Background

Theodolite
 Is a surveying instrument used for angular
measurement

 Angular measurements refers to,

 Horizontal angle
 Vertical angle
Background contn…

Type of Theodolites

 The optical mechanical type

 The electronic digital type,

Optical mechanical
Theodolite
Electonic Theodolite (Total
station)
Background Contn….

 Distances were measured by

tape/EDM/Tacheometry

 Levelling were/still done by levels, e.g. spirit

levelling etc.

 Computations were done/is done manually

 Total station have replaced these instrument and

their computations
Ground taping

Tape is laid on the ground

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obstruction t an
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measured distance  required
distance

7
Level and Levelling
Staff
Scientific Calculator
Parts of Total station
Parts of total station

1) Telescope
 Reticles with cross-hair etched on grass and
 Equipped with rifle sight or collimator

 Telescope has two focusing control

 Objective lens: to focus on object being viewed
 Eyepiece lens: focus on reticles

 If there is no coincident on focusing of the lenses,

Parallax will exits
Parts of total station

2) The angle measurement system

 For horizontal and vertical circle reading

3) Communication port
 Enable external data collector to be connected to the
instrument. E.g data logger
 Some instrument has internal data collector

4) Micro-processor
 Provide several significant functions
Parts of total station
5) Key board and Display

 Provide means of communicating with the micro-processor

 Most of total station has keyboard and display on both sides

6) Optical plummet
 Permit accurate centring over a point
 In newer instruments, laser plummet have replaced the optical
plummet

7) Tribrach
consists of 3 screws, clamping device and thread to
attach it to the head of tripod
Parts of total station
8) Bases of total station

Designed to permit interchange of the instrument with

sighting targets and prism in tribrach without disturbing
the previously established centring over a surveyed
point

9) Rotation of the telescope about vertical axis

controlled by Lock and tangent screws
Handling and Setting Up a
Total Station Instrument
 Careful lifted from its carrying case

 Securely fixed to the tripod by means of the tribrach

 prior observations, careful setup over a specific point

 The set up process of the instrument, follows the same

procedure as in optical theodolite, e.g. levelling
Handling and Setting Up a
Total Station Instrument
 When moving between setups in the field, proper care
should be taken

 Before is removed from the tripod, the foot screws should be

returned to the mid points of the posts

 The instrument should NEVER be transported on the tripod,

since this causes stress to tripod head, tribrach and instrument
base.

 If the instrument is wet, it should be wiped down and left

in open case until it is dry
Field to Finish Operation
Total Station

 Is an integrated Theodolite/EDM combinations

 It accomplish not only all angle measurements but

also accurate and quick distance measurements.

 They can make computations with angle and

distance measurements, hence capacity to give out
coordinates

 Display the results in real time/Display .

Distance measurement
Total
station

19
Total station can be used for

 Topographic surveys

 Hydrographic surveys

 Cadastral surveys

 Construction surveys
Characteristics of Total
Station Instruments

They combine three basic components :

 An electronic distance measuring (EDM)

 An electronic angle measuring component

 A computer or micro-processor
 Other Components
 Data Collector (built in or separate unit)

 Data Storage (internal or memory card)

Measurement performed by
Total Station
The devices can automatically measure

 Horizontal and vertical angles

 Slope distance

Capabilities after measurements

 Manipulation
Computation performed

 Horizontal distance component

 Vertical distance component

 Elevations

 Coordinates
AND

Display the results on a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Functions Performed by
Total Station Instruments

With their micro-processors, can perform a

variety of functions and computations
depending on how they are programmed, i.e.
basic survey operations e.g. topographic
survey. etc
Functions Performed by
Total Station Instruments
1) Averaging of multiple angle and distance measurements

2) Correcting electronically measured distances for:

o Prism constants,
o Atmospheric pressure
o Temperature

3) Correction of Earth curvature and refraction to elevations

determined by trigonometric leveling.
 Curvature of the Earth

 Due to the curvature of the Earth, the line of sight at

the instrument will deviate from a horizontal line as
one moves away from the level
Curvature of the Earth and
Refraction

Curvature of the Earth”

 Line of sight is not a level line but a horizontal

line tangential to a level line

 When sights are long, the deviation of tangent

from a circle becomes appreciable

 Hence, correction must be applied when sights

are long
Functions Performed by
Total Station Instruments
4) Reducing slope distances to their horizontal and vertical
components.

