I – OBJECTIVE

1. To lay out a compound curve by using chord and deflection.

2. To gain familiarity with the theory, design and layout of horizontal curves for
most types of transportation routes, such as railroads, highways, and
pipelines.

II – TOOLS / EQUIPMENTS / INSTRUMENTS

Marking pins Range pole

Fiber Glass tape

Marking chalk

Theodolite & tripod

III – PROCEDURE

1. Establish a point along the ground mark it as point PI (Point of

Intersection.)
2. Using Fiber glass tape from PI measure the tangent distance equal to
8.816 meter then mark the end of the line as BC (Beginning of the
Curve).
3. Set up your theodolite at point BC.

Setting up the theodolite

4. Set up the tripod and make sure the height of the tripod to be eye-level.
The centered hole of the mounting plate must be over the marking pin.
 5. Drive the tripod legs into the ground using the brackets on the sides of
the legs. Mount the theodolite by placing it atop the tripod, and screw it
in place with the mounting knob.
6. Level the theodolite by adjusting the tripod legs and using the bulls-eye
level, make slight tuning with the leveling knobs to get it just right.
7. Adjust the small sight (the vertical plummet) found on the theodolite. The
vertical plummet will allow you to ensure that the instrument remains
over the marking pin. Adjust the plummet using the knobs on the bottom.
8. Aim the crosshairs in the main scope of the point to be marked. Use the
looking knobs on the side of the theodolite to keep it aimed on the point.

Laying out all station (First Curve)

9. Telescope direct backsight point PI press 0set.
10. Using Fiber glass tape from BC swing the chord distance of each station
up to PCC.
11. To locate all the station compute for the deflection angle of each station.

Laying out all station (Second Curve)

12. Using Fiber glass tape measure to lay down the computed distance
along the extended tangent line from point PCC to point PI2 .
13. Move the theodolite to point PCC.
14. Telescope reverse backsight to point PI2 then press 0set.
15. Using Fiber glass tape from PCC swing the chord distance of each
station up to PT.
16. To locate all the station compute for the deflection angle of each station

IV – DRAWING / SKETCH / PHOTO

1ST Curve

PI
3°45'0" 7°30'0" 8°45'0" 10°0'0"
6°15'0"
2°30'0" 5°0'0"
1°15'0"

BC PCC
2nd curve

PI

3°22'0" 7°52'30" 9°0'0"

6°45'0"
2°15'0" 5°37'30"
1°15'0" 4°30'0"

PCC PT

compound curve

Locating the chord

getting the deflection of 2nd curve

V. RESULTS / OBSERVATIONS

We observed that it is easier to lay out a compound curve using theodolite. After
doing the previous plates, the surveyors decided to continue it because this plate will
only consume minimal amount of time since the surveyors will only follow the
procedures from the other previous plates.
VI. DATA

FIRST CURVE

R= 50m T= 8.82m
I = 20° C= 17.36m
STATION CHORD (m) DEFLECTION ANGLE (Ɵ)
BC 0 0°00’00”
1/8 Δ 2.18 1°15’00”
1/4 Δ 4.36 2°30’00”
3/8 Δ 6.54 3°45’00”
MC 8.72 5°00’00”
5/8 Δ 10.89 6°15’00”
3/4 Δ 13.05 7°30’00”
7/8 Δ 15.21 8°45’00”
PCC 17.36 10°00’00”

SECOND CURVE

R= 30m T= 4.752m
I = 18° C= 9.386m
STATION CHORD (m) DEFLECTION ANGLE (Ɵ)
PCC 0 0°00’00”
1/8 Δ 1.178 1°07’30”
1/4 Δ 2.356 2°15’00”
3/8 Δ 3.532 3°22’30”
MC 4.708 4°30’00”
5/8 Δ 5.881 5°37’30”
3/4 Δ 7.052 6°45’00”
7/8 Δ 8.221 7°52’30”
EC 9.386 9°00’00”
VII – FORMULA

𝐼
 TBC-PI= 𝑅𝑡𝑎𝑛 (2)
𝐼
 𝑪 = 2𝑅𝑠𝑖𝑛 (2)
𝐼
 Ɵ = 2Δ

Where: T – tangent distance

C – chord length
R – radius
I – central angle
Δ – station (from BC– EC)
Ɵ – deflection angle

VIII – COMPUTATIONS

FIRST CURVE

STATION CHORD (m) DEFLECTION ANGLE (Ɵ)

