Traverse is a method in the field of

surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ...

to establish control networks. It is also used in

geodesy Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equival ...

. Traverse networks involve placing survey stations along a line or path of travel, and then using the previously surveyed points as a base for observing the next point. Traverse networks have many advantages, including: * Less reconnaissance and organization needed; * While in other systems, which may require the survey to be performed along a rigid

polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...

shape, the traverse can change to any shape and thus can accommodate a great deal of different terrains; * Only a few observations need to be taken at each station, whereas in other survey networks a great deal of angular and linear observations need to be made and considered; * Traverse networks are free of the strength of figure considerations that happen in triangular systems; * Scale error does not add up as the traverse is performed. Azimuth swing errors can also be reduced by increasing the distance between stations. The traverse is more accurate than triangulateration (a combined function of the

triangulation In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by forming triangles to the point from known points. Applications In surveying Specifically in surveying, triangulation involves only angle me ...

and

trilateration Trilateration is the use of distances (or "ranges") for determining the unknown position coordinates of a point of interest, often around Earth (geopositioning). When more than three distances are involved, it may be called multilateration, for e ...

practice).Schofield, Wilfred (2001). ''Engineering Surveying.''Butterworth-Heinemann. .

Types

Frequently in surveying engineering and

geodetic science Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equival ...

, control points (CP) are setting/observing distance and direction ( bearings,

angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles ...

azimuth An azimuth (; from ar, اَلسُّمُوت, as-sumūt, the directions) is an angular measurement in a spherical coordinate system. More specifically, it is the horizontal angle from a cardinal direction, most commonly north. Mathematical ...

s, and

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...

). The CP throughout the control network may consist of

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

s, benchmarks, vertical control, etc. There are mainly two types of traverse: * ''Closed traverse'': either originates from a station and returns to the same station completing a circuit, or runs between two known stations

* ''Open traverse'': neither returns to its starting station, nor closes on any other known station. Close traverse

* ''Compound traverse'': it is where an open traverse is linked at its ends to an existing traverse to form a closed traverse. The closing line may be defined by coordinates at the end points which have been determined by previous survey. The difficulty is, where there is linear misclosure, it is not known whether the error is in the new survey or the previous survey.

Components

* Control point — The primary/base control used for preliminary measurements; it may consist of any known point capable of establishing accurate control of distance and direction (i.e. coordinates, elevation, bearings, etc.). # ''Starting –'' The initial starting control point of the traverse. # ''Observation –'' All known control points that are set or observed within the traverse. # ''Terminal –'' The initial ending control point of the traverse; its coordinates are ''unknown''.tr

References

{{Authority control Civil engineering Earth sciences Geodesy Surveying

Types

Components

See also

References