitudes
and departures

• Bowditch’s Rule By this rule, the total error (in latitude

and departure) is distributed in proportion to the
lengths of the traverse legs. This is the most common
method of traverse adjustment.
 Cont..
• Bowditch’s Rule
(a) Correction in latitude of any side

(b) Correction in departure of any side

 7. Compute the adjusted latitudes
and departures

• The sum of adjusted latitudes and departures should

equal zero.
• A negative ECLAT indicates southern latitudes exceeded
northern, so northern latitudes should be made “more
positive,” and southern latitudes should be made “less
negative” – same for departures.
 8. Compute balanced/adjusted
latitudes and departures to determine
coordinates
• Coordinates define the position of a point with
respect to two perpendicular axes.
• Uses the concepts of a Y-axis (north-south) and X-
axis (east-west).
• If the coordinates of the initial point are known to
some reference grid system, they may be used.
• Otherwise, assume the initial coordinates to be 0,
0.
 Cont..
• The closure on the initial point should result in the same
coordinates as the original point.
• If not, some calculation has been done incorrectly
between the field data and this point.
 9. Calculation for correction
a) Slope, S = - L(1- Cos θ)
b) Temperature, Ct = 0.000116 ( T-20) L
c) Sag, Cs = -w2 L3/24P2
where,
L = Length
T = Field temperature
w = Weight of tape per length (kg/m)
P = Applied tension (kg)
 CALCULATION OF TRAVERSE
AREA

• Areas are determined using Double Meridian Distance

Method.

• For calculation purposes, an equivalent expression is:

 Cont..

1
Y
1
X
Ʃ P = (Y1X2 + Y2X3 + Y3X4 + Y4 X5 + Y5 X1 )

Y2
X2
Ʃ Q = (X1Y2 + X2Y3 + X3Y4 + X4 Y5 + X5 Y1 )

Y3
X3
Area = ½ (Ʃ P - Ʃ Q)

Y4
X4

Y5
X5

Y1
X1