A total station is a contemporary surveying equipment that combines an electronic theodolite with an electronic distance metre. A theodolite measures angles in both the horizontal and vertical planes with a moveable telescope. Traditionally, they are manual instruments of two types: transit, which revolves in a complete circle in the vertical plane, and non-transit, which rotates in a half-circle.
Total stations employ electronic transit theodolites in combination with a distance metre to read any slope distance from the instrument to any specific place. They are, therefore, two basic surveying equipment in one and, when combined with additional technologies such as mapping software, may provide the ‘complete’ surveying package, from measurement to mapping.
Source: Pinterest
Total station survey: Advantages
Total station development has significantly enhanced productivity in the surveying industry in the following ways.
- Increased precision: First and foremost, greater precision. While theodolite coordinate measurements are done in the usual method- trigonometry and triangulation- angles are measured to a high degree of accuracy- up to 0.5 arc-seconds- using electro-optical scanning. Furthermore, traditional theodolites require a line of sight between two points; however, GPS technology may now be employed by a total station to include unseen sites in the survey.
- Functionality and efficiency: Other factors that contribute to increased productivity include efficiency and functionality. One benefit is that many total stations, such as Jurovich Surveying’s Leica Viva TS15, are robotic. This means they may be operated remotely, using only one surveyor in the field instead of the conventional two. For example, the robotic controller may feed the total station’s view to a surveyor at a remote location, allowing him to take measurements and adjust the target area without having to return to the total station.
- Technology for capturing images: Total stations are also equipped with cutting-edge image capture technology, which can record any picture or screen view from the surveying site, avoiding the need for costly site visits and creating high-resolution photos of site conditions.
- Sketching and documentation: A total station’s computerised documentation and sketching functions eliminate the need for paper field notes.
Total station survey: Data storage and distribution
The total station data may be transferred to other computer systems for archiving or dissemination or use with other programmes such as mapping software. Total stations have supplanted the manual theodolite as the surveyor’s primary field instrument in the twenty-first century.
The whole station’s operation concept in surveying the complete station enables surveyors to produce a map of a location in three dimensions rather than two dimensions, as was previously the case with surveying tools. This capacity is reflected in the name 1-Point; each point measured using a comprehensive surveying approach is considered one dimension and specifies an independent position on the ground.
Because of its lenses, changeable vertical laser levels, and bubble axes, a total station provides great accuracy and range. The equipment relies heavily on geo-radar and time signals to calculate the levels and distances of the places it is stationed at.
The prism employed in triangulation and rapid placement to establish angles is used to measure heights or portions of items. The total station’s applicability in surveying encompasses a wide variety of engineering and construction tasks. Civil engineering, architecture, construction site engineering, traffic engineering, and airport design are among businesses that use total stations. It is also employed in transportation management systems.
Total station survey: Types
There are many types of total stations for total surveying stations. The most common type is a complete portable station, which may be equipped with an internal or external antenna and can do photogrammetric analysis. Another version is the mobile station, which is coupled to a motorised platform that allows it to move. Finally, the permanent station is supported by a tripod and offers continuous service from a fixed location.
Total stations are classified into four kinds:
- Scanning total stations
- Total stations with robots
- Total stations with autolock
- Mechanical total stations
Total station survey: Applications and uses
Total stations and paired wire levelled distance measurement devices are the most often used survey tools in surveying. Land surveying is the foundation of real estate, engineering, and other professions because surveying equipment offers an exact picture of any property, borders, and vegetation. These surveying methods are sometimes referred to as’ stations’ due to their simplicity of use.
A total station can be used by a surveyor to measure distance, level, angle, and elevation at a specific location. The total station is a device that determines the horizontal and vertical datums in a specific region. These instruments can be scaled according to the field of survey, with possibilities ranging from handheld devices for general-purpose use to massive mobile total stations used for long-term surveying or construction.
A total station is a gadget that surveyors use to measure heights and distances. It is made up of a telescope, Vernier scales, and a coordinate system for computing relative vertical position.
Source- Pinterest
How does total station work?
Total stations comprise various components, including gunsights, convergence sights, telescopes, inclinometers, a compass and periodic dials. Their primary function is to swiftly gather and transfer bearing measurements, often by connecting to the data link port of a GPS receiver.
Surveying, a contemporary form of remote sensing, relies on technology to transmit data effectively, making it particularly valuable for tasks such as building surveys and cartography. Total stations are versatile tools capable of measuring distances, areas, angles, slopes, heights and pinpointing objects using multiple sensors. The precision and resolution of these measurements hinge on the quality of the surveying equipment employed.
This instrument has gained fame in various commercial building surveying applications due to its economic efficiency. A total station combines hardware and software to derive spatial information, often incorporating multiple sensors like Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, triangulation or limited-range radio communication. These tools are integral to various fields, each employing them according to their specific operational needs and preferences.
FAQs
What three things does a complete station monitor do?
A total station can electronically measure angles and distances and trigonometrically compute them to give, at a minimum, the location coordinates in space.
Where is the complete station's data stored?
The entire station is outfitted with built-in memory cards to process and store data or observations, which are normally up to PCMCIA standards and have capacities ranging from 5000 to 10,000 coded points.
Housing News Desk is the news desk of leading online real estate portal, Housing.com. Housing News Desk focuses on a variety of topics such as real estate laws, taxes, current news, property trends, home loans, rentals, décor, green homes, home improvement, etc. The main objective of the news desk, is to cover the real estate sector from the perspective of providing information that is useful to the end-user.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/housing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Housing
Email: editor@housing.com
