FUNDAMENTALS OF

SURVEYING
COMPASS SURVEYING
Prepared by Engr. Dennis C. Lopez
 CIVIL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT

CE214 Fundamentals of Surveying Lecture

COMPASS SURVEYING
COURSE OUTCOME
CO2. Solve for distances, elevation, areas, and missing data from a
provided set of survey data.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
OUTLINE
• COMPASS SURVEYING
• COMPASS
• BEARING
• WORLD CIRCLE BEARING
• REDUCED BEARING
• FORE BEARING & BACK BEARING
• COMPUTATION OF ANGLES

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COMPASS SURVEYING
FUNDAMENTALS
Compass surveying is the branch of surveying in which the position of an
object is located using angular measurements determined by a compass and
linear measurements using a chain or tape.

Compass surveying is used in following circumstances:

• If the surveying area is large, chain surveying is not adopted for surveying
rather compass surveying is employed.
• If the plot for surveying has numerous obstacles and undulations which
prevents chaining.
• If there is a time limit for surveying, compass surveying is usually adopted.
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COMPASS SURVEYING
FUNDAMENTALS
Compass surveying is not used in places which contain
iron core, power lines etc., which usually attracts
magnets due to their natural properties and
electromagnetic properties.

Compass surveying is done by using traversing. A

traverse is formed by connecting the points in the plot
by means of a series of straight lines.

In compass surveying, directions of survey lines are

determined with a compass and the length of the lines
are measured with a tape or a chain.

This process is known as Compass Traversing.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
COMPASS
A compass is a small instrument essentially consisting of
magnetic middle, a graduated circle, and a line of sight.
The compass can not measure angle between two lines
directly but can measure angle of a line with reference to
magnetic meridian at the instrument station point. This is
called magnetic bearing of a line.
The angle between two lines is then calculated by getting
bearing of these two lines.

Two types of compass:

• Prismatic Compass
• Surveyor’s Compass
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written permission. This is for personal academic and noncommercial use permitted by copyright law.
COMPASS SURVEYING
BEARING
The bearing of a line is the horizontal angle which makes with
a reference line or meridian.

There are four types of bearings according to meridian.

• The true bearing of a line is the horizontal angle between the
true meridian and the survey line. The true bearing is
measured from the true north in the clockwise direction.
• The magnetic bearing of a line is the horizontal angle which
makes with the magnetic north.
• The grid bearing of a line is the horizontal angle which makes
with the grid meridian.
• The arbitrary bearing of a line is the horizontal angle which
makes with the arbitrary meridian.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
WORLD CIRCLE BEARING
The bearings are designated in the following two systems:
• Whole Circle Bearing System (WCB)
• Quadrant Bearing System / Reduced Bearing (QBS / RB)

Whole Circle Bearing System (WCB)

• The bearing of a line measured with respect to magnetic
meridian in clockwise direction is called magnetic bearing
and its value varies between 0º to 360º.
• The quadrants start from north and progress in a
clockwise direction. The first quadrant is 0º to 90º, second
is 90º to 180º, third is 180º to 270º, and fourth is 270º to
360º.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
REDUCED BEARING
Quadrant Bearing System / Reduced Bearing
(QBS / RB)
• In this system, the bearing of survey lines are
measured with respect to north line or south
line which ever is the nearest to the given
survey line and either in clockwise or
counter-clockwise direction.
• The bearing of lines which fall in 1st and 4th
quadrants are measured with respect to
north line if nearer than south line.
• The bearing of lines which fall in 2nd and 3rd
quadrants are measured with respect to
south line if nearer than north line.
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COMPASS SURVEYING
REDUCED BEARING
Quadrant Bearing System / Reduced
Bearing (QBS / RB)
• When the whole circle bearing of a line is
converted into quadrantal bearing it is
termed as reduced bearing.
• Thus, the reduced bearing is similar to
the quadrantal bearing. Its value lies
between 0º to 90º, but the quadrants
should be mentioned for proper
designation.
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COMPASS SURVEYING
REDUCED BEARING
Quadrant Bearing System / Reduced Bearing (QBS / RB)
• The following table should be remembered for conversion of WCB to RB.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
FORE BEARING & BACK BEARING
The bearing of a line measured in the forward direction of survey line is called the fore
bearing of that line.
𝐹𝐵=𝐵𝐵±180°

The bearing of the line measured in the direction opposite to the direction of the progress
of survey is called the back bearing of the line.
𝐵𝐵=𝐹𝐵±180°

