ENGINEERING SURVEYING

UNIT – 4

Errors Due to Local Attraction

 Bearings of a Line
For the Line OA (WCB):
θ1 is the fore bearing of OA - Measured at O towards A
ϕ1 is the back bearing of OA - Measured at A towards O
And these FB and BB differ by 180 degrees,
i.e.
BB = FB + 180O (i)
Or
ϕ1 = θ1 + 180 degrees

For the Line AO:

ϕ1 is the fore bearing of AO – Measured at A
θ1 is the back bearing of AO – Measured at O
And
BB = FB - 180O (2)

i.e.
θ1 = ϕ1 - 180 degrees

So the formula is :
 Internal Angle From Bearings
Let us take AB and BC are two survey lines, and we are asked to find out
the internal angle ABC.

θ1 = fore bearing of line AB and

θ2 = fore bearing of line BC.

Using Geometry,

The internal angle ABC = Back Bearing of line AB - Fore

Bearing of line BC (θ2)

Again, the beck bearing of line AB = its fore bearing +

180 = θ1 + 180

Hence, Internal angle ABC = θ1 + 180 - θ2

 The Compass Surveying

Topics Covered
• Local Attraction
• Detection of Error due to Local Attraction
• Adjustment/ Removal of Error
 Local Attraction
• A magnetic needle indicates the magnetic north direction
when freely suspended or pivoted.
• But, whenever the magnetic needle comes under the
influence of certain substances, it does not record the true
Magnetic Meridian, and is said to be under the influence of
local attraction.
• The attractive bodies which cause the deflection of needle
from its normal position are:
 Mineral deposits in the ground – magnetic iron ore
 Steel structures
 Rails
 Electric cables carrying current
 Lamp posts
 Fences
 Materials such as bunch of keys, knife, etc.
 Errors in Compass Surveying
Detection of Local Errors

• To detect the presence of local attraction, the fore and back

bearings of a line are observed.

• If the difference of the fore and back bearings of the line is

exactly 1800, then there is no local attraction.

• If the FB and BB of a line do not differ by 1800, then the

needle is said to be affected by local attraction, provided
there is no instrumental error.
 Methods of Removing Error
Methods of Applying Correction

Two methods of error correction:

 First Method
 Second method

(a) First Method:

• The interior angles of a traverse are calculated from the
observed bearings
• The sum must be (2n-4) x 90 degrees
• If not, the error is equally divided among all the angles.
 Correction of Internal Angles
• Example:
• The observed bearings of the lines and included angles of a closed
traverse are given in the table below. Check the sum of internal
angles and apply correction if needed.

Line FB BB Included angle

AB 136o 18’ 314o 48’ A = 71o 12’
BC 45o 00’ 226o 12’ B = 90o 12’
CD 5o 45’ 185o 45’ C = 139o 33’
DA 247o 12’ 65o 06’ D = 61o 27’
 Correction of Internal Angles
Line FB BB Included angle
AB 136o 18’ 314o 48’ A = 71o 12’
BC 45o 00’ 226o 12’ B = 90o 12’
CD 5o 45’ 185o 45’ C = 139o 33’
DA 247o 12’ 65o 06’ D = 61o 27’

Here, Sum of all internal angles = 362o 24’.

But it should be (2x 4 - 4) x 90 = 360o 00’.

Therefore, correction = 362o 24’ - 360o 00’ = 2o 24’ (minus)

Correction for each angle = - 2o 24’ /4 = - 0o 36’

Therefore, correct angle A = 71o 12’ - 0o 36’ = 70o 36’
B = 90o 12’ - 0o 36’ = 89o 36’
C = 139o 33’ - 0o 36’ = 138o 57’
B = 61o 27’ - 0o 36’ = 60o 51’
 Correction of Internal Angles
(b) Second Method
• The observed bearings are corrected by applying correction to the
stations affected by the local attraction.

• For this, error at each of the station is found and then starting from an
unaffected bearing, the bearings of the successive lines are corrected.

• The magnitude and nature of error at a station = observed bearings -

correct bearings.
• If the difference (error) is negative then the correction is positive, and
vice versa.

Rule:
If at a station, if the observed bearing of a line is more than that of its
correct one, then the error at that station is +ve and the correction is -ve and
vice versa.
• It is illustrated by an example as follows:
 Correction of Bearings
• The observed bearings of the lines of a closed traverse are given in
the table below. Correct the bearings for local attraction.

Line FB BB
AB 319o 24’ 139o 24’
BC 60o 48’ 237o 00’
CD 188o 12’ 14o 12’
DA 212o 48’ 30o 36’
 Correction of Bearings
Line FB BB
AB 319o 24’ 139o 24’
BC 60o 48’ 237o 00’
CD 188o 12’ 14o 12’
DA 212o 48’ 30o 36’
C

D
B

A
• It is found the FB & BB of the line AB only differ by exactly 180o.
• Therefore, stations A & B are free from local attractions i. e. the bearings of
the lines AB, BA, BC & AD are correct. Stations C & D are affected.
• Therefore, correction are to be applied to the rest of the lines by finding the
errors at C & D
• For example, to apply correction to BB of BC, then
• FB of BC = 60o 48’, therefore, its BB = 60o 48’ + 180o = 240o 48’
 Correction of Bearings
Line FB BB
AB 319o 24’ 139o 24’
BC 60o 48’ 237o 00’
CD 188o 12’ 14o 12’
DA 212o 48’ 30o 36’

• But the he observed BB of BC = 237o 00’,

• Therefore station C suffers from local attraction = 237o 00’ - 240o 48’ = -3o 48’
Hence the correction is at station C = + 3o 48’
• FB of CD = 188o 12’ + 3o 48’ = 192o 00’
• BB of CD = 192o 00’ – 180 = 12o 00’
• But the observed BB = 14o 12’
• Therefor, station D suffers a local attraction of 14 o 12’ - 12o 00’ = + 2o 12’;
hence the correction = - 2o 12’
• Hence, FB of DA = 212o 48’ - 2o 12’ = 210o 36’
Corrected of Bearings of the Lines

Line FB BB
AB 319o 24’ 139o 24’
BC 60o 48’ 240o 48’
CD 192o 00’ 12o 00’
DA 210o 36’ 30o 36’