Balancing Closed Traverse

with Engr. Cyril L. Leccio

Balancing Closed Traverse
Linear Error of Closure
A short line of unknown length
and direction connecting the
initial and final station of
traverse. It is approximately
determined by plotting the
traverse to scale, or more
exactly by computing hypotenuse
of a right triangle whose side are
∆
the closure in latitudes and
departures respectively. ∆
Balancing Closed Traverse
Linear Error of Closure

∆ ∆

ℎ :
∆
∆

Relative Error (Precision), RE

∆
!"#$!%$ &$!'($)$!
∆
Compass Rule/Bowditch Method
The correction to be applied to the latitude/departure of any course is the total
absolute correction in latitude/departure as the length of the course is to the
perimeter of the traverse.

$*+), -. ),$ -/!%$

∆ &$!'($)$! -. !"#$!%$

$*+), -. ),$ -/!%$

∆ &$!'($)$! -. !"#$!%$
Transit Rule
The correction to be applied to the latitude/departure of any course is to the total
correction in latitude or departure as the latitude/departure of that course is to the
arithmetical sumof all the latitudes/departures of the traverse.

")')/ $ -. ),$ -/!%$

∆ ∑ 1 ") 2 ")

")')/ $ -. ),$ -/!%$

∆ ∑ 1 ") 2 ")
Balancing Closed Traverse
Illustrative Problem2:
Compute for the corrected length and bearing of each course.

Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)

AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E
Balancing Closed Traverse
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)

AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Linear Error of Closure Relative Error

F9G ∆ H ∆ H F9G
I9
J
F9G 0.191 H D0.013 H
0.1914
I9 0.000212
F9G 0.1914 E. 903.44
1
I9
4720
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)

AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Compass Rule:

Line AB: FLM K

H
K
H

196.53 FLM 196. 494 E.

K 177.336 D 0.191 177.294 E.
903.44
OP K
196.53 NLM
K 84.712 D D0.013 84.715 E. K
903.44
NLM 25° 328 22"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 494 E. NLM 25° 328 22"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Compass Rule:

Line BC: FMR K

H
K
H

214.55 FMR 214.547 E.

K 28.499 D 0.191 28.454 E.
903.44
OP K
214.55 NMR
K 212.649 D D0.013 212.652 E. K
903.44
NMR 82° 228 43.61"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 494 E. NLM 25° 328 22"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712 FMR 214.547 E. NMR 82° 228 43.61"

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Compass Rule:

Line CD: FRS K

H
K
H

136.93 FRS 136.958 E.

K D127.706 D 0.191 D127.735 E.
903.44
OP K
136.93 NRS
K 49.406 D D0.013 49.408 E. K
903.44
NRS D21° 088 47.44"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 494 E. NLM 25° 328 22"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712 FMR 214.547 E. NMR 82° 228 43.61"
FRS 136.958 E. NRS D21° 088 47.44"
BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Compass Rule:

Line DA: FSL K

H
K
H

355.43 FSL 355.442 E.

K D77.938 D 0.191 D78.013 E.
903.44
OP K
355.43 NSL
K D346.780 D D0.013 D346.775 E. K
903.44
NSL 77° 198 17.06"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 494 E. NLM 25° 328 22"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712 FMR 214.547 E. NMR 82° 228 43.61"
FRS 136.958 E. NRS D21° 088 47.44"
BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649
FSL 355.442 E. NSL 77° 198 17.06"
CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

 CORRECTEDVALUES
Course Bearing Distance

AB 3 25°328 22"9 196.494

BC 3 82°228 43.61"9 214.547

CD ; 21°88 47.44" 9 136.958

DA ; 77°198 17.06" @ 355.442

 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)

AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Transit Rule: 411.479 E. 693.547 E.

Line AB: FLM K

H
K
H

177.336 FLM 196. 457 E.

K 177.336 D 0.191 177.254 E.
411.479
OP K
84.712 NLM
K 84.712 D D0.013 84.714 E. K
693.547
NLM 25° 328 39"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
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4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 457 E. NLM 25° 328 39"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Transit Rule: 411.429 E. 693.547 E.

Line BC: FMR K

H
K
H

28.499 FMR 214.552 E.

K 28.499 D 0.191 28.486 E.
411.479
OP K
212.649 NMR
K 212.649 D D0.013 212.653 E. K
693.547
NMR 82° 228 13"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 457 E. NLM 25° 328 39"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712 FMR 214.552 E. NMR 82° 228 13"

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Transit Rule: 411.429 E. 693.547 E.

Line CD: FRS K

H
K
H

127.706 FRS 136.985 E.

K D127.706 D 0.191 D127.765 E.
411.479
OP K
49.406 NRS
K 49.406 D D0.013 49.407 E. K
693.547
NRS 21° 088 30"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 457 E. NLM 25° 328 39"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712 FMR 214.552 E. NMR 82° 228 13"

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

FRS 136.985 E. NRS 21° 088 30"

CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

Balancing using Transit Rule: 411.429 E. 693.547 E.

Line DA: FSL K

H
K
H

77.938 FSL 355.431 E.

K D77.938 D 0.191 D77.974 E.
411.479
OP K
346.780 NSL
K D346.780 D D0.013 D346.773 E. K
693.547
NSL 77° 198 39"
 F9G 0.1914 E.
Balancing Closed Traverse I9
1
4720
Course Bearing Distance Latitude (m) Departure (m)
FLM 196. 457 E. NLM 25° 328 39"
AB 3 25°328 9 196.53 177.336 84.712 FMR 214.552 E. NMR 82° 228 13"

BC 3 82°228 9 214.55 28.499 212.649

FRS 136.985 E. NRS 21° 088 30"
FSL 355.431 E. NSL 77° 198 39"
CD ; 21°98 9 136.93 D127.706 49.406

DA ; 77°208 @ 355.43 D77.938 D346.780

J 903.44 ∆ 0.191 E ∆ D0.013 E

411.429 E. 693.547 E.
 CORRECTEDVALUES
Course Bearing Distance

AB 3 25°328 39"9 196.457

BC 3 82°228 13"9 214.552

CD ; 21°088 30" 9 136.985

DA ; 77°198 39" @ 355.431

Seatwork: Compute for the corrected length and bearing of each course.
Course Bearing Distance (m)
AB 3 25°328 9 196.397
BC 3 82°228 9 214.515
CD ; 21°098 9 136.98
DA ; 77°208 @ 355.32
Balancing Closed Traverse
Illustrative Problem3:
Compute for the corrected angles on each corners.

Corner Corner Angles No. of Observations

A 86°158 20" 6
B 134°448 30" 2
C 75°488 50" 2
D 167°028 05" 6
E 76°088 50" 4
 No. of
Corner Corner Angles
Observations
A 86°158 20" 6
B 134°448 30" 2
C 75°488 50" 2
D 167°028 05" 6
E 76°088 50" 4

Sumof Interior Angles Corner Angle Correction

T UVW° X* D Y $ U ⁄*
∑ U⁄*
Balancing Closed Traverse
Illustrative Problem3:
The observed interior angles of a quadrilateral and their corresponding number of observations
are as follows:

Corner Corner Angles No. of Observations

1 67° 5
2 132° 6
3 96° 3
4 68° 4
Determine the corrected angle in every corner angles.