Compute angular misclosure, apply Bowditch (compass rule) corrections, and get fully adjusted station coordinates for a closed traverse. Enter interior angles and leg lengths — the engine distributes the angular error, computes adjusted azimuths, latitudes/departures, linear misclosure, and precision ratio 1:N, then applies Bowditch corrections to give final coordinates.
| Station | Azimuth (°) | Latitude (m) | Departure (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A→B | 25.00° | 232.5117 | 103.1137 |
| B→C | 106.76° | -82.0159 | 293.6862 |
| C→D | 174.76° | -272.1843 | 22.7105 |
| D→E | 240.32° | -91.9268 | -171.3984 |
| E→A | 310.08° | 213.6152 | -248.1120 |
Full coordinate table, CSV export and PDF report available with a Civil plan — View plans →
Full coordinate table, CSV export and PDF report available with a Civil plan — View plans →
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View Civil Plans →A closed traverse is a series of survey lines that return to the starting point. "Closure" refers to how well the surveyed legs actually close — the sum of latitudes and departures should be zero. The difference is the linear misclosure, expressed as a precision ratio (1:N, where larger N is better). A 1:5000 precision means the misclosure is 1 unit per 5000 units of total traverse length.
The Bowditch rule (also called the compass rule) distributes the linear misclosure in proportion to leg length. The latitude correction for each leg is −(leg length / total length) × ΔN, and the departure correction is −(leg length / total length) × ΔE. It is the standard adjustment method for traverses where angular and linear measurements are of equal precision. The transit rule (distributing in proportion to lat/dep magnitude) is preferred when angular precision greatly exceeds distance precision.
ISO / national survey standards define accuracy classes by minimum precision ratio. Third order (1:1000) suits local detail surveys and boundary runs. Second order (1:5000) is standard for engineering control. First order (1:10000) is used for primary control networks and precise deformation monitoring. Geodetic order (1:50000 and above) is for national and continental-scale triangulation networks.
Convert to decimal degrees: DD = degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600. For example, 105°20'00" = 105 + 20/60 = 105.333°. Most modern total stations output decimal degrees directly. The calculator also accepts decimal-degree input directly — simply type the decimal value.