1.

0 INTRODUCTION

Traversing is a type of control survey and is practised in all forms of legal, mapping and
engineering surveys. Basically, traverse is a series of established stations tied together by angle
and distance. The angles or bearings are measured using theodolites, or total stations, whereas
the distances can be measured using steel tapes or electronic distance measurement instruments
(EDMs). The distances are horizontal lengths and the bearings are either true, magnetic, assumed
or grid. Traverses can be open, as in route surveys, or closed, as closed geometrical figure. The
use of horizontal control is very fundamental and has become one of the most common methods
in civil engineering work.

In general, traverses are of two classes. One of the first class is an open traverse. It
originates either at a point of known horizontal position with respect to a horizontal datum or at
an assumed horizontal position and ends at an unknown horizontal position. A traverse of second
class is a closed traverse, which can be portrayed in any one of the following ways; (1) it starts at
an assumed horizontal position and ends at that same point; (2) it originates at a known
horizontal position with respect to horizontal datum and terminates at that same point; (3) it
starts at a known horizontal position and terminates at another knows horizontal position.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

1. To expose students in field work procedures of establishing horizontal control network.

3.0 THEORY

The theory of traverse includes identifying the process of traversing. In survey, traverse is
defined as the field operation of measuring the lengths and directions of a series of straight lines
connecting a series of points on the earth. Each of these straight lines is called a traverse line, and
each point is called a traverse station. Traverse stations are usually marked with wooden peg,
stake, nail or iron pipe.
 Traverse lines are measured using total station. Traversing needs to start from reference
datum where coordinate, bearing and distance are known. At each traverse station, a horizontal
angle is measured and used to determine the bearing of the next traverse lines. These
measurements are used to compute the relative horizontal position of each unknown traverse
station. The main purpose of traverse are for instance, property surveys to locate and establish
boundaries, supplementary horizontal control for topographic mapping surveys and location and
construction layout surveys for highways, railways, and other private or public works.

4.0 INSTRUMENT

Equipment Unit
Total Station 1
Prisms 2
Wooden pegs 4
Nails 4
Tripod 3
Prismatic compass 1
Compass stand 1
Hammer 1

5.0 PROCEDURE
I. Fieldwork Procedures

1. Planning and Reconnaissance: Suitable traverses stations were located over the area of the
field. Four traverse stations were planted and it was ensured that no obstacles could have
obstructed the survey work.
2. Pegging traverse station: The line of sight of each control point and its susceptibility to
disturbance were considered since the points will remain for the duration of the entire lab
practicals.
3. The traverse survey began by setting up the total station at a control station and two other
prisms at adjacent stations.

Figure 1: Traverse stations layout

4. Before beginning, the prismatic compass was set at station 2 and a prism was set at station 1.
After the instruments were centered, leveled and adjusted, bearing from station 2 to 1 was
taken using the compass. The prismatic compass was then removed from the point.
5. Afterwards, the total station was set up at station 2 and prisms were set up at station 1 and 3.
The instruments were centered and leveled.
6. The bearing obtained before this was entered into the total station when pointing at station 1.
This is considered as the face left reading from station 2 to 1(backsight). The bearing and
horizontal distance were recorded.
7. The total station was then turned to face station 3(foresight). Face left reading was recorded,
both bearing and horizontal distance.
8. The instrument was then transited from face left to face right by rotating the observing head
180° vertically. The bearing and distances were then taken again from station 2 to
1(backsight) and station 2 to 3(foresight).
9. The mean bearing of foresight station was calculated. Record the data observed in the data
book.
10. The instruments were moved to the next station (station 3) with respect or correspond to the
previous mean bearing.
11. The entire process was repeated in a clockwise manner until station 1.

II. Results and Calculations

12. Corrections were applied for the traverse line adjustments.

6.0 DATA TABULATION

7.0 DATA ANALYSIS

7.1 TRAVERSE MAP

Using the computer aided software, Trimmap to design and plot out the traverse map, the result
of the field work is as shown (map included behind).

8.0 DISCUSSION

1. In traversing works, errors are common and bearing misclosure is a factor that can never be
avoided. The misclosure is always there when a traverse survey is completed, only a matter
of difference in magnitude. Thus, adjustments and corrections are required in order to close
the traverse.
2. The latitude and departure are the north/south rectangular component of a line and the
east/west rectangular component of a line.
3. The actual accuracy of a survey as suggested by the precision ratio of a closed traverse can
be misleading. In the case of a closed-loop traverse, untreated systematic errors will have
been largely balanced during the computation of latitudes and departures. Therefore, for
high precision to reflect favorably on accuracy, control of field practice and technique is
essential.
4. Latitudes and departures can be used for the computation of coordinates or the computation
of the area enclosed by the traverse. In addition, the coordinates can then be utilized to
establish control for additional survey layout. Before any further use can be made of these
latitudes and departures, however, they must be adjusted so that their errors are suitably
distributed, and the algebraic sums of the latitudes and departures are each zero. If done
properly, these adjustments will ensure that the final position of each traverse station, as
given by the coordinates, is optimal with respect the true station location.
5. Once the latitudes and departures have been adjusted, the original polar coordinates will no
longer be valid. In most cases, the adjustment required for the polar coordinates is too small
to warrant consideration. But if data are to be used for layout purposes, the corrected
distances and directions should be used.
6. Apart from determining area of traverse from latitudes and departures, other methods of
computing the area are through rectangular coordinates and also finding the area through its
map. When a map of a required area is available, the area can be obtained within the limits
of the accuracy of the map, by dividing the map figure into geometrical shapes and
computing the area of these figures from the dimensions scaled from the map. This method
is best limited to figures that are bounded by approximately straight lines.
7. The precautions ought to be taken when performing this survey includes avoiding parallax
error and error in setting up instruments. Besides that, ensure the cross-hair of the stadia
 overlaps with the cross-hair of the prism before measuring the bearing and distance. Also,
several readings should be taken instead of just one definite observation because this will
reduce the error in the bearing misclosure.

9.0 CONCLUSION

Through this field work, the students have managed to grasp the basics in performing a traverse
survey and also improved in utilizing surveying instruments plus computing calculations.
Moreover, the area of the closed traverse was computed and converted to units in hectares. A =

10.0 REFERENCE

…Barry F. Kavanagh, 2006. Surveying: Principles and Applications 7th ed. USA. Prentice Hall.
pp 160-201.

…Francis H. Moffitt, John D. Bossler, 1998. Surveying 10th ed. USA. Addison Wesley Longman,
Inc. pp 241-297.

…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_(surveying)

…http://engineeringtraining.tpub.com/14069/css/14069_463.htm