CHAPTER FIVE

Traversing
Introduction
The word traverse means ‘passing across’ in
surveying it means’ determining the length and
direction of consecutive lines’
The traverse in general consist Reconnaissance, distanc
measurement, angular measurement, measurement of
one reference direction and computation.
Type of traverse.
General a traverse can be divided in to two
• Closed traverse
• Open traverse
1. Closed traverse: - A traverse is said to be closed
if it either it ends on starting point. Or if it ends
on another known point due to this it can be
divided into two.
1. Closed traverse divide into two
I. Closed loop (ring) traverse
II. closed route(link) traverse
A, Closed loop (ring) traverse

Station A is Known
II. Closed route (link) connection) traverse

Station A and E are Known

•Open traverse: - It is a kind of traverse that

starts from known point and ends on unknown
point. (fig 6.2.2)
 Station A is
Known
 Departure and latitude
In rectangular coordinate system they can be
defined as follows
Departure: - The difference in x- coordinates
between two points
Latitude: - The differences in y- coordinate between
two points
•By using coordinates

Departure of AB = ΔXAB= XB- XA

Latitude of AB = ΔYAB= YB-YA

Illustrative Example
If the coordinates of A= (600.72, 802.93) and
B= (700.00, 891.30)
Calculate departure and latitude of AB and BA
Solution
Departure AB = XB-XA
= 700.00-600.72
= 99.28
Latitude AB = YB-YA
= 891.30-802.93
= 88.37
Again for line BA
ΔXBA = XA-XB
= 600.72-700.00
= - 99.28
ΔYBA = YA-YB
= 802.93-891.30
= -88.37
 •By using distance and azimuth

Departure: - It is the product of the horizontal

distance b/n two points and the sine of the azimuth of a line
joining the two paints.
Departure: = distance * sin of Azimuth.
Latitude = it is the product of the horizontal
distance between two points and the cosine of the azimuth of a
line joining the two points.
Latitude = distance* cos of Azimuth.

From triangle ACB
AC = departure of AB
CB = latitude of AB
 = Azimuth of AB
AB= Distance b/n A and B
Therefere sin = ∆XABdis .AB
ΔX AB = dis.AB* sin 
And cos  = ΔYABDis. AB
ΔYAB = dis AB*cos
Illustrative Example
If it is given that azimuth of a line= 60 0 11’23’’ and
its length is 400.2m. Calculate its departure and
latitude.
Solution
Departure of a line = distance* sin of Azimuth
= 400.23 * sin 60011’23’’
= 347.244
Latitude of a line = distance* cos of Azimuth
= 400.2* cos 60011’23’’
= 198.951
 Illustrative
Example

Computation of Azimuths consecutive lines

If azimuth of one line and included angle at stations are given
we can calculate azimuth of the other lines

If it is given that Az AB= 42012’50’’ and included angles at

stations B and C are given calculate Azimuths of line BC and
CD
Solution
Back azimuth of AB= Az BA = azimuth of AB +1800
=222012’50’’
Therefore
Az BC= Az BA - <B
= 222012’50’’ – 113034'54"
= 108037’56”
Azimuth of CD = Azimuth of CB + <C
= 108037’56” + 1800 + 1500 32'23" – 3600
= 79010’19”
 1.Computation of relative coordinates
If the coordinate of one point and departure and
latitude of a line that joining this point to the point we
are going to determine its coordinate are known, we
can calculate the coordinate of unknown point.
i.e. X2 = X1 + dep 12
Y2 = Y1 + lat. 12

Balancing the traverse

Balancing the traverse means making adjustment to remove
any apparent error. For balancing the traverse the underlying
objective is to adjust the traverse in such away that the sum
the latitude and departure should each equal to zero in closed
loop traverse .
 There are different methods of balancing the
traverse, however two of them are recommended at
this stage.
i.Bowditch rule 2. Transit rule.
According to the Bowditch rule error is proportional
to the length of the side

Correction lat. /dep. = Closure error in lat/dep * length of the side

Perimeter of the traverse

According to Transit rule

Correction lat./dep. = Closure error in lat/dep * lat/dep of the side

Total sum of lat/dep
Procedures for adjusting closed loop traverse
can be summarized in the following five (5)
steps
1. Sum up all observed angle and check the
sum with the (n-2) 1800
Where (n-2)*1800 = Nominal sum or
theoretical sum
n = Number of station

2. By using the given azimuth of the first line find

the azimuth of all lines.
3. Find the latitude and departure of all lines
and sum up to get closure error of departure
&latitude.
4. Adjust the latitudes and departures by
Bowditch rule.
5. Find the coordinates of all points.
Illustrative example 1
The following data is observed for a closed loop traverse ABCDEF. Using given data calculate
the coordinates of stations B, C, D, E, F.
Included clockwise angle Line Distance (m)
<FAB = 115011’20” AB = 429.37
<ABC = 95000’20” BC = 656.54
<BCD = 129049’20” CD = 301.83
<CDE = 130036’20” DE = 287.40
<DEF = 110030’00” EF = 526.72
<EFA = 138054’40” FA = 372.47