BC 20 0 20 0
𝑪𝑩𝑪 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟎 𝜽𝑩𝑪 = ( × ) = 𝟎°𝟎𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
2 8 2 8
1/8 Δ 20 1 20 1
𝑪𝟏 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟖 𝜽𝟏 = ( × ) = 𝟏°𝟏𝟓′𝟎𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8
1/4 Δ 20 1 20 1
𝑪𝟏 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟒. 𝟑𝟔 𝜽𝟏 = ( × ) = 𝟐°𝟑𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
𝟒
∆ 2 4 𝟒
∆ 2 4
3/8 Δ 20 3 20 3
𝑪𝟑 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟔. 𝟓𝟒 𝜽𝟑 = ( × ) = 𝟑°𝟒𝟓′𝟎𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8

MC 20 1 20 1
𝑪𝑴𝑪 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟖. 𝟕𝟐 𝜽𝑴𝑪 = ( × ) = 𝟓°𝟎𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
2 2 2 2

5/8 Δ 20 5 20 5
𝑪𝟓 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟏𝟎. 𝟖𝟗 𝜽𝟓 = ( × ) = 𝟔°𝟏𝟓′𝟎𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8
3/4 Δ 20 3 20 3
𝑪𝟑 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟏𝟑. 𝟎𝟓 𝜽𝟑 = ( × ) = 𝟕°𝟑𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
𝟒
∆ 2 4 𝟒
∆ 2 4
7/8 Δ 20 7 20 7
𝑪𝟕 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟏𝟓. 𝟐𝟏 𝜽𝟕 = ( × ) = 𝟖°𝟒𝟓′𝟎𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8
PCC 20 8 20 8
𝑪𝑬𝑪 = 2(50) sin ( × ) = 𝟏𝟕. 𝟑𝟔 𝜽𝑬𝑪 = ( × ) = 𝟏𝟎°𝟎𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
2 8 2 8
𝟐𝟎
𝑻𝑩𝑪−𝑷𝑰 = 𝟓𝟎𝒕𝒂𝒏 ( ) = 𝟖. 𝟖𝟏𝟔 𝒎
𝟐
𝟐𝟎
𝑪 = 𝟐(𝟓𝟎)𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( ) = 𝟏𝟕. 𝟑𝟔 𝒎
𝟐
SECOND CURVE

STATION CHORD (m) DEFLECTION ANGLE (Ɵ)

18 0 18 0
PCC 𝑪𝑷𝑪𝑪 = 2(30) sin ( × )=𝟎 𝜽𝑷𝑪𝑪 = ( × ) = 𝟎°𝟎𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
2 8 2 8
18 1 18 1
1/8 Δ 𝑪𝟏 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟖 𝜽𝟏 = ( × ) = 𝟏°𝟎𝟕′𝟑𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8
18 1 18 1
1/4 Δ 𝑪𝟏 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟐. 𝟑𝟔 𝜽𝟏 = ( × ) = 𝟐°𝟏𝟓′𝟎𝟎"
𝟒
∆ 2 4 𝟒
∆ 2 4
18 3 18 3
3/8 Δ 𝑪𝟑 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟑. 𝟓𝟑 𝜽𝟑 = ( × ) = 𝟑°𝟐𝟐′𝟑𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8

18 1 18 1
MC 𝑪𝑴𝑪 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟒. 𝟕𝟏 𝜽𝑴𝑪 = ( × ) = 𝟒°𝟑𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
2 2 2 2
18 5 18 5
5/8 Δ 𝑪𝟓 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟓. 𝟖𝟖 𝜽𝟓 = ( × ) = 𝟓°𝟑𝟕′𝟑𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8
18 3 18 3
3/4 Δ 𝑪𝟑 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟕. 𝟎𝟓 𝜽 𝟑 =( × ) = 𝟔°𝟒𝟓′𝟎𝟎"
𝟒
∆ 2 4 𝟒
∆ 2 4
18 7 18 7
7/8 Δ 𝑪𝟕 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟖. 𝟐𝟐 𝜽𝟕 = ( × ) = 𝟕°𝟓′𝟑𝟎"
𝟖
∆ 2 8 𝟖
∆ 2 8
18 8 18 8
EC 𝑪𝑬𝑪 = 2(30) sin ( × ) = 𝟗. 𝟑𝟗 𝜽𝑬𝑪 = ( × ) = 𝟗°𝟎𝟎′𝟎𝟎"
2 8 2 8
𝟏𝟖
𝑻𝑷𝑪𝑪−𝑷𝑰 = 𝟑𝟎𝒕𝒂𝒏 ( ) = 𝟒. 𝟕𝟓𝟐 𝒎
𝟐
𝟏𝟖
𝑪 = 𝟐(𝟑𝟎)𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( ) = 𝟗. 𝟑𝟖𝟔 𝒎
𝟐

IX – CONCLUSION

We therefore conclude that the method of chord and deflection is the easiest
way to lay out a compound curve. It is more precise and it can be finished in a short
span of time.