Traverse Field-to-Plan QA Checker
Checks a traverse from booking to plan for angle balance, misclose, closure and adjustment.
Checklist
Bridge field to plan: check a traverse's bookings, reductions, closure and plan presentation before you draw it up.
Still outstanding
- All angles and distances booked
- Instrument and target heights noted
- Face left / face right where required
- Station marks described
- Angles balanced to the geometric sum
- Distances reduced to horizontal
- Bearings carried correctly
- Latitudes and departures computed
- Misclose computed
- Accuracy ratio within tolerance
- Adjustment applied and noted
- Coordinates match adjusted values
- Bearings, distances and stations labelled
A field and study aid only — follow your organisation's procedures, project brief and QA requirements. Nothing here is stored.
How to use this calculator
- Tick field-record, reduction, closure and plan items as you verify them.
- Use the outstanding list to find a step you've skipped.
- Clear everything before you draw the traverse up.
How it works
A traverse goes wrong between field and plan when a step is skipped: an unbalanced angle, a slope distance not reduced, a misclose not checked, or coordinates that don't match the adjusted values.
This is a browser-only QA aid that walks those steps — use it alongside the calculators that actually do the maths.
Worked example
Closing a loop traverse. All angles and distances booked, angles balanced to (n−2)×180°, distances reduced to horizontal, misclose and accuracy ratio within tolerance, adjustment applied, and the plotted coordinates matching the adjusted set.
Frequently asked questions
Where do traverses usually go wrong?
Most often an unbalanced angle, a slope distance left un-reduced, or coordinates plotted from raw rather than adjusted values. Checking each step in order catches them before the plan.
Is this official course material?
No. It is free study support mapped to surveying course levels — not official North Metropolitan TAFE content or advice. Always follow your lecturer and the official assessment brief, and check your own working.
Related tools
- Latitudes and Departures Tutor
- Traverse Misclose Calculator
- Survey Plan Submission QA Sheet
- Compass Rule vs Transit Rule Comparison
- Bowditch Adjustment Calculator
- Exterior Angle Balance Table
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Cite this tool
Zerdly. (2026). Traverse Field-to-Plan QA Checker. Retrieved from https://www.zerdly.com/tools/traverse-field-to-plan-qa-checker/
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
All calculations run in your browser. Your inputs are never saved or transmitted.