WORK INSTRUCTION SUR-018

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TRAVERSE COMPUTATIONS
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Traverse Computation A traverse can be computed using a calculator but computation in Excel is recommended for easy QC and to give presentable results that can be pasted directly into a report. The accompanying spreadsheet Traverse Examples.xls shows how this can be done take care if using this spreadsheet that the traverse adjustment formula is correct for the number of legs in the traverse. Abstracting Field Observations First Abstract Horizontal Angles (reduced to RO), Vertical Angles, Slope Distances, Instrument Hts and Target Hts from observations, and calculate Horizontal Grid Distance and Height differences. Scale factor Scale factor in a UTM projection varies with Eastings. The simplified formula for Point Scale Factor is: Point Scale Factor =0.9996+ 1.23 (Easting 500,000)2 x 10-14 This can be used for any local area traverses without incurring any significant error.
UTM Scale Factor calculator Easting 600000 Scale Factor 0.999723

If working in Excel and Easting is in cell B10, formula is = 0.9996+1.23*(B10-500000)^2*10^-14

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Alternatively, the following graph can be used:

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If working in Excel convert to angles decimal degrees. Example of abstracted observations:

Abstracting Observations Station Mean Horizontal Angle from RO 1 85.5634

Mean Zenith Angle 90.2635

Mean Slope Distance 55.326

Scale Factor 0.99731

Horizontal Grid Distance 55.177

Instrument Ht 1.621

Target Ht 1.553

Height Difference -0.186

Horizontal Grid Distance = Slope Distance x Cosine Zenith Angle x Scale Factor If Vertical angle is observed instead of Zenith Angle Horizontal Grid Distance = Slope Distance x Sine Vertical Angle x Scale Factor If working in Excel angles need to be in radians e.g if zenith angle is in cell B2, slope distance in cell C2 and Scale factor in D2, formula for horizontal grid distance would be =C2*SIN (RADIANS(B2))*D2 If heights are also required: Height Difference = Slope Distance x Sine Zenith Angle + Instrument Ht Target Ht If Vertical angle is observed instead of Zenith Angle Height Difference = Slope Distance x Cosine Vertical Angle + Instrument Ht Target Ht Using Zenith angle is recommended as the sign of the height difference will automatically be calculated. If working in Excel e.g if zenith angle is in cell B2, slope distance in cell C2, Instrument Ht in in F2, and Target Ht in G2, the formula for height difference would be =C2*COS (RADIANS(B2))+F2-G2

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TRAVERSE COMPUTATIONS
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Traverse Computation Calculate Bearing to Start RO. For subsequent legs the RO Bearing is the previous forward bearing 180
Traverse Computation Stn RO Bearing 1 2 342.7589 248.3223

Horiz. Angle 85.5634

Forward Bearing 68.3223

Horiz. Grid Distance 55.177

Ht Diff -0.183

Easting 643287.238 643338.513

Northing 6597012.067 6597032.449

Ht 42.134 41.951

Adjusted Easting

Adjusted Northing

Adj. Ht.

Enter the RO Bearing, Horizontal angle, horizontal grid distance and coordinates at the Start Station (in the Adjusted Easting and Adjusted Northing columns) Formulae as follows: Forward Bearing = RO Bearing + Horizontal Angle (subtract 360 if required) In Excel, if RO Bearing is in cell B3 and Horizontal angle in cell C3, formula is =MOD(B3+C3,360) This will automatically take care of the 360 correction. The coordinates for the next station should be calculated in the next row down. Easting = Instrument Station Easting + Sine Forward Bearing x Horizontal Grid Distance In Excel, if Forward Bearing is in cell D3, the Horizontal Grid Distance is in E3 and the Instrument Station Easting in G3, formula to be entered in cell G4 is =G3+SIN(RADIANS(D3))*E3 Northing = Instrument Station Northing + Cosine Forward Bearing x Horizontal Grid Distance In Excel, if Forward Bearing is in cell D3, the Horizontal Grid Distance is in E3 and the Instrument Station Northing in H3, formula to be entered in cell H4 is =H3+COS(RADIANS(D3))*E3

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Height = Instrument Station Height (i.e. elevation) + Height Difference In Excel, if Instrument Station Ht is in cell I4 and Height difference is in cell F4, formula to be entered in cell I4 is = I3+F3 For the next leg, the back bearing is the previous forward bearing minus 180 (subtract 360 if required) In Excel, if the previous Forward Bearing is in cell D3 , the formula to enter in cell B4 is =MOD(D3-180,360) This will automatically take care of the 360 correction. The above process is repeated for each leg of the traverse. Traverse Adjustment If the traverse closes on a known point, the calculated coordinates should be adjusted. This method describes how to adjust by equal shifts (there are other methods but this is recommended for simplicity).
Traverse Adjustment Stn RO Bearing 1 2 3 4 5 6 342.7589 248.3223 101.012 333.1468 178.8317 Horiz. Angle 85.5634 32.6897 52.1348 25.6849 56.3781 Forward Bearing 68.3223 281.012 153.1468 358.8317 235.2098 235.2106 -0.0008 -2.88 Horiz. Grid Distance 55.177 19.658 51.698 32.478 15.931 Ht Diff -0.183 -0.258 0.254 -0.365 0.478 Adjusted Easting 643287.238 6597012.067 42.134 643287.238 643338.513 6597032.449 41.951 643338.517 643319.217 6597036.204 41.693 643319.225 643342.569 6596990.08 41.947 643342.581 643341.907 6597022.552 41.582 643341.923 643328.823 6597013.462 42.060 643328.844 Closing Station Coordinates 643328.844 -0.021 0.013 -0.014 Easting Northing Ht Adjusted Northing 6597012.067 6597032.446 6597036.198 6596990.073 6597022.541 6597013.449 6597013.449 Adj. Ht. 42.134 41.954 41.699 41.955 41.593 42.074 42.074

Bearing to closing RO Misclosure Angle misclosure (seconds)

The coordinate misclosure is calculated: Eastings misclosure = Calculated Easting of closing station Known Easting of closing station Northings misclosure = Calculated Northing of closing station Known Northing of closing station

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The angular misclosure to a closing RO should also be checked. To adjust the traverse, the total misclosure should be evenly distributed over the legs of the traverse. Adjusted Easting = Easting + Easting Misclosure x Leg Number / Total Number of legs In the Excel example below, total number of legs = A8-A3, so for station 2, Adjusted Easting = G4 - G10*(A4-A3)/(A8-A3) To copy the formula down the spreadsheet, the start and end station number should be made absolute cell references, = G4 - $G$10*(A4-$A$3)/($A$8-$A$3). Similarly, Adjusted Northing = Northing + Northing Misclosure x Leg Number / Total Number of legs In the Excel example = H4 - $H$10*(A4-$A$3)/($A$8-$A$3) And Adjusted Height = Height + Height Misclosure x Leg Number / Total Number of legs In the Excel example = I4 - $I$10*(A4-$A$3)/($A$8-$A$3) If the formulae are applied correctly the adjusted closing station coordinates will match the known coordinates.