Department of Civil Engineering

EXPERIMENT NO-4
AIM: Measurement of bearings of sides of traverse with prismatic compass and

computation of correct included angle.

APPARATUS: Prismatic compass, ranging rod, chain, tape, peg Tripod stand , small

pieces of stones.

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THEORY: The important parts of compass are:-

1) A box with graduated circle.

2) A magnetic needle

3) A line of sight

When the line of sight is pointed to point, the magnetic needle of compass points

towards north (Magnetic meridian). The angle which this line of sight makes with the

magnetic meridian is read on graduated circle.it is known as magnetic bearing of the

line.

There are two types of compasses:-

1) Prismatic compass

2) Surveyor’s compass.

Prismatic Compass:-

Prismatic compass is very valuable instrument. It is usually used for rough survey for

measuring bearing and survey lines. The least count of prismatic compass is 30 min.

It consists of circular box of 10cm-12 cm dia. of non magnetic material. pivot is fixed at

the centre of box and is made up of hard steel with a Sharp pivot. graduated

aluminum is attached to the needle. It is graduated in clockwise direction from 00 to

3600.the figures are written in inverted. Zero Is written at south end and 180 at north

end and 270 at the east. Diametrically opposite are fixed to the box. The sighting vane

consists of a hinged metal frame in the centre of which is stretched a vertical Horse

hair fine silk thread of which is stretched a vertical hair. it presses against a lifting pin

which lift the needle of the pivot and holds it against the glass lid. Thus preventing the

wear of the pivot point to damp the oscillations of the needle when about to take

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reading and to bring to rest quickly, a light spring is brought lifted Inside the box. the

face of the prism can be folded out the edge of the box when North end is used

Sometime the sighting vanes is provided with a hinge mirror Which can be placed

upward or downwards on the frame and can be also Slided along it is required. The

mirror can be made inclined at any angle so that Objects which are too high or too

low can be sighted directly by reflecting.

BEARING OF LINES: A bearing of a line is a horizontal angle made by the survey line with some

reference direction or meridian. Meridian may be

1) A true meridian

2) A magnetic meridian

3) An arbitrary or assumed meridian

True meridian: The true geographical meridian passing through a point is a line of

intersection of earth’s surface by a plane containing north south pole and given point.

They are not parallel to each other at different places.

Magnetic meridian:-the direction indicate by a free suspended and a properly

balanced magnetic needle Free from all other attractive forces. The direction of

magnetic meridian can be established with the help of Magnetic compass.

Arbitrary meridian: Any direction is assumed to be the Reference meridian to

Carry out small survey.

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Whole Circle Bearing: In whole circle bearing system, the bearing of a line is always

measured clockwise from the north point of the reference meridian towards the line

right round the circle. The angle thus measured between the reference meridian and

the line is called Whole circle bearing of the line. Angles measured will have value

between 0 to 360 degrees.

Conversion of W.C.B. in R.B

Case WCB between R.B. QUADRANT

1 00 TO900 WCB N-E

2 900 TO -1800 180-WCB S-E

3 1800 TO -2700 WCB-1800 S-W

4 2700 TO 3600 360-WCB N-W

Reduced bearing (R.B): In this system of bearing of a line is measured clockwise or

anticlockwise from north or south direction whichever is nearer to the line towards east

or west. The concept of reduced bearing facilitates computations in traverse

surveying.

Conversion of R.B in W.C.B.

Case R.B in Rule of W.C.B. W.C.B

quadrant between

1 N-E WCB=R.B 00 TO900

2 S-E WCB =180-R.B 900 TO -1800

3 S-W WCB =R.B+180 1800 TO -2700

4 N-W WCB =360-R.B 2700 TO 3600

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Adjustment of the Prismatic Compass

The compass may be held in hand but for better results it should be fitted at the top of

tripod having ball and socket arrangement. The adjustment of a compass is done in the

following three steps.

1) Centering: - The compass fitted over the tripod Is lifted bodily and placed approximately

on the station peg by spreading the leg of a tripod equally, The centre of the compass is

checked by dropping a small piece of stone from the centre of the bottom of the

compass so that it falls on the top of the station peg. A plumb bob may be used to

judge the centering either bt attaching it with a hook providing at the bottom or

otherwise by holding it by hand.

2) Levelling:-After the compass is centred, it is leveled by means of ball and soket

arrangement so that the graduated circle may swing freely.It can be checked roughly

by placing a round pencil on the top of the compass, when the pencil does not move,

that is roughly the horizontal position.

3) Focusing the prism: - The prism attached is moved up and down so that grauation on

the graduated circle should become sharp and clear.

LOCAL ATTRACTION:

Sometimes .the magnetic needle does not point towards magnetic North or South. The

reason being that the needle may be under the influence of external attractive forces

which are produced due to magnetic substances Thus the deflection of the needle

from its original position, due to the presence of some magnetic substances is known

as local attraction. To detect local attraction at a particular place, fore and back

bearing of each line are taken. Then difference comes out to be 180° there is no local

attraction at either station. On the other hand of the difference is other than 180°,the
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bearing may be rechecked to find out the discrepancy may not be due to the

presence of iron substance near to the compass. If the difference still remains the local

attraction exists at on or both the stations.

Elimination of Local attraction:-

1st method: - In this method, the bearing of the other lines are corrected and

calculated on the basis of the a line which has the difference between its fore

bearing and back bearing equal to 180°.

The magnetic of the error is formed due to local attraction by drawing a sketch of

observed and correct bearing of the line at each station. The error will be negative

when the observed bearing is less than the corrected one and the correction will be

positive and vice versa.

If however, there is no such line in which the difference of fore bearing and back

bearing is equal to 180°, the correction should be made from the mean value of the

bearing of that line in which the difference between the fore and the back bearing

is the least.

If the bearings are observed in quadrantal system, the correction should be applied

in proper direction by drawing a neat sketch roughly.

2nd Method: - This method is more general as the bearing at a station locally

affected may be incorrect but include angles calculated from these bearing will be

correct since the amount of the error will be the same for all the bearing observed

from that station. Thus starting from the unaffected line and using these included

angles the correct bearing of all other lines can be calculated.

Note: - The sum of the internal included angles must be equal to (2n-4) right angles

where n=number of sides of a closed traverse.

1) Four ranging rods are fixed at different points i.e. A, B, C, D, E etc. such that it should be

mutually visible and may be measured easily.

2) Measure the distance between them.

1) At point A the prismatic compass is set on the tripod Stand, centering and leveling is

then properly done.

2) The ranging rod at B is ranged through sighting slits and objective vane attached with

horse hair and reading on prismatic compass is noted down.

3) it is fore bearing of line AB. Then the prismatic compass is fixed at B and ranging rod at

C. AND A are sighted. And reading is taken as forbearing of BC and back bearing Of

AB.

4) Repeat the same procedure at the stations C, D etc.

Observation Table

Sr. Observed Local Corrected Included

SAMPLE CALCULATION:- Error = observed bearing –corrected bearing

Check =(2n-4)x900

RESULT: The prismatic compass is studied and bearing of lines of traverse are Observed, the
correction due to local attraction at affected station is done and corrected bearings
are written in tabular form.

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