After you set up and orient the plane table at the first station, you draw the direction to the next point on the survey with a radiating ray. The distance between the occupied station and the new point is measured and plotted along the ray. The new plotted position is now considered a known position and can be occupied and used as the next station on the line. The plane table is setup and oriented over this station and another radiating ray is drawn to the next point. This process continues for the length of the traverse.
Orientation plays an important role in plane-table traverse.
Slight errors in direction at each setup can accumulate rapidly and become large in a short time. Long traverses should be avoided except in reconnaissance surveys. Integrated Publishing's Official Web Page Click here for a current index of everything on this web site. All Rights Reserved.