UNIT 1

SURVEYING CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS

• Types • Bricks
• Classification • Stones
• Principles • Sand
• Measurements of • Cement
– Distances • Concrete
– Angles • Steel Sections
– Level
• Determination of
– Area
– Volume
Measurement of angles

Compass surveying
Compass Survey
 Compass Surveying
• In a traverse surveying, when the direction of
survey lines is measured with compass and
length of survey line is measured using tape/
chain.
• Bearing: Horizontal Angle between the reference
meridian and survey line.
• Types of compass-
– Prismatic Compass
– Surveyor’s Compass
The essential parts of both type are:
(i) a magnetic needle,
(ii) a graduated circle,
(iii) a line of sight, and
(iv) a box to house them.
There are some differences in the essential parts
of the two type of compass
Compass Surveying – Prismatic Compass
 Prismatic Compass
Description:
•A magnetic needle is balanced over a pivot in a circular box of 85 mm to
110 mm in diameter.
•A graduated aluminum ring is attached to the magnetic needle.
• An agate cap keeps the aluminum ring stable.
• The box is covered by a glass lid.
• Object vane and eye vane are provided at diametrically opposite ends.
• Eye vane carries a reflecting prism which can be raised or lowered as
desired.
• A vertical horse hair or fine wire is provided at the middle of the object
vane.
• The graduations in the aluminium ring are made in the clockwise
direction starting with 0o at South and 180o at North with inverted
markings.
 Prismatic Compass
Description:
• A triangular prism fitted below the eye slit enables
magnification of readings to suit observer’s eye.
• Based on this prism arrangement, the compass is
named prismatic compass.
• Compass is fixed over a tripod with ball and
socket arrangement.
• A braked pin is provided below the object vane to
damp the oscillations of the magnetic needle while
taking readings.
 Prismatic Compass
Working Principle:
•The magnetic field aligns itself with the magnetic meridian (N-S
direction)
• The line of sight is actually the line joining the object vane and eye
vane
• The angle between the N-S direction and the line of sight is
observed in the compass.
• This angle is actually the angle between N-S direction and the line
on the ground
• This angle made by the line with the N-S direction is called the
bearing of the line.
• Compass is used to measure the bearing of the different lines from
which the angles included between the adjacent lines are computed.
 How to take reading using compass

• The compass is centered over the station by dropping a small

piece of stone from the centre of the bottom of the compass.
• A plumb bob is used for centering.
• The compass is levelled by adjusting the ball and socket till the
top of the box is horizontal.
• The graduated ring should move freely after having levelled
instrument.
• Suppose the bearing of a line PQ is to be observed.
• The compass is centered over P.
• It is levelled.
• The prism and the object vane are kept in vertical position.
• The compass is turned slowly till the ranging rod already
erected at Q is bisected.
 How to take reading using compass
• In this position, the ranging rod, the object and
the eye vane all lie in the same line.
• The focusing prism is raised or lowered till the
readings were clear and sharp.
•In case of surveyor’s compass , there is no prism
so reading are taken directly.
 Surveyor’s Compass
• In this type of compass, graduation disc is fixed to the box and magnetic
needle is free to rotate above it.
• There is no prism provided at viewing end, but has a narrow slit.
• After fixing the line of sight, the reading is directly taken from the top of the
glass cover. Hence, graduations are written directly (not inverted).
• In this compass, graduations are from zero to 90°, zero being to north or south
and 90° being to east and west.
• An angle of 20° to north direction to the east is written as N 20° E, and an
angle of 40° to east from south is written as S 40° E.
• Always first direction indicated is north or south and the last letter indicates
east or west direction.
• In this system, graduated circle rotates with line of sight and magnetic needle
is always towards north.
• The reading is taken at the tip of needle. Hence, on the compass east and
west are marked interchanged and marked.
 Definitions
Magnetic Bearing:
• It is the angle between the magnetic meridian and the line.
• The angle is always measured in the clockwise direction
• It is the direction shown by a freely suspended magnetic needle
• The magnetic meridian is also called bearing.
True Bearing:
• True bearing of a line is the angle between the true meridian
and the line.
• The angle is always measured in the anticlockwise direction.
• The true meridian is the line joining the geographical north and
south bearings.
 Definitions
Whole Circle Bearing(WCB):
• The bearing of lines measured from the North is called Whole
Circle Bearing.
• The angle is measured in the clockwise direction from 0o
coinciding with the north.

