7.total Station Instruments Angle Measurement: Elementary Surveying, 2005 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sönmez Sayili

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING, 2005 ASSOC. PROF. DR.
SÖNMEZ SAYILI
7.TOTAL STATION INSTRUMENTS ANGLE

MEASUREMENT
7.1.Introduction
Total station instruments have replaced theodolites and takeometers and can accomplish not
only all angle measurements but also accurate and quick distance measurements. Furthermore,
they can make computations with angle and distance measurements and display the results in
real time.
They are used for ;

• Topographic surveys
• Hydrographic surveys
• Cadastral surveys
• Construction surveys
7.2.Characteristics of Total Station Instruments
They combine three basic components :
1. An electronic distance measuring (EDM)

2. An electronic angle measuring component
3. A computer or microprocessor
These devices can automatically measure horizontal and vertical angles, as well as slope
distances from a single setup.
From these data; instantaneously compute;

ELEMENTARY SURVEYING, 2005 ASSOC. PROF. DR. SÖNMEZ SAYILI
• horizontal distance component

• vertical distance component
• elevations
• coordinates
of points sighted.
Display the results on a liquid crystal display (LCD)
The telescope
• After the instrument has been leveled, it can be revolved (or plunged) so that its axis
of sight defines a vertical plane.
• Horizontal axis is the axis about which the telescope revolves.
• It can rotate in any azimuth called vertical axis.
7.3.Functions Performed by Total Station Instruments
In addition to providing guidance to the operator, microprocessors of total stations can

perform many different types of computations;
1) averaging of multiple angle and distance measurements
2) correcting electronically measured distances for prism constants, atmospheric pressure

and temperature
3) making curvature and refraction corrections to elevations determined by trigonometric

leveling.
4) reducing slope distances to their horizontal and vertical components.

5) calculating point elevations from the vertical distance components (supplemented with
keyboard input of instrument and reflector heights).
6) computing coordinates of surveyed points from horizontal angle and horizontal

distance components (supplemented with keyboard point of coordinates for the occupied
station, and a reference azimuth).
7.4.Parts of a Total Station Instrument
The upper part of a total station instrument (alidade) includes ;
• telescope
• graduated circle
• all other elements necessary for measuring angle and distances.
Telescopes have two focussing controls :

1. objective lens
2. eyepiece
Tribrach
Tribrach must be leveled first for the line of sight to be vertical.
Due to short length of the telescope in an optical plummet, it is extremely important to

remove parallax before centering the instrument with this device.
7.5.Handling and Setting Up a Total Station Instrument
The setup process using an instrument with an optical plummet, tribrach mount with bull’s
eye bubble, and adjustable-leg tripod is most easily accomplished with a number of steps.
Making practice on these steps will help one to adjust the instrument properly on the point.
To level a station that has a plate level vial, the telescope is rotated to place the axis level vial
parallel to the line through any two leveling screws, as the line A and B in Fig.a. The bubble
is centered by turning these screws, then rotated 90o (fig.b) and centered again using the third
screw (c) only.
Some instruments are equipped with an electronic dual axis leveling system (see figure).
• When moving between setups in the field, proper case shuold be taken
• The instrument should NEVER be transported on the tripod, since this causes stress to
tripod headi tribrach and instrument base.
Manufacturers also produce “robotic” total station instruments equipped with servo drive
mechanism which enable them to aim automatically at a point to be set.
7.6.Angle Measurements
S=R.Ө
1’ of arc = 3 cm. at 100 m.
1” of arc = 0.5 m. at 100 km.
7.7.Measuring Horizontal Angles With Total Station Instruments
• Horizontal angles are measured in horizontal planes.
• To eleminate 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.
In the notes
1. the identification of the angle being measured is recorded in column (1)

2. the value of the first reading of the angle is placed in column (2)
3. it is only recorded for checking purposes, the fourth (final) reading is tabulated in
column (3)
4. the mean of the four readings, which produce the final angle, is given in column (4)
7.8.Measuring Horizontal Angles by The Direction Method
7.9.Closing The Horizon

7.total Station Instruments Angle Measurement: Elementary Surveying, 2005 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sönmez Sayili

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ELEMENTARY SURVEYING, 2005 ASSOC. PROF. DR.

7.TOTAL STATION INSTRUMENTS ANGLE

They are used for ;

7.2.Characteristics of Total Station Instruments

They combine three basic components :

1. An electronic distance measuring (EDM)

From these data; instantaneously compute;

• horizontal distance component

Display the results on a liquid crystal display (LCD)

7.3.Functions Performed by Total Station Instruments

In addition to providing guidance to the operator, microprocessors of total stations can

1) averaging of multiple angle and distance measurements

2) correcting electronically measured distances for prism constants, atmospheric pressure

3) making curvature and refraction corrections to elevations determined by trigonometric

4) reducing slope distances to their horizontal and vertical components.

6) computing coordinates of surveyed points from horizontal angle and horizontal

7.4.Parts of a Total Station Instrument

The upper part of a total station instrument (alidade) includes ;

Telescopes have two focussing controls :

Tribrach must be leveled first for the line of sight to be vertical.

Due to short length of the telescope in an optical plummet, it is extremely important to

7.5.Handling and Setting Up a Total Station Instrument

7.7.Measuring Horizontal Angles With Total Station Instruments

• Horizontal angles are measured in horizontal planes.

• To eleminate instrumental errors and increase precision, angle measurements should

1. the identification of the angle being measured is recorded in column (1)

7.8.Measuring Horizontal Angles by The Direction Method

7.9.Closing The Horizon

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