List of Surveying Instruments and Their Uses

What are surveying instruments and how do you use them? Surveying instruments are used to assist in measuring land, including vertical distance, horizontal distance, and volume of excavated material. A land surveyor uses surveying instruments to make precise measurements of the earth’s surface. From determining measurements in the field, questionnaires, or research of legal instruments, and data analysis in the support of planning, designing, and establishing of property boundaries and draw on map with relevant details.

What is Land Surveying?

Land surveying is the detailed study or inspection, as by gathering information through observations, measurements in the field, questionnaires, or research of legal instruments, and data analysis in the support of planning, designing, and establishing of property boundaries and draw on map with relevant details.

What is Quantity Surveying?

A quantity surveyor is a construction industry professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. Qualified professional quantity surveyors are known as Chartered Surveyors in the UK and Certified Quantity Surveyors in Australia and other countries.

What is Topographic Surveying?

Topographic Surveying

• determining the relative locations of points (places) on the earth’s surface by measuring horizontal distances, differences in elevation and directions
• topos (Gr.): place; topographic maps give the locations of places (observable features); they serve as base maps

What is Hydrographic Surveying?

Hydrographic surveying is the survey of physical features present underwater. It is the science of measuring all factors beneath water that affect all the marine activities like dredging, marine constructions, offshore drilling etc. Hydrographic surveying is mainly conducted under authority concerns.

What is Mine Surveying?

Mine surveying is the practice of determining the relative positions of points on or beneath the surface of the earth by direct or indirect measurements of distance, direction & elevation.

Total Station

A total station is an electronic/optical instrument used in modern surveying and building construction that uses electronic transit theodolite in connection with electronic distance meter (EDM).It is also integrated with microprocessor, electronic data collector and storage system.

The instrument is used to measure sloping distance of object to the instrument, horizontal angles and vertical angles. This Microprocessor unit enables for computation of data collected to further calculate the horizontal distance, coordinates of a point and reduced level of point.

Data collected from total station can be downloaded into computer/laptops for further processing of information.

Total stations are mainly used by land surveyors and civil engineers, either to record features as in topographic surveying or to set oust features (such as roads, houses or boundaries). They are also used by archaeologists to record excavations and by police, crime scene investigators, private accident Reconstructionist and insurance companies to take measurements of scenes.

Learn More About Total Station

• Applications of Total Station in surveying
• Surprising Uses of Total Station
• Uses of Total Station in Surveying

Auto Level/Dumpy Level

A dumpy level, builder’s auto level, leveling instrument, or automatic level is an optical instrument used to establish or verify points in the same horizontal plane. It is used in surveying and building with a vertical staff to measure height differences and to transfer, measure and set heights.Learn More About Auto Level

• Importance of Auto Level in Surveying
• Use of Auto Level in Surveying

Theodolite

Basic surveying instrument of unknown origin but going back to the 16th-century English mathematician Leonard Digges; it is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles. In its modern form it consists of a telescope mounted to swivel both horizontally and vertically.A theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. Theodolites are used mainly for surveying applications, and have been adapted for specialized purposes in fields like metrology and rocket launch technology. A modern theodolite consists of a movable telescope mounted within two perpendicular axes the horizontal or trunnion axis, and the vertical axis. When the telescope is pointed at a target object, the angle of each of these axes can be measured with great precision.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. The system provides critical capabilities to military, civil and commercial users around the world. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver.

The GPS is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS.

Photogrammetry/Drone

Photogrammetry is the art and science of making accurate measurements by means of aerial photography:

• Analog photogrammetry (using films: hard-copy photos)
• Digital photogrammetry (digital images)
• Aerial photographs were the first form of remote sensing imagery.

Types of vantage points to acquire photographs?

• Vertical vantage points
• Low-oblique vantage points
• High-oblique vantage points

Optical Square

The optical square uses a pentaprism to reflect and refract a beam or sighting 90 degrees, it is used in pairs in surveying and in a singular block in metrology.

Plumb Bob Laser

Dot-plumb lasers are a type of laser level that projects a small dot onto a surface. These dots are used for transferring points from wall to wall or ceiling to floor. It’s a handy tool for making sure a wall is plumb or even installing wall-to-wall.

LDM (Laser Distance Meter)

Laser measurement tools are based on the principle of reflection of a laser beam. To measure a distance, the device emits a pulse of laser in the direction of an object, for example a wall. The time necessary for the laser beam to get to the object and go back determines the measurement of the distance. In consideration of the speed of light, distances can be defined precisely with this kind of laser. Laser distance meters can also accumulate independently to calculate surfaces and volumes.

Prismatic Compass

A prismatic compass is a navigation and surveying instrument which is extensively used to find out the bearing of the traversing and included angles between them, waypoints (an endpoint of the Closure) and direction.

Prisms

Optical Survey prisms are a specially designed retro reflector, specifically a corner reflector that is used to reflect the Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) beam from a total station. A survey prism reflects the EDM beam back to its source with both a wide angle of incidence and with high precision.

Leveling Staff

A level staff, also called levelling rod, is a graduated feet and meter on aluminum rod, used with a levelling instrument to determine the difference in height between points or heights of points above a vertical datum. It cannot be used without a leveling instrument.

Prism Pole

A prism pole can be used to measure the elevation of a specific ground point by using a sight level, which is important if you want to get accurate results. You can find a survey pole in a variety of materials — from metal and fiberglass to a variety of composites.

Bipods

Find a collection of aluminum survey bipods, carbon fiber bipods, quick-release bipods, and more. Easy level adjustment for better precision & accuracy.

Measuring Wheel

The measuring wheel – also known as a surveyor’s wheel, click wheel, perambulator, odometer, way wiser or trundle wheel – is a tool used to measure distances. Measuring wheels have a counting mechanism that counts the number of rotations and uses the circumference of the wheel to calculate the distance covered.

Tripod

A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. It is used to give stability to other survey instruments as Total Station, Auto Level,etc.