Quadrant Bearing(QB) or Reduced Circle Bearing (RCB):

• The whole circle is divided into four quadrants.
• The bearing is expressed with N or S as prefix and E or W as
suffix.
• Quadrant Bearing is also known as Reduced Bearing.
 To find RCB from WCB
N
A

35O15’

W E
P

S
Solution :
Line PA lies in 1st quadrant.
Quadrant Bearing bearing of PA = N 35o 15’ E
To find RCB from WCB

N RCB=180o - WCB

W P 130O0’ E

50O
B
S
Solution :
Line PB lies in 2nd quadrant.
Quadrant Bearing bearing of PB = S 50o 00’ E
To find RCB from WCB
N
RCB= WCB-180o

P E
210O15’

C 30O15’
Solution :
S
Line PC lies in 3rd quadrant.
Quadrant Bearing bearing of
PC = S 30o 15’ W
To find RCB from WCB

N RCB=360o - WCB
D
69O15’

W P E
290O45’
Solution :
S Line PD lies in 4th quadrant.
Quadrant Bearing bearing of
PD = N 69o 15’ W
To find Whole Circle Bearing from QB

(i) WCB = PA –N 15o E

(ii) WCB = PB – S 25o 45’ E
(iii) WCB = PC – S 45o 30’ W
(iv) WCB = PD – N 10o W
To find Whole Circle Bearing from QB

Qn: PA – N 15o E
Ans: Line PA is in the first quadrant. Its WCB is 15o
N
A

15O

E
W P

S
To find Whole Circle Bearing from QB

Qn: PB – S 25o 45’ E

Line PB is in second quadrant. Its WCB is 180o00’-
25o45’ = 154o15’ N

154O15’
E
W P

B
S
To find Whole Circle Bearing from QB

Qn: PC – S 45o 30’W

Line PC is third quadrant. Its WCB is
180o00’+45o30’ = 225o30’ N

E
W P

225o30’
B
c S
To find Whole Circle Bearing from QB

Qn: PD – N 10o W
Line PD is in fourth quadrant. Its WCB is
D
N
360o00’-10o00’= 350o00’
350o00’

E
W P

S
 Definitions
Fore Bearing and Back bearing:
• Every line has two bearing namely fore bearing and back
bearing
• Fore bearing is the bearing taken in the direction of surveying
and Back bearing is the bearing taken in the reverse direction.
• The difference between the fore bearing and the back
bearing should be 180o.
• It means that one or both stations of the line are subjected to
local attraction.
• Thus, local attraction is the influence caused on the measured
bearings of lines due to the presence of materials like railway
track, current carrying wires or cables, etc.,
 To find Back Bearing from Fore Bearing

Qn: Fore bearing of Line PQ is 38o15’, find Back

bearing. N

Back Bearing =218o15’

N
38o15’

FB = BB + 180o
P Take –ve sign if BB is >180
Take +ve sign if BB is <180
 To find Back Bearing from Fore Bearing

Qn: Fore bearing of Line RS is 210o15’ find the

back bearing of RS.
R

210o30’

Back Bearing =30o30’

BB of RS = FB of SR
S
 Problem for Included Angles
• The following observations were observed in a
compass. Determine included angles.
Line Fore Bearing
AB 60o30’
BC 122o
CD 46o
DE 205o30’
EA 300o
Picture
 Line FB BB=FB+180 Included Angle= BB-FB
AB 60o30’ 240o30’ BAE= 120o-60o30’=59o30’
BC 122o 302o CBA=240o30’- 122o =118o30’
CD 46o 226o DCB=302o - 46o = 256o
DE 205o30’ 25o30’ EDC=226o - 205o30’= 20o30’
EA 300o 120o AED=25o30’- 300o +360o =85o30’

Answer :-
Sum of Interior Angles =59o30’
+118o30’+ 256o +20o30’ +85o30’ =
540o

Answer Check:-
Sum of interior angles = (2n-4) x 90o =
540o
Where n is the no of survey lines
Problem For practice

Calculate Included
Angles