CE120 Elementary and Higher Surveying

Mapua University
School of CEGE
• Surveying is the science and art of measuring distances
and angles on or near the surface of the earth.
• Surveying is an orderly process of acquiring data relating to
the physical characteristics of the earth and in particular the
relative position of points and the magnitude of areas.
• Evidence of surveying and recorded information exists from
as long ago as five thousand years in places such as China,
India, Babylon and Egypt.
• The word angle comes from the Latin word angulus,
meaning “a corner”.
• In surveying, the direction of a line is described by the
horizontal angle that it makes with a reference line which is
called a meridian.
Vertical angles are referenced to:
1. The horizon by (+), or down (-)
2. Zenith
3. Nadir

Note:
Zenith is directly above the observer
Nadir is directly below the observer
• A line on the mean surface of the earth joining north and
south poles is called meridian.

Note:
Geographic meridians are fixed, magnetic meridians vary with
time and location.
• The term “meridian” comes from the Latin meridies,
meaning “midday”.
• The sun crosses a given meridian midway between the
times of sunrise and sunset on that meridian.
• The same Latin term gives rise to the terms A.M. (Ante
Meridian)and P. M. (Post Meridian) used to disambiguate
hours of the day when using the 12-hour clock.
• A meridian (or line of longitude) is an imaginary arc on the
Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that
connects all locations running along it with a given longitude.
• The position of point on the meridian is given by the latitude
• The meridian that passes through Greenwich, England,
establishes the meaning of zero degrees of longitude or the
Prime Meridian
• Astronomic - direction determined from the shape of the
earth and gravity, also called geodetic north
• Magnetic - direction taken by a magnetic needle at
observer's position
• Assumed - arbitrary direction taken for convenience.
• Sexagesimal - the circumference of circles is divided into
360 parts (degrees), each degree is further divided into
minutes and seconds.
• Centisimal System - the circumference of circles is divided
into 400 parts called gon (previously called grads)
• Radian - there are 2 radians in a circle (1 radian =
57.2958o)
• Mil - the circumference of a circle is divided into 6.460 parts
(used in military science). The practical term of this that is
easy to remember is 1 mil at 1 km = 1 meter.
• A common term used for designating the direction of a line
is the azimuth
• From the Arabic as-simt, from as (the) + simt (way)
• The azimuth of a line is defined as the clockwise angle from
the north end or south end of the reference meridian.
• Azimuths are usually measured from the north end of the
meridian.
• Every line has two azimuths (forward and back) and their
values differ by 180o.
• Azimuth are referred to astronomic, magnetic, or assumed
meridian.
• For example: the forward azimuth of line AB is 50o - the
back azimuth or azimuth of BA is 230o.
• Another method of describing the direction of a line is give
its bearing.
• The bearing of a line is defined as the smallest angle which
that line makes with the reference meridian.
• A bearing cannot be greater than 90o. Bearings are
measured in relation to the north or south end of the
meridian - NE, NW, SE, or SW).
• It is convenient to say: N 90o E is due East
S 90o W is due West
Until the last few decades American surveyors favored the
use of bearings over azimuth
However, with the advent of computers and calculators,
surveyors generally use azimuth today instead of bearings.
• A traverse is a series of successive straight lines that are
connected together
• A traverse is closed such as inboundary survey or open as
for a highway
• An exterior angle is one that is not enclosed by the sides of
a closed traverse.
• An interior angle is one enclosed by sides of a closed
traverse.
• An angle to the right is the clockwise angle between the
preceding line and the next line of the traverse.
• A deflection angle is the angle between the preceding line
and the present one.
• If the bearing or azimuth of one side of traverse has been
determined and the angles between the sides have been
measured, the bearings or azimuths of the other sides can
be computed.
• One technique to solve most of these problems is to use the
deflection angles.
• Example - From the traverse shown, compute the azimuth
and bearing of side BC
• Example - Compute the interior angle at B
• Compute bearings given the azimuth.
• Compute bearings based on the traverse - interior angle
records.
• Compute the bearings based on the traverse - interior
angle records.
• A magnetized steel needle that pivots at the center of a
graduated circle
• The steel needle points toward the earth's magnetic poles.
• What is the magnetic bearing indicated on the compass?

• Since the arrow that points to the sighted object is closer to the
North indicator on the compass, the reference meridian is North.
• The pointer arrow is shown drawn 30 degrees from the North
reference meridian, so the magnitude of the bearing is 30
degrees.
• The pointer arrow is closer to the East indicator on the compass
(note the E and W are backwards on the compass to permit
automatic reading)
• Therefore, the magnetic bearing of this line of sight is N 30o E.
• The horizontal angle between the magnetic meridian and
true meridian is known as magnetic declination.

Variation of Magnetic Declination

• Secular Variation: After every 100 years or so magnetic
meridian swings from one direction to the opposity direction
and hence declination varies.
• Annual Variation: Magnetic declination varies due to the
rotation of the earth. The amount of variation is about 1 to 2
minutes.
• Diurnal Variation: Magnetic declination varies due to rotation
of its earth on its own axis. The amount of variation 3 to 12
minutes.
• Irregular Variation: Variation due to some natural causes
such as earth quake, volcanic erruptions and so on. The
variation is known as “Irregular Variation”.
• A property line surveyed in 1875 which was recorded with a
magnetic bearing as S 46o 17' W. The magnetic declination
at the time of the survey was 4o 38' W. What is the true
bearing of the property line?

• It is usually easier to solve the problem by drawing a

graphic first.
• Based on your graphic, you take the magnetic declination
and add it to or subtract it from the magnetic bearing.
• In this problem, the true bearing is greater than the
magnetic bearing. Based on the picture, 46o17' - 4o38' =
50o55'
• Therefore, the true bearing of the line is S 50o55' W
• A property line surveyed in 1875 which was recorded with a
magnetic bearing as S 46o 17' W. The magnetic declination
at the time of the survey was 4o 38' W. What is the true
bearing of the property line?

• Based on your graphic, you take the magnetic declination

and add it to or subtract it from the magnetic bearing.
• In this problem, the true bearing is greater than the
magnetic bearing. Based on the picture, 46o17' - 4o38' =
50o55'.Therefore, the true bearing of the line is S 50o55' W.
 N
Old survey in Moorhead sets line AB M
Decl then = 11°15’ E
Mag Bearing AB = S38°22’E
Find True direction now
Convert to Azimuth
Mag Az = 141°38’
True = Mag + Decl
True Az = 141°38’ + 11°15’ = 152°53’
1890 Survey
• Decl = 7°00’ E (+) N M
M
• Mag Az = 134°30’
• True = Mag + Decl
• True Az = 134°30’ + 7°00’ = 141°30’
• Mag Az Now
• Decl Now = 3°30’ W (-)
• Mag = True – Decl
• Mag Az = 141°30’ – (-3°30’) = 145°00’
• The Magnetic declination of a locality is 2°30’ E determine
the true bearing and true azimuth from the north of the
following lines.
• A. AB, N 25°40’ E
• B. AC, S 50°12’ E

• Ans:
• A. AB, Bearing N 28°10’ E, AzN = 28°10’
• B. AC, Bearing S 47°42’ E, AzN = 132°18’
• In an old survey performed in 1965, a line AB had a
magnetic bearing of S75°10’W when the magnetic
declination was 4°30’ west. In a new survey performed in
1987, the declination in the same locality changed to 2°50’
east. Determine the magnetic bearing of line AB in 1987.
Thank you for participating!

God bless!