PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS
TOPIC OUTLINE
A. Traverse Adjustment
B. Arbitrary Method
C. Compass Rule
D. Adjusted Lengths and
Directions
E. Transit Rule
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To be able to adjust
angular misclosure for
closed traverses.
2. Compute departure and
latitudes for traverse
courses using the length
and its bearing/azimuth.
3. Define traverse misclosure
error and determine the
relative accuracy of the
field measurements.
4. Adjust departures and
latitudes using the
compass and transit
methods.
5. Compute the coordinates of
the traverse stations
using the adjusted
latitudes and longitudes.
OVERVIEW
A traverse is adjusted, or
balanced, to distribute
remaining random errors back
into the measurements. There
are a number of ways to
accomplish this differing in
how the errors are modeled and
computation complexity.
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Module No. 13
TRAVERSE ADJUSTMENT
The procedure of computing the
linear error of closure and
applying corrections to the
individual latitudes and
departures for the purpose of
providing a mathematically
closed figure is referred to as
traverse adjustment. It is
necessary that traverse is
geometrically consistent before
coordinates or areas are
determined, or prior to
determining the location of
lines from the traverse
stations. When a traverse
adjustment is undertaken it
must be borne in mind that the
adjustment of the latitudes and
departures will slightly alter
the length and directions of
the measured sides of the
traverse. Also, the adjustment
should only involve small or
allowable errors which must be
within the range of the
precision specified for the
survey.
There are different rules and
methods used in adjusting a
traverse. Some are performed
graphically and others
analytically. Each of which
will produce a closed figure.
These methods of adjustment are
usually classified as either
rigorous or approximate. The
least squares method provides
the most rigorous adjustment
while the arbitrary method, the
compass rule, the transit rule,
and the Crandall method are all
approximate methods of traverse
adjustment.
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS
COMPASS RULE
The compass or bowditch rule
which was named after the
distinguished American
navigator Nathaniel Bowditch
(1773-1838), is a very popular
rule for adjusting a closed
traverse. Of the several
methods used for balancing
latitudes and departures,
perhaps the most commonly used
is this rule. It is simple to
apply and at the same time
theoretically sound.
The compass rule is based
on the assumption that all
lengths were measured will
equal angles taken with
approximately the same
precision. It is also assumed
that the errors in the
meeasurement are
Accidental and that the total
error in any side of the
traverse is directly
proportional to the total
length of the traverse.
The compass rule may be
stated as follows: The
correction to be applied to the
latitude (or departure) of any
course is equal to the total
closure on latitude (or
departure) multiplied by thye
ratio of the length of the
course to tha total length or
perimieter of the traverse.
These corrections are given by
the following equations:
𝒅 𝒅
cL = CL (𝑫) cd = CD (𝑫)
Where:
cL = correction to be applied
to the latitude of any course
cd = correction to be applied
to the departure of any course
CL = total closure in latitude
or the algebraic sum of the
north and south latitudes
(∑NL+∑SL)
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Module No. 13
CD = total closure in departure
or the algebraic sum of the
east and west departure
(∑ED+∑WD)
d = length of any course
D = total length of perimeter
of the traverse
All computed corrections should
be added to check whether their
respective sums equal the
closures in latitude and
departure. It will be observed
that during the process of
adjustment an excess or
deficiency of 0.01m may result
when rounding off computed
values. This imbalance is
usually eliminated by applying
an arbitrary correction such as
revising one of the computed
corrections.
ADJUSTED LENGTHS AND
DIRECTIONS
After the latitudes and
departures of the courses of a
closde traverse have been so
agjusted, the bearings (or
azimuths) of the courses and
their lengths should also be
adjusted to correspond to the
adjusted latitudes and
departures. The following are
the equations used for this
purpose.
L’ = (𝐿𝑎𝑡′) + (𝐷𝑒𝑝 )² and
Tan 𝛼 =
Where:
L’ = adjusted length of
course
Lat’ = adjusted latitude
of a course
Dep’ = adjusted departure
of a course
𝛼 = adjusted horizontal
angle between the reference
meridian and a course
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS
In the computations it will be
seen that the adjusted angle
(𝛼) seldom differs
significantly from the
originally observed angle. The
corrected length of each
course, however, usually
differs rather significantly
from the measured length. The
adjusted length may be either
greater or less than the
measured length.
TRANSIT RULE
The method of adjusting a
traverse by the transit rule
similar to the method using the
compass rule. The main
difference is that with the
transit rule the latitude and
departure corrections depend on
the length of the latitude and
departure of the course
respectively instead of both
depending on the length of the
course.
𝑳𝒂𝒕(𝑪𝒍)
cl = ∑𝑵𝑫 ∑𝑺𝑳
cd =
𝑫𝒆𝒑(𝑪𝑫)
∑𝑬𝑫 ∑𝑾𝑫
Where:
cl = correction to be applied
to the latitude of any course
cd = correction to be applied
to the departure of any course
CL = total closure in latitude
or the algebraic sum of the
north and south latitudes (∑NL
+ ∑SL)
CD = total closure in departure
or the algebraic sum of the
east and west departures (∑ED +
∑WD)
Since the north latitudes are
positive quantities and south
latitudes are negative
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Module No. 13
quantities, the arithmetical
sum of all latitudes is
obtained if the summation of
south latitudes is subtracted
from the summation of north
latitudes. Similarly, the
arithmetical sum of all
departure is subtracted from
the summation of east
departures since east and west
departures are positive and
negative quantities,
respectively. Another way to
determining these arithmetical
sums is simply to add the
absolute values of the required
quantities.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Compass Rule. Given in the
accompanying tabulation are the
observed data for a traverse
obtained from a transit-tape
survey. Determine the latitudes
and departures of each course
and balance these quantities by
employing the compass rule.
Also determine the linear error
of closure, bearing of the side
of error, and the relative
error of closure. Tabulate
values accordingly.
COURSE DISTANCE BEARING
AB 495.85 N05°30’E
BC 850.62 N46°02’E
CD 855.45 S67°38’E
DE 1020.87 S12°25’E
EF 1117.26 S83°44’E
FA 660.08 N55°09’E
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY – URDANETA CAMPUS
Module in CE 211-ENGINEERING SURVEYS Module No. 13

SUMMARY

A traverse is adjusted, or
balanced, to distribute
remaining random errors back
into the measurements. There
are a number of ways to
accomplish this differing in
how the errors are modeled and
computation complexity. The
Compass Rule demonstrated here
works well for simple traverses
having minimal redundant
measurements. As traverses
become more complex with
additional measurements added,
particularly with mixed
quality, a least squares
adjustment is the best to
employ.

REFERENCES

Elementary Surveying
Alfeo La Putt

Prepared by:

ENGR. ELMAR T. ANTOLIN

Faculty, Civil Engineering
Department
College of Engineering and
Architecture