Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
Basic Survey instruments
2nd Stage – Fall Semester – 1st & 2nd Lecture
By: Rozh Ismael Abdulamjed
BSc and MSc in Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
2020-2021
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
Surveying Instruments:
The instruments most commonly used in field surveying are (1) level and
rod, (2) steel tapes, (3) theodolite, (4) total station, and (5) satellite-
positioning receiver.
• The level and rod are used to determine differences in elevation.
• Steel tapes are relatively precise measuring instruments and are
used mostly for short measurements in both preliminary and layout
surveys.
• Theodolites are instruments designed for use in
measuring horizontal and vertical angles and for
establishing linear and curved alignments in the
field.
• The total station instrument combines electronic
distance measurement (EDM) with an electronic
theodolite.
• In addition to electronic distance- and angle-measuring
capabilities, this instrument is equipped with a central
processor, which enables the computation of horizontal
and vertical positions.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
• Satellite-positioning system receivers capture signals transmitted
by four or more positioning satellites to determine position
coordinates (e.g., northing, easting, and elevation) of a survey
station.
Purpose and classification of surveying instruments:
• Good knowledge of surveying instruments enables the professional
surveyor to select the most suitable instrument for his
measurements, to operate it correctly and to utilize it efficiently.
• According to their purpose, cost, suitability for the environmental
conditions and desired accuracy different types of instruments are
used.
Level Instrument:
• The levelling operation involves the measurement of vertical
distance of a point relative to a horizontal line of sight.
• To realize this, it requires an instrument that will provide a
horizontal line of sight (i.e., Level) and a graduated staff (i.e.,
levelling staff).
Categories of Levels:
Levels can be classified into four categories: dumpy levels, tilting levels,
automatic levels, and digital levels.
Dumpy level Tilting level
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
Although each differs somewhat in design, all have two common
components:
(1) a telescope to create a line of sight and enable a reading to be
taken on a graduated rod and
(2) A system to orient the line of sight in a
horizontal plane.
• Dumpy and tilting levels use level vials to orient
their lines of sight, while automatic levels
employ automatic compensators.
• Digital levels also employ automatic
compensators, but use bar-coded rods
for automated digital readings.
Other types of Level that not commonly
used for differential leveling like:
Hand levels: can be used where rough
elevation differences over short distances are needed.
Electronic laser levels that transmit beams of either visible laser
or invisible infrared light are used extensively for establishing
elevations on construction projects.
TELESCOPES:
• The telescopes of leveling instruments define the line of sight and
magnify the view of a graduated rod against a reference reticle,
thereby enabling accurate readings to be obtained.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
The components of a telescope are mounted in a cylindrical tube. Its four
main components are:
1. A reticle (or reticule), which provides the cross hairs, near the
rear of the telescope tube
2. A microscope or eyepiece that magnifies the cross hairs and that
must be focused
3. An objective lens at the forward end of the telescope, which
forms an image of the sighted target within the telescope tube
4
.
f
o
c
using lens, which can be moved back and forth inside the scope to
focus the image on the cross hairs.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
Level Vials:
• Level vials are used to orient many different surveying instruments
with respect to the direction of gravity.
• here are two basic types: the tube vial and the circular or so-called
“bull’s-eye”
• Tube vials are used on tilting levels,
• Bull’s-eye vials are also used on tilting levels, and on automatic
levels for quick, rough leveling, after which precise final leveling
occurs.
Coincidence level vial
Automatic levels:
• The automatic level is easily recognized by its clean, uncluttered
appearance.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
• It does not have a tilting screw or a
tubular bubble as the telescope is rigidly
fixed to the tribrach and
• The line of sight is made horizontal by an
automatic compensator inside the
telescope.
Automatic Compensator:
• The system consists of prisms hold up from wires to create a
pendulum.
• The wire lengths, support locations, and nature of the prisms are
such that only horizontal rays reach the intersection of crosshairs.
• Thus, a horizontal line of sight is achieved even though the
telescope itself may be slightly tilted away from horizontal.
• The compensator in the instrument is responsible for compensating
the vertical axis tilt enabling an exactly horizontal aiming.
The advantages of the automatic level:
• Much easier to use
• Rapid operation
• No chance of reading the staff without setting the bubble central
• No bubble setting error.
Disadvantages:
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
• Vibrations (wind, traffic, etc.) have a bad impact on the operation
of the compensator.
Levelling Staff:
• Levelling staffs are made of wood, metal or glass fiber and
graduated in meters and centimeters.
• The alternate meter lengths are usually shown in black and red on a
white background.
• The smallest graduation on the staff is 0.01 m and readings are
estimated to the nearest millimeter.
• The staff must be held vertical during observation it should be
fitted with a circular bubble.
Digital Level:
• The digital level is an instrument that uses electronic image
processing to evaluate the staff reading.
• It is classified in the automatic category because it uses a
pendulum compensator.
The Digital Level:
• The digital level has the same optical and mechanical components
as a normal automatic level.
• However, for the purpose of electronic staff reading a beam splitter
is incorporated which transfers the bar code image to a detector.
• The detector is a form of charge couple device (CCD) which turns
the black and white staff pattern into a binary code.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
• The bar code image is compared with a stored reference code to
find the height collimation on the staff.
• The data processing is carried out within the instrument and the
data are displayed in a simple format.
• The instrument’s maximum range is approximately 100 m, and its
accuracy in rod readings is 0.5 mm
The Levelling Staff:
• The staff is usually made from a synthetic material, which has a
small amount of expansion.
• On one side of the staff is a binary bar code for electronic
measurement, and on the other side there are often conventional
graduations in meters.
• Each manufacturer uses a different code on their staffs therefore an
instrument will only work with a staff from the same manufacturer.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
Principal of measurement:
• The bar code of the staff is stored in the instrument as a reference
signal.
• When measuring, the visible section of the staff within the field of
view is captured by the line decoder as a measuring signal.
• Then the measuring signal is compared to the reference signal.
• This results in the height reading and horizontal distance.
• The staff must be perpendicular during measurement, as for