COMPASS SURVEYING

PART - I
 Compass surveying
• Compass surveying is a type of
surveying in which the directions of
survey lines are determined with a
Magnetic compass
• The length of the survey lines are
measured with a tape or chain.
• The compass is generally used to run
a traverse line.
 Principal of Compass surveying
A freely suspended magnetic needle always lies in North- South
direction
 Uses of Compass surveying
• It is used where speed is more important than
accuracy, hence it is used for preliminary survey
works such as road, railway, military etc.
• Accuracy of readings depends on Local attraction
of that site
 Types of Compass

There are two forms of compass in common use

1. The prismatic compass
2. The surveying or surveyor’s compass.
• Needle is attached to the graduated ring.

The angular readings can be observed directly by the eye through the
prism. The readings can be made clearly by adjusting the prism to the eye
sight by the focusing screw
OBJECT VANE
EYE VANE
PRISM

FOCUSING SCREW
 In the Prismatic compass, graduations are marked on the ring in
a clockwise direction with 0°or 360° at south end of the needle. 90° is
marked at the West, 180° at the North, and 270° at the East. The
figures are written upside down
The bearing shows 330°at the observer’s end under the
prism (ie at the south end)
 Surveyors Compass
It is similar to prismatic compass except with a
following modifications.
 The graduated ring is directly
attached to the circular box and not
with the magnetic needle.
 The magnetic needle floats freely
over the pivot.
 No prism is attached to the eye
vane and it is having a narrow
vertical slit.
 Surveyors Compass
 Readings are taken directly
with naked eye against the
north end of the needle.
 The angle is graduated in
quadrantal system of having

• 0° at north and south ends

• 90° at East and west ends.
COMPASS SURVEYING
PART - II
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Bearing

Meridian

WCB & QB

Fore Bearings and Back

Bearings
Calculation of angles
 Bearing of lines
Meridian

The bearing of a line is the

Bearing
horizontal angle which the line
makes with some reference
direction or meridian.
 Meridian
The meridian or reference direction employed in surveying
may be.

1. A true meridian
2. A magnetic meridian, or
3. An arbitrary or assumed meridian
The true meridian is usually employed in geodetic
surveys, while the magnetic meridian is used in plane
surveys.
 True Meridians
The reference line, which passing through the geographical
north pole and the geographical south pole is known as True
Meridian.
It is known as an Azimuth.
 True Bearing
The horizontal angle
between a line and the true
meridian is called true
bearings of the line. It is
also called as azimuth.
 Magnetic Meridian
The direction indicated by a freely suspended
magnetic needle, unaffected by local attraction, is called
the magnetic meridian or the magnetic north and south line.

MAGNETIC MERIDIAN
 Magnetic Bearing
The horizontal angle
which a line makes with
this meridian is called
magnetic bearings or
bearings of the line.
 Arbitrary meridian
• Arbitary meridian or an assumed meridian or is any
convenient direction towards a permanent mark or
signal such as a church spire or top of a chimney.
• Such meridians are used to determine the relative
positions of lines in a small area.
 Arbitrary Bearing
Arbitary bearings of a line is the horizontal angle
which it makes with any arbitrary meridian is called
arbitrary bearing of the line.
 Magnetic declination
The horizontal angle
between the magnetic meridian
and true meridian is known as
magnetic declination.
Designation of a Magnetic bearing

The bearings are expressed in the following two ways.

Whole Circle Bearing (WCB)

Quadrantal Bearing (QB)

 Whole Circle Bearing & Quadrantal Bearing

WCB: The magnetic bearing of a line measured clockwise from the

North Pole towards the line is known as WCB. Varies 0-360°

Quadrantal Bearing: The magnetic bearing of a line measured

clockwise or anticlockwise from NP or SP (whichever is nearer to the
line) towards the east or west is known as QB. This system consists
of 4-quadrants NE, SE, NW, SW. The values lie between 0-90°
 Reduced Bearing
When the Whole Circle Bearings exceeds 90°, then it is to
be converted or reduced to Quadrantal Bearing system
which has the same numerical values of the
trigonometrical function is known as reduced bearing
(R.B)
Conversion of W.C.B into R.B
 80°+ 60°30’ = ?
1° = 60’ 140° 30’

1’ = 60’’ 80°- 60°30’ = ?