Coordinates Azimuth
XA = 500.00 AB = 191011’00”
YA = 1000.00
Solution
1. ∑ ß practical = ßA + ßB + ßC+ ßD + ßE + ßF = 7200 02’00”
ß Nominal = (n-2) * 1800
= (6-2)*1800
= 7200 00’00”
Error = ∑ ß Nominal - ∑ ß practical = -2’00”
Correction Error/ n
= -20”
Allowable error = 1’ (n) 1/2
= 2’27” since error is less than allowable error th
measurement is ok!
Therefore the adjusted angles are
<FAB = 115011’20 -20” = 115011’00”
<ABC = 95000’20” -20” = 95000’00”
<BCD = 129049’20” - 20“ = 129049’00”
<CDE = 130036’20 - 20“ = 130036’00
<DEF = 110030’00” - 20“ = 110029’40”
<EFA = 138054’40 - 20“ = 138054’20“
∑ 7200 00’00”
Computation of azimuths
Az AB = 191011’00“
Az BC = Az AB + ßB - 1800
= 106011’00“
Az CD = Az BC + ßC-1800
= 56000’00“
Az DE = AzCD + ßD - 1800
= 6036’00“
Az EF = AzDE + ßE - 1800 =
297005’40“
Az FA = AzEF + ßF -1800
= 256000’00“
 2.Computation of latitude and departure.
Side Azimuth Distance( Departure Latitude
m)
AB 191011’00 429.37 -83.276 -421.217
“
BC 106011’00 656.54 630.524 -182.985
“
CD 56000’00“ 301.83 250.228 168.781
DE 6036’00“ 287.40 33.033 285.495
EF 297005’40 526.72 -468.916 239.899
“
∑   2574.33 +0.187 -0.136
Closure error of a traverse = [cldep 2 + cllat2]1/2
= 0.231

Relative accuracy of a traverse = [Cl traverse / perimeter]

= 0.231/2574.33
= 1: 11,144
2. Adjustment of latitude and departure by using
Bowditch rule.

Let A = [closure error of latitude]

Total length of a traverse

And B = [closure error of departure]

Line Adjusted departure Adjusted latitude
AB -83.276– [B*429.37] = -421.217 – [A*427.37] =
-83.307 -421.194
BC 630.524 –[B*656.54] = -182.985 –[A*656.54] =
630.476 -182.950
CD 250.228 – [B* 301.83] = 168.781 – [A* 301.83] =
250.206 168.797
DE 33.033 – [B*287.40] = 285.495 –[A*287.40] =
33.012 285.510
EF -468.916 – [B*526.72] = 239.899 – [A*526.72] =
-468.954 239.927
FA -361.406– [B* 372.47] . -90.109 – [A* 372.47] =
-361.433 -90.090
2. Computation of relative coordinates
XB = XA + dep AB
= 500 + -83.307
= 416.693
XC = XB+ dep BC
= 416.693 + 630.476
= 1047. 169
XD = XC + dep CD
= 1047.169 + 250.206
= 1297.375
XE = XD + dep DE
= 1297.375 + 33.012
= 1330. 387
XF = XE + dep EF
= 1330.387 + - 468.954
= 861.433
YB = YA + lat AB
= 1000 + - 421.194
= 578. 806
YC = YB + lat BC
= 578.806 + - 182.950
= 395.856
YD = YC + lat CD
= 395.856 + 168 .797
= 564.653
YE = YD + lat DE
= 564.653 + 285.510
= 650. 165
YF = YE + lat EF
= 650.165 + 239.927
= 1090.09
All the above computations and values are
summarized in the following traverse table.
Closed route (link traverse) is a traverse starts
and ends on known points.
Procedure
1. Computation of the first azimuth Az B,A and the last
azimuth Az C,D
2. Computation the actual azimuth of C, D based on the
azimuth of B,A and the measured traverse angles.
Actual azimuth of CD = Nominal Az B, A + ∑
ß - [1800*n] Where n = number of
instrument stations.
3. Computation of angular mis closure. By comparing the
nominal azimuth of C,D with the actual azimuth of C,D
Angular mis closure = Nominal azimuth – Actual azimuth
4. Computation allowable angular mis closure and
correction
Allowable = 1’ *[n1/2] or 18milli gon *[n1/2]
The allowable error should not be exceeded
5. Computation of azimuths.
6. Computation of Nominal departure and latitudes
of station B and C (Starting and ending) or
nominal dep or lat =x2-x1 or y2-y(first and last
coordinate)
7. Computation of departure and latitude and the
actual coordinate difference between the first and
the last stations
8. Computations of closure errors of departures
and latitudes, relative accuracy.
{(closure error =summation of dep or lat –
nominal dep or lat(nominal dep or lat=x2-x1(x2
and x1 are given at first and last point)}
1.9. Computations for correction of dep and lat.
And adjustment
10. Computations of coordinates.
The end thank u for u
attention