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  • INTRODUCTION OF SURVEYING
    • INTRODUCTION
    • REFERENCE ELLIPSOID
    • BASIC MEASUREMENTS
    • The geoid
    • PROTECTION AND REFERENCING
    • CONTROL NETWORKS
    • The ellipsoid
    • BASIC SETTING-OUT PROCEDURES USING COORDINATES
    • LOCATING POSITION
    • COORDINATE SYSTEMS
    • USE OF GRIDS
    • PLOTTING DETAIL
    • Geodetic coordinates
    • SETTING OUT BUILDINGS
    • Computer-aided design (CAD)
    • Cartesian coordinates
    • Error and uncertainty
    • Plane rectangular coordinates
    • SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
    • Height
    • ERRORS IN MEASUREMENT
    • WEIGHT MATRIX
    • LOCAL SYSTEMS
    • Probability
    • ERROR ANALYSIS
    • Deviation of the vertical
    • INDICES OF PRECISION
    • VARIANCE-COVARIANCE MATRIX OF THE PARAMETERS
    • COMPUTATION ON THE ELLIPSOID
    • COMBINATION OF ERRORS
    • Uncertainty of addition or subtraction
    • Eigenvalues, eigenvectors and error ellipses
    • BLUNDER DETECTION
    • RELIABILITY OF THE OBSERVATIONS
    • PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
    • ESTIMATION IN THREE DIMENSIONS

  • LEVELLING
    • LEVELLING
    • OPTICAL METHODS
    • CURVATURE AND REFRACTION
    • MECHANICAL METHODS
    • EQUIPMENT
    • Weiss quadrilateral
    • INSTRUMENT ADJUSTMENT
    • PARAMETER VECTOR
    • Single wires in two shafts
    • Automatic level
    • DESIGN MATRIX AND OBSERVATIONS VECTOR
    • GYRO-THEODOLITE
    • PRINCIPLE OF LEVELLING
    • Plan network
    • SOURCES OF ERROR
    • Distance equation
    • LEVELLING APPLICATIONS
    • Direction & Angle equation
    • Direct and Indirect contouring
    • Controlling earthworks
    • RECIPROCAL LEVELLING
    • PRECISE LEVELLING
    • Parallel plate micrometer
    • ERROR ELLIPSES
    • Field procedure
    • Booking and computing
    • DIGITAL LEVELLING
    • Factors affecting the measuring procedure
    • TRIGONOMETRICAL LEVELLING

  • CONTOURING
    • TAPES
    • Introduction of Satellite positioning
    • FIELD WORK
    • GPS SEGMENTS
    • Measuring in catenary
    • GPS
    • DISTANCE ADJUSTMENT
    • SATELLITE ORBITS
    • Sag
    • BASIC PRINCIPLE OF POSITION FIXING
    • ERRORS IN TAPING
    • DIFFERENCING DATA
    • Tension,Sag and Slope
    • GPS OBSERVING METHODS
    • ELECTROMAGNETIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT (EDM)
    • Kinematic positioning
    • ERROR SOURCES
    • Global datums
    • GPS SYSTEM FUTURE
    • DATUM TRANSFORMATIONS
    • GALILEO
    • ORTHOMORPHIC PROJECTION
    • APPLICATIONS
    • ORDNANCE SURVEY NATIONAL GRID
    • (t – T) correction
    • PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
    • Contouring
    • HEIGHTING WITH GPS

  • Theodolite Surveying
    • PLANE RECTANGULAR COORDINATES
    • PRINCIPLE OF LEAST SQUARES
    • PRINCIPLE OF LEAST SQUARES
    • TRAVERSING
    • LINEARIZATION
    • LEAST SQUARES APPLIED TO SURVEYING
    • Reconnaissance
    • NETWORKS
    • LINEARIZATION
    • Sources of error
    • Traverse computation
    • TRIANGULATION
    • Resection and intersection
    • Resection
    • NETWORKS
    • INSTRUMENT ADJUSTMENT
    • FIELD PROCEDURE
    • Setting up using the optical plumb-bob
    • MEASURING ANGLES
    • Measurement by directions
    • SOURCES OF ERROR

  • Simple Curves
    • CIRCULAR CURVES
    • Plotted areas
    • RESPONSIBILITY ON SITE
    • PHOTOGRAMMETRY
    • SETTING OUT CURVES
    • PARTITION OF LAND
    • COMPOUND AND REVERSE CURVES
    • CROSS-SECTIONS
    • SHORT AND/OR SMALL-RADIUS CURVES
    • VOLUMES
    • TRANSITION CURVES
    • Effect of curvature on volumes
    • Centrifugal ratio
    • MASS-HAUL DIAGRAMS
    • CONTROLLING VERTICALITY
    • The equation of motion
    • Coefficient of friction
    • CONTROLLING GRADING EXCAVATION
    • Sources of error
    • SETTING-OUT DATA
    • ROUTE LOCATION
    • LINE AND LEVEL
    • Highway transition curve tables (metric)
    • THE OSCULATING CIRCLE
    • Transitions joining arcs of different radii (compound curves)
    • Coordinates on the transition spiral
    • VERTICAL CURVES
    • Vertical curve design
    • Sight distances
    • Permissible approximations in vertical curve computation

Branch : Civil Engineering
Subject : Surveying-I
Unit : Theodolite Surveying

TRIANGULATION


Description:

Because, at one time, it was easier to measure angles than it was distance, triangulation was the preferred method of establishing the position of control points. Many countries used triangulation as the basis of their national mapping system. The procedure was generally to establish primary triangulation networks, with triangles having sides ranging from 30 to 50 km in length. The primary trig points were fixed at the corners of these triangles and the sum of the measured angles was correct to ±3.

 

These points were usually established on the tops of mountains to afford long, uninterrupted sight lines. The primary network was then densified with points at closer intervals connected into the primary triangles. This secondary network had sides of 10–20 km with a reduction in observational accuracy. Finally, a third-order net, adjusted to the secondary control, was established at 3–5-km intervals and fourth-order points fixed by intersection. Figure 6.24 illustrates such a triangulation system established by the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain and used as control for the production of national maps. The base line and check base line were measured by invar tapes in catenary and connected into the triangulation by angular extension procedures. This approach is classical triangulation, which is

 

An example of a triangulation network

 

 

now obsolete. The more modern approach would be to use GPS which would be much easier and would afford greater control of scale error.

 


Although the areas involved in construction are relatively small compared with national surveys the accuracy required in establishing the control is frequently of a very high order, e.g. for long tunnels or for dam deformation measurements. There are two useful elements from triangulation that still remain applicable. If it is not possible to set a target over the point being observed then a distance cannot be measured. If the inaccessible point is to be coordinated from known points then the process is one of intersection. If the inaccessible point has known coordinates and the instrument station is to be coordinated then the process is one of resection.

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