79° 60’ –
60° 30’
19° 30’
 Convert the following W.C.B to Quadrantal
Bearings.
1) 12° 30’ 2) 160° 30’
3) 210° 30’ 4) 285° 30’

1) W.C.B = 12° 30’

which is less than 90° N 12° 30’E

R.B = N 12° 30’ E

 Convert the following W.C.B to Quadrantal
Bearings.
1) 12° 30’ 2) 160° 30’
3) 210° 30’ 4) 285° 30’

2) W.C.B = 160° 30’

The W.C.B is within 90° to 180°
RB = 180° - W.C.B
=180° - 160° 30’
S19° 30’ E
= S19° 30’ E
 Convert the following W.C.B to Quadrantal
Bearings.
1) 12° 30’ 2) 160° 30’
3) 210° 30’ 4) 285° 30’

3) W.C.B = 210° 30’

The W.C.B is within 180° to 270°
RB = W.C.B - 180°
= 210° 30’ – 180’
S 30° 30’ W
= S 30° 30’ W
 Convert the following W.C.B to Quadrantal
Bearings.
1) 12° 30’ 2) 160° 30’
3) 210° 30’ 4) 285° 30’

N 74° 30’ W
4) W.C.B = 285° 30’
The W.C.B is within 270° to 360°
R.B = 360° - W.C.B
= N 74° 30’ W
 Convert the following quadrantal bearings to
whole circle bearings.
1) N 30° 30’ E 2) S 70° 30’ E
3) S 36° 30W 4) N 85° 30W

1) Q.B = N30° 30’E 30° 30’

W.C.B = RB = 30° 30’

 Convert the following quadrantel bearings to
whole circle bearings.
1) N 30° 30’ E 2) S 70° 30’ E
3) S 36° 30W 4) N 85° 30W

2) Q.B = S 70° 30’E 109° 30’

W.C.B =180° - R.B
= 180° - 70° 30’
= 109° 30’
 Convert the following quadrantel bearings to
whole circle bearings.
1) N 30° 30’ E 2) S 70° 30’E
3) S 36° 30W 4) N 85° 30W

3) Q.B = S 36° 30’W

W.C.B = 180° + Q.B 216° 30’

= 180° + 36° 30’

= 216° 30’
 Convert the following quadrantel bearings to
whole circle bearings.
1) N 30° 30’ E 2) S 70° 30’E
3) S 36° 30W 4) N 85° 30W

4) Q.B = N 85° 30’W

W.C.B = 360º - 85º 30’
= 274º 30’
274° 30’
 Fore Bearings and Back Bearings
Every line has two bearings, observed one at each end of the line.
The bearing of a line taken in N
the progress of the survey or in the
forward direction is known as Fore B

Bearing (F.B) of the line.

Fore Bearing

The bearing taken in the N

reverse or opposite direction is
Back Bearing
known as reverse or Back Bearing
(B.B) A
 N
Fore Bearings and Back Bearings
B

Fore Bearing

N
Back Bearing

B.B of a line = F. B ± 180°

Use (+) sign if the given F.B is less than 180° and
(-) sign if it exceeds 180°
 F.B of AB = 63º 30’, Find BB

243º 30’
F.B of AB = 63º 30’
B.B of AB = F.B of AB + 180º
= F.B of AB + 180º
= 63º 30’ + 180º = 243º 30’
B.B of AB = 243º 30’

B.B of a line = F. B ± 180°

 F.B of BC = 112º 30’ , Find BB

F.B of BC = 112º 30’

B.B of BC = F. B of BC + 180°
= 112º 30’ + 180
= 292º 30’
292º 30’

B.B of a line = F. B ± 180°

 F.B of CD = 203º 30’ , Find BB

F.B of CD = 203º 30’

B.B of CD = F.B of CD - 180º
= 203º 30’ – 180
= 23º 30’ 23º 30’

B.B of a line = F. B ± 180°

 F.B of DE = 320º 30’ , Find BB

F.B of DE = 320º 30’ 140º 30’

B.B of DE = F.B of DE - 180º

= 320º 30’ - 180º
B.B of DE = 140º 30’

B.B of a line = F. B ± 180°

When bearings are expressed on the quadrantal systems,
the back bearings of a line is numerically equal to its fore
bearings but with opposite letters.

F.B OF AB = N 32º 30’ E , F.B of BC = S 43º 30’ E

B.B of AB = S 32º 30’ W B.B of BC = N 43º 30’ W

F.B of CD = S 26º 30’ W F.B of DE = N 65º 30’ W

B.B of CD = N 26º 30’ E B.B of DE = S 65º 30’E