+ sign is applied when FB is < 180º

- sign is applied when FB is > 180º

In reduced bearing, the FB and BB are numerically equal but the quadrant are just
opposite. For example, if AB is N 60º E, then its BB is S 60º W.
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
Convert the following WCB into Reduced Bearing.
• 49º
• 240º
• 133º
• 335º

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
WCB = 49º

Since the line falls on the first quadrant, therefore the nearer pole is
the north pole and is measured from North towards East as 49º.
Therefore, RB = N 49º E

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
WCB = 240º

Since the line falls on the third quadrant, therefore the nearer pole is
the south pole and is measured from South towards West as

RB = WCB - 180º
RB = 240º - 180º = 60º
Therefore, RB = S 60º W
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
WCB = 133º

Since the line falls on the second quadrant, therefore the nearer pole is
the south pole and is measured from South towards East as

RB = 180º - WCB
RB = 180º - 133º = 47º
Therefore, RB = S 47º E
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
WCB = 335º

Since the line falls on the fourth quadrant, therefore the nearer pole is
the north pole and is measured from North towards West as

RB = 360º - WCB
RB = 360º - 335º = 25º
Therefore, RB = N 25º W
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
Convert the following Reduced Bearings into WCB.
• N 65º E
• S 43º 15’ E
• S 52º 33’ W
• N 32º 42’ W

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
RB = N 65º E
Since it is in NE quadrant
WCB = 65º

RB = S 43º 15’ E
Since it is in SE quadrant
WCB = 180º - 43º 15’
WCB = 136º 45’

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
The following fore bearings were observed for lines AB, BC, CD, DE, EF,
and FG. Determine their back bearings.
• 148º
• 65º
• 285º
• 215º
• N 36º W
• S 40º E

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
+ sign is applied when FB is < 180º
- sign is applied when FB is > 180º

145º
BB of AB = 145º + 180º = 325º

65º
BB of BC = 65º + 180º = 245º
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
+ sign is applied when FB is < 180º
- sign is applied when FB is > 180º

285º
BB of CD = 285º - 180º = 105º

215º
BB of DE = 215º - 180º = 35º
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
In case of RB, back bearing of a line can be obtained by interchanging N
and S at the same time E and W.

N 36º W
BB of EF = S 36º E

S 40º E
BB of FG = N 40º W
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COMPASS SURVEYING
COMPUTATION OF ANGLES
Observing the bearing of the line of a closed traverse,
it is possible to calculate the included angles, which
can be used for plotting the traverse.

At the station where two survey lines meet, two

angles are formed, an exterior angle and an interior
angle. The interior angle or included angle is generally
the smaller angle.

<A = FB of AB – BB of EA

Exterior Angle B = BB of AB – FB of BC
Included Angle B = 360º - Exterior Angle

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COMPASS SURVEYING
COMPUTATION OF ANGLES
While calculating the interior or included
angles, it is strongly recommended that a
rough sketch of the traverse must be drawn
for the purpose of calculating the interior
angles or bearing from included angles. A
sketch always gives a better idea for
calculations.

At any survey stations generally, FB of one line

and BB of another line are measured. Then,
the difference of these two bearings will give
you either an interior angle or an exterior
angle depending upon the station position.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
The fore bearing of lines AB, BC, CD, and DE are 45º 30’, 120º 15’, 200º
30’, and 280º 45’, respectively. Find the interior angles B, C, and D.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
IA B = 45º 30’ + 180º = 225º 30’
IA B = 225º 30’ - 120º 15’ = 105º 15’

IA C = 120º 15’ + 180º = 300º 15’

IA C = 300º 15’ - 200º 30’ = 99º 45’

IA D = 200º 30’ - 180º = 20º 30’

IA D = 280º 45’ - 20º 30’ = 260º 15’
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
ANSWER
IA B = 45º 30’ + 180º = 225º 30’
IA B = 225º 30’ - 120º 15’ = 105º 15’

IA C = 120º 15’ + 180º = 300º 15’

IA C = 300º 15’ - 200º 30’ = 99º 45’

IA D = 200º 30’ - 180º = 20º 30’

IA D = 280º 45’ - 20º 30’ = 260º 15’
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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
In a closed traverse, the following bearings were observed with a
compass. Calculate the interior angles.

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COMPASS SURVEYING
EXERCISES
In a closed traverse, the following bearings were observed with a compass.
Calculate the interior angles.

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COMPASS SURVEYING

Credits to Engr. Edward Caezar D. Alimorong

Source:
La Putt, J. P. (2009). Surveying Lab Manual. Baguio Research & Publising
Center.

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written permission. This is for personal academic and noncommercial use permitted by copyright law.
COMPASS SURVEYING

END

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