Surveying Instruments and Their Uses

What is Surveying? 

When undergoing any construction, the basic thing to do is survey the area. But what does surveying in the actual terms mean? Surveying is the process of determining the relative position of the specific points on, above, or below the surface level of the earth. This is done with the surveying instruments.

What are Surveying Instruments?

Surveying instruments are the measuring equipment used to take direct or indirect measurements of distance, direction, depth, and elevation. 

There are a variety of surveying instruments available that can be beneficial in measuring the relative aspects. 

Types of Surveying Instruments

There are two types of surveying instruments used to get accurate measurements. The first one is Linear measurements, and the second one is angular measurements.

Linear Measurement: Linear measurements measure the distance, direction, depth, or elevation in terms of length. 

Angular Measurement: Angular measurements are related to the rotational and angular measures. 

Common Surveying Instruments and their uses

Now, we will discuss some of the major and most commonly used surveying instruments and their respective features. Such as: 

Professional Optic Level (100 m)

It is an angular optical measurement that is used to measure the levelling of the earth. This optical level stands on three legs with affixed screws that are carried by a vertical spindle. It contains a high-quality, robust lens to face the dust and splashes in an open area. The dimensions of the optic level are 21.3×13.4×14.3 cm. The clamp screw in the device is to regulate the vertical movements. The tangent screw is to execute precise movements.

Aluminum Leveling Staff (5 m)

Levelling staff is a long rod-like instrument with gradual markings. These markings are to determine the level of the site line of sight above or below the workstation. The scale ranges from 0 at the bottom and increases as we move upwards. The smallest section in a levelling staff is 5 mm, and the total length of this staff is 5 m. It is made of Aluminum which gives it a full life.

There are two types of levelling staff available depending on the type of their measurements. The first is self-reading staff, where the instrument man takes the measurements. And the second is target staff in which staff man takes the readings.

TRIMBLE Total Station M3 DR2”

As the name suggests, Total Station is an electronic transit theodolite. It contains an electric distance meter up to a specific range and comes in various distance-ranging options. Also, one can use it to measure both linear and angular measurements. The total station can give you the best accuracy due to the excellent foot range and 2-sec accuracy. In addition, it has many inbuilt functions like Bluetooth, high definition optics, numeric keypad, USB data transfer port, and a lot more.

The total station is a complete solution to measure horizontal angles, vertical angles, and slope distances. It also has inbuilt data storage, which allows you to save the information. And the USB port can be used for data transfer.

Wooden Tripod

A wooden tripod is a three-legged stand that helps in levelling and controlling the alignment used in plane table surveying. The tripod stand can be used to level any instrument or the tabletop to ensure accurate measurements. It’s often used to take the precise levels of the road by combining a Total station at its top. This helps in measuring the accurate readings in table orientation and land survey as well. It is available in various heights, which can be used to measure different levels. It is attached with a screw leg clamping system which assures more stable readings.

Traverse Prism with Sighting Target

Using a prism system can help in better accuracy when it comes to surveying. These systems ensure the security of the pinpoints and give precise results. A traverse prism is used along with an electronic distance measuring device to get better results. Further, the entire system is mounted on a surveying pole to avoid fluctuations in the reading. This traverse prism is built with excellent optics and is available with a sighting target. The device is available in different prism constants, and you can opt for the one that suits your needs.

TRIMBLE Dual Slot Battery Charger Kit

All the surveying equipment today is available with batteries or with electrical charging. TRIMBLE dual-slot charger kit is the best to use when you have multiple pieces of equipment in working. This dual-slot charger comes with an entire kit of multiple charging wire sets and can be used for almost all devices. The set contains a cord for optical instrument batteries and receiver batteries cord. This entire set can be a huge saviour in times of crisis.

An automatic lens with Circle

It comes with a telescope of 24 times 30 mm objective to attain a clear image. All the images obtained from this lens are erect and straight orientation. It has a built-in compensator that automatically levels the line of sight. There are two horizontal knobs with an unlimited range and are operable from both hands. This device aims to ensure the levelling of the surface with a setting accuracy of 0.5 inches ( positive and negative). It provides a wireless compensation range of up to 16 inches (positive and negative). It is flexible to work in water and robust dusty conditions as well. The design has friction brakes to enable quick and easy settings.

The surveying instruments are ongoing and contain other products like staff, levelling devices, pegs, compass, tapes, chains, and a lot more. The above-listed devices are modern equipment with multiple functionalities. Many of these are available in battery and charger alternatives for comfortable use. In addition, each of these pieces of equipment has a robust design and comes with a warranty of a year or two. To sum up, surveying instruments offer great help on construction sites. And, the addition of modern techniques makes their use more flexible.