Department of Civil Engineering Science
Surveying 3B (OPMCIB3):
Unit 4. Join and Polar
Calculations
Module Content
❑ Join Calculations
❑ Polar Calculations
❑ Coordinate Systems
Module Objectives
❑ Understand and carry out calculations using the local
ordinate system.
❑ Understand join and polar calculations.
❑ Discuss the advantages of defining position for most
surveying projects in the form of plane rectangular
coordinates
❑ Carry out coordinate calculations using rectangular and
polar conversions.
Introduction
Join:
With the JOIN calculation, the known co-ordinates are used to find the direction and distance between
two known survey points.
Polar:
A polar or “Traverse” calculation is used to calculate rectangular co-ordinates from a bearing and
horizontal distance.
Why is this necessary?
The Join and Polar calculation is the basis for almost all survey calculations.
You will use a join calculation to orientate your survey to the survey system and to obtain a reference
bearing. The join calculation has numerous applications
You must be able to do a Join or Polar calculation AND check in less than 5 minutes in order to have
sufficient time in an examination
The greatest source of error in this type of calculation is the wrong identification of
quadrant.
Lets Recap on the Quadrants as per the
South African Lo-Ordinate System • Quadrant 1
∆y = + ; ∆x = +
• Quadrant 2
∆y = + ; ∆x = -
• Quadrant 3
∆y = - ; ∆x = -
• Quadrant 4
∆y = - ; ∆x = +
Polar and Rectangular Coordinates
Two different ways of defining the position of a point on a plane.
Rectangular Polar
Care in the form (x,y), where 'x' Coordinates are in the form: (r,Θ),
and 'y' are the horizontal and where 'r' is the distance from the
vertical distances from the origin to the point, and ' Θ ' is the
origin: angle measured from the positive 'x'
axis to the point
Calculating Co-Ordinate from a Bearing and HD
How to determine the Bearing Final bearing will depend on the quadrant rules:
Step 1: Calculate the quadrant angle (QA) Quadrant 1
Fα = QA
Quadrant 2
Fα = 180:00:00 - QA
QA = 𝒕𝒂𝒏−𝟏 ∆𝒚
∆𝒙 Quadrant 3
Fα = 180:00:00 + QA
Quadrant 4
Fα = 360:00:00 - QA
How to determine the Horizontal Distance
Step 2: Make use of Pythagoras theorem
∆y and ∆x meet to form a
right angled triangle.
Therefore the theorem of
HD = ∆𝒚𝟐 + ∆𝒙𝟐 Pythagoras can be used
to calculate the
hypotenuse
Calculating Co-Ordinate from a Bearing and HD
Summary:
▪ Difference in y co-ordinate (dy) = Sin of the Bearing (α) * Horizontal Distance (HD)
▪ Difference in x co-ordinate (dx) = Cos of the Bearing (α) * Horizontal distance (HD)
▪ Add the difference in co-ordinate Algebraically to the known co-ordinates
In Class Examples:
Given:
• Join AC We are looking for the distance
and Direction from A to C. How
[A] + 7 987,344 ; + 89 657,433 it is written denotes which peg
[C] + 12 323,427 ; + 92 479,185 we are “going to”
Given: Step 1 : Calculate ∆y and ∆x
Calculation Check
[C] + 12 323,427 ; + 92 479,185 [A] + 7 987,344 ; + 89 657,433
[A] + 7 987,344 ; + 89 657,433 [∆] + 4336.083 ; + 2821.752
[∆] + 4336.083 ; + 2821.752 [C] + 12 323,427 ; + 92 479,185
In Class Examples:
Step 2 : Caluculate HD
HD = ∆𝑦 2 + ∆𝑥 2
= 4336.0832 + 2821.7522
= 5173.384
Step 3 : Caluculate Quadrant Angle (QA) and Bearing
∆𝑦
QA = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ∆𝑥 NOTE: When calculating
the QA, always use the
4336.083
= 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 2821.752 absolute values of ∆y and
∆x. (Disregard the signs)
= 56 : 56 : 44 (1st Quad)
αAC = 56:56 44 Indicate the quadrant so you can
correctly apply the bearing rules
In Class Examples:
Step 4 : Check HD and Bearing Alternate Check
∆y = HD sin Fα ∆y + ∆x = 2 * HD * sin(Fα + 45⁰)
= 5173.384 sin 56:56:44 4336.083 + 2821.752 = 2 * 5173.384 sin
= 4336.086 (56:56:44 + 45:00:00)
7157.835 = 7157.834
∆x = HD cos Fα
= 5173.384 cos 56:56:44
= 2821.748
More Examples:
You can also use the
alternate check
method here.
More Examples:
Calculate the co-ordinates of point [B] if the true bearing (α) A to B is
given as 23:13:20 and the Horizontal Distance = 58.296m if the
Coordinates of [A] Y +100.000 X +200.000
dy = Sin α* HD dx = Cos α *HD
= Sin 23.2222 * 58.296 = Cos 23.2222 * 58.296
dy = 22.986m dx = 53.573m
Y Co-ord A 100.000 X Co-ord A 200.000
Y Co-ord B 122.986 X Co-ord B 253.573
More Examples:
Given : the co-ordinates of two pegs A and B.:
A = 127,623 1769,427
B = - 13,249 732,876
Calculate the distance and direction between the two pegs
A and B (JOIN)
More Examples:
More Examples: