State Plane Coordinates

CE 1011

Civil Engineering Department

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768

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 Outline
• Introduction
– Coordinate Systems
– Reasons for Common Survey
• Projection Basics
– Preserve Properties
• Universal Transverse Mercator Projection
– Suited for states in N-S direction
• Lambert Conic Conformal Projection
– Suited for states in E-W direction
• Extent of State Plane Coordinate System
– Keep distortions under control
– Maximum scale error
• California Coordinate System
– CCS83 Zones
• Examples

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 Introduction

• Every State has a rectangular coordinate system which

is used as a common datum of reference just as
mean sea level is used for elevations.
• Once on the state plane system, it is possible to
transform a survey to almost any other coordinate
system used in North America.
• The main reasons to use a common survey system are:
– Each survey can be related to every other.
– The single coordinate system is suitable for a data base of
surveys.
– Large surveys such as long route surveys can have many
survey crews working simultaneously at different points
along the route.

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 Projection Basics
• A state plane coordinate system begins with a geodetic survey of
a large number of points.
• This survey takes into account the curvature of the earth and the
flattening of the poles.
• One of the important points to remember about coordinate systems
is that you cannot go from XY (system 1) to latitude, longitude then
to XY (system 2), unless both systems are based on the same
ellipsoid.
• Once an ellipsoid has been chosen, a developable plane surface is
selected so that a latitude longitude point can be mathematically
transformed onto the developable plane surface.
• Then this surface can be "unrolled" onto a flat plane and a
rectangular grid is then superimposed onto the developed plane.
• Preserve these properties:
– Area, Direction, Distance, Shape, Bearing, Scale

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Projection Basics

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Projection Basics

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 Projection Basics

• How is a country looks like on a map (2D)

different than real world (3D)?
• There websites can help you understand.
– https://thetruesize.com/
– http://bl.ocks.org/syntagmatic/raw/ba569633d
51ebec6ec6e/

– https://map-projections.net/imglist.php
– http://projectionwizard.org

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 Plane surveying and Geodetic surveying

• Plane surveying- does not consider the

earth’s curved surface
• Geodetic surveying- considers the earth’s
curved surface
– Geodesy- science of measuring the shape of
the earth
• In plane surveying, the meridians are
parallel. True or False?
• In geodetic surveying, the meridians are
still parallel. True or False?
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 Plane surveying and Geodetic surveying

• Meridian convergence on long east-west

traverses (Geodetic surveying)

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 Plane surveying and Geodetic surveying

• Convergence- angle between grid north

and true north

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 Transverse Mercator Projection

• The Transverse Mercator (TM) projection was developed by

Lambert in 1772 and analytically derived by Gauss fifty years later.
• The Transverse Mercator is suited to states that extend in a N-S
direction.
• Its developable surface is a cylinder and there are two lines along
which no scale correction need be applied.
• There are no simple formulae for converting from geodetic lat,
long to state plane XY.
• The scale correction is zero along the two standard parallels
and varies inside and outside the standard parallels.
• Since the projection is conformal the parallels and meridians cross
at right angles (angles are preserved).
• The Univeral Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection is ideal to
map countries or areas that extend in the North-South direction.

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Transverse Mercator Projection

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 Lambert Conic Conformal Projection

• All the geodetic points with latitude and longitude are transformed to a point
on the developed cone which is unrolled.
• There are only two circular arcs along which the scale factor is exact or
1:1.
• Distances measured close to these arcs are not corrected by a scale
factor.
• All other distances have to be corrected by a small amount before they are
used in any computations.
• On most projects a single state plane scale correction factor can be
computed and used throughout the survey.
• The Lambert projection is used in states that extend in an E-W direction.
• Even though California does not run in the East-West direction, this is the
adopted projection for this state, and it is important to know of this
exception.
• In the Lambert conical projection, meridians are straight lines meeting at a
point outside of the map limits.
• Parallels are arcs of concentric circles. The meridians and parallels meet at
right angles.
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Lambert Conic Conformal Projection

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 California Coordinate System (CCS)

• NAD27 Pt. of Control

– N 000.00 ft
– E 2,000,000 ft
• NAD83 Pt. of Control
– N 500,000 m
– E 2,000,000 m
• 6 zones in California CCS83
• 7 zones in California CCS27

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 Examples
• What projection should be used for the following states?
– Arizona
– Texas
– Florida
– Pennsylvania

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 Examples
• What projection should be used for the following states?
– Arizona (Transverse Mercator Projection)
– Texas (Lambert Conformal Projection)
– Florida (North: Lambert; East & West: Transverse Mercator)
– Pennsylvania (Lambert Conformal Projection)

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 Examples
• What projection should be used for the following states?
– Arizona (Transverse Mercator Projection)
– Texas (Lambert Conformal Projection)
– Florida (North: Lambert; East & West: Transverse Mercator)
– Pennsylvania (Lambert Conformal Projection)

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QUESTIONS???

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