Learning Unit 2 – OPERATE SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS

Topic 1: Description of internal sets and arrangement in box for surveying equipment
and tools

Internal sets of equipment and tools in the tool box are the following:

 Surveying instrument
 Plumb bob
 Battery

While arranging surveying equipment and tools in the box, you have to pay attention on
the following:

 Uncasing the toolbox and checking where all tools and equipment will be placed
 Each equipment and tool should be located in the required place
 You have to fix each tool or equipment safely for avoiding any damage
 You have to check if each tool or equipment is perfectly located in its own place

Topic 2: Identification of components used in total station surveying

The two main components of a total station are a theodolite and an electronic
distance meter (EDM).

Modern total stations are built around theodolites with EDMs integrated into the
housing. The components function together as a telescope, with the operator bringing
the opposite point into the telescope's crosshairs

The surveyor can then measure the angle and the distance between the two points. If the
total station is also fitted with a data collector, the data collector reads out these
measurements, enabling the surveyor to record them for drawing up the survey later.

There are numerous total station accessories. Being familiar with these
accessories/components helps surveyors to use their total stations effectively.

1. Tripods

The tripod supports the total station, holding it steady so that the surveyor can make
accurate calculations. A tripod must be able to support the weight of the total station
that sits on it for an extended period of time.

2. Prisms and Poles

As mentioned above, the EDM sends out an infrared beam to measure the distance
between the total station and another point. it has to hit a highly reflective target at the
point.
A prism makes the ideal target for this, reflecting the beam back powerfully and
accurately.

Surveyors generally mount a prism on a pole that is staked into the ground at the
opposite point from the total station. This holds the prism target in place for the EDM to
reflect its infrared beam.

3. Data Collector (computer interface)

Many total stations have a data collector built into them, but those that do not require
that the surveyor purchase one as an accessory. It is a critical device because it
automatically records the surveyor's measurements. Data collectors as accessories often
require surveyors to input the measurements manually.

4. Data Cables

Surveyors data cables connect the data collector to the total station. Some data
collectors use a pinbased connection, while others feature a USB port for transfer data
from instrument to computer for further proccessing.

5. Battery and radios

These include extra rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that surveyors can use to swap
out dying batteries while in the field. There are also replacement battery cables to
connect to chargers and replacement battery chargers for those that no longer work.

6. Adapters (Tribrach)

There is a wide range of adapters that improve a surveyor's ability to move and position
a total station on a tripod. One popular type of adapter is a tribrach. This is an
attachment plate that enables a surveyor to place a total station in the exact same
position on a tripod repeatedly.

Topic 1: Description of how can mounting of different component of surveying

equipment while setting up a tripod you have to follow the following steps:

 unlock one leg and other remain locked for adjusting height of tripod according
to the height of the user and lock it.
 Unlock the remain legs and allow them to have the same height with the first one,
then after lock it
 Extend the legs and Positioning the tripod approximately at the top of the
surveying point
 Driven Tripod legs in the ground by using foot and the distance between them
should be approximately equal.
 Adjust tripod legs until the tripod baseplate be approximately leveled
 Total station fix: before surveyor conducted any surveying task using a total
station instrument, the following steps should be performed in setting of it:
 Establishing the site Benchmarks (Datum);
 Setting up the tripod: this means standing up a tripod over the benchmark or
station mark;
 Removing instrument in the box;
 Putting and fixing the instrument on the tripod;
 Setting up the total station:
 Positioning (centering) instrument over the station mark using the Laser
plummet, optical plummet and plumb bob methods;
 Leveling up the instrument using two bubbles and foot screws;
 Setting up the reflector height: a reflector should be stand vertically as
indicated by its bubble and its height will depend on the height of instrument.

Topic 1: Description of configuration of surveying instrument

 Configuration is the process of setting electronic surveying equipment buy

entering all required data such as Unit of angle,angle Automatic power off time
Laser plumb setting.Current time setting etc in order to produce the required
accuracy.
 Before using electronic surveying equipment like Total
Station,theodolite,GPS,DGPS must require setting them in order to accomplished
the sufficient accuracy so you have to make sure you can see all targets from the
instrument station before going through the process.
 Initial setting of leveling instrument

The adjustments to be made at every setting of the instrument are called temporary
adjustments. its purpose is to clarify through the following three steps which are
required for the instrument whenever set over a new point before taking a reading:

 Setting up (Centering)
 Leveling up
 Focusing (Parallax elimination).

 Theodolite configuration

Theodolite is used for measuring horizontal and vertical angles. For this the theodolite
should be centered on the desired station point, leveled and telescope is focused.
This process of centering, leveling and focusing is called temporary adjustment of the
instrument. The procedure is as similar as described in for levels.

 Total station configuration

While configurating a total station from the setting up of instrument to the observation
of points, the possible operations are listed below:

1. Establishing the site Benchmarks (Datum);

2. Setting up the tripod: this means standing up a tripod over the benchmark or station
mark;

3. Removing instrument in the box

4. Putting and fixing the instrument on the tripod

5. Setting up the total station

6. Positioning (centering) instrument over the station mark using the Laser plummet,
optical plummet and plumb bob methods;

7. Leveling up the instrument using two bubbles and foot screws

8. Creating and Operating Job files

9. Provision of instrument location (Coordinates);

10. Indicate the height of instrument from the benchmark or station mark;

11. Provision of the orientation by locating the next known point;

12. Indication of the height of Reflector

13. Station and orientation Ok

14. Start collecting new points/ Shooting points

15. Post Processing /Data down loading, conversion

16. Plotting/Map generation

Note: The total Station instruments can be used:

 When the two (2) known points are given.

 When only one (1) co-ordinate (known point) is given. In this case the
coordinates of the back station (point) is determined by any suitable method.
 When no co-ordinates (known points) were given in which case arbitrary system
of coordinates can be user.

LO 2.4: Use surveying instruments