5) Calculating point elevations

6) Computing coordinates of surveyed points

Servo-Driven and Remotely
operated Total Station

 “Robotic” total station instrument

 Servo driven mechanism enable the

telescope to aim automatically at a point
to be set

 Equipped with servo drive mechanism,

consists of;
• Automatic search function
• Aim function
• Communication function
 Remote Positioning Unit
(RPU)
 The total station can be controlled from
a distance

 It has a built-in telemetry link for

communication with the total station

 RPU is attached to the prism pole

 RPU also operate as a data collector

Operating the System

 The robotic instrument first be set up

and oriented
How?
Entering the coordinates of the point where
the total station is located
Taking a backsight along a line of known
azimuth

 Operator carries the RPU to any

convenient location and site to the
instrument
 Operating the System
(contn...)
 The vertical angle of sight is
telemetered to the robotic instrument

 Servo motor then activates and swing

around until it finds the prism and lock
on RPU

 The computer retrieves the directions

to the points stored/compute and
activates the servomotor to turn the
telescope to that direction
 Operating the System
(contn...)follow its further
 Automatically
movements.

 If lock is lost, the search routine is

repeated

 Instrument is completely controlled

through the keyboard of the remote
unit
Advantages

 Enable one person to conduct a

complete survey

 Speeds the work

 Eliminates mistakes in identifying

points
uses

 Construction survey, e.g. Setting out

 Topographic surveys
Sources of errors in total
station work
1) Instrumental errors
 Plate bubble out of adjustment
 Eccentricity of centres
 Circle graduation error
2) Natural errors
a. Wind
cause vibration of tripod and
instrument, causing the bubble goes off
Remedy : shieliding the instrument
Natural errors (contn...)

b. Temperature
cause unequal expansion of various
parts of total station, cause the bubble
goes off

Remedy :
shading by umbrella from source of
extreme heat
Natural errors (contn...)

c) Refraction
bends the line of sight and cause an
apparent shimmering of the observed
object

Remedy:
o Keep line of sight above the ground
o Avoid sights close to the building
Natural errors (contn...)

d. Tripod settlement
the weight of instrument may cause the
tripod to settle. E.g. Soft ground
Remedy:
o ?
Source of errors contn

3) Personal error
a) Instrument not set up exactly over a point
The amount of error depends on the position
of the instrument in relation to point
b) Bubble not centred perfectly
c) Improper use of clamps and foot screws
d) Poor focusing
e) Careless plumbing and placement of rod
f) Leaning on the tripod, or placing hard on the
instrument when pointing or taking readings
Relationships of angle
and distances
 Determination of the relative position
of a points is obtained by
measurement of both angles and
distances

 The best-quality surveys result when

there is a compatibility between the
accuracies of these two different
kind of measurements
Relationships of angle
and distances
 Formula for relating distances to angles is given by the
geometric relationship below

S=R.Ө
WHERE,
S = is the arc length subtended at a distance R by an arc
Ө in radian
Angle and distance
relationship
S=R.Ө
1’ of arc = 3 cm. at
100 m.
1” of arc = 0.5 m. at
100 km.
Relationships of angle
and distances
The relationship is helpful for:

1)Selecting instruments and survey

procedure necessary for achieving
consistency

2)Evaluate the effect of the error due

to various sources
Measuring horizontal
angles
 Horizontal angles are measured in
horizontal plane

 After set up and levelling the

instrument, its horizontal circle is in
a horizontal plane
Measuring horizontal
angles
 To eliminate instrumental errors and
increase precision, angle
measurements should be repeated
an equal number of times in each of
the direct and reversed modes, and
the average taken.
Methods of horizontal
angle measurements
Three methods exists
1)Repetition method

2)Direction method

3)Closing the horizon method

1) Repetition method
Repetition method
 Instrument set up and centred over a
station I and levelled

 Back sight taken at station J

 Put initial value entered in a display

 Turn the telescope clockwise towards

a point K to make a foresight
Repetition method

 Take face left and face right at

different rounds, and get the mean.

 Built in computer will automatically

perform the averaging and display
the final result

 The procedure described for

observing is Repetition method
Repetition method
2) Direction method
Direction method
 Consists of measuring directions to
successful stations sighted around the
horizon

 Then by taking the difference in

directions between any two stations, the
angle between them is determined

 The procedure is efficiency when

multiple angles are been measured at a
station e.g. triangulation
Direction method
3) Closing the horizon
Closing the horizon
 Consists in using the direction method
but including all angles around a point

 Angle Z is also measured thereby

providing for additional check

 A final foresight pointing is made on

the initial back sight station and this
provides a check because it should
give the initial back sight reading
Closing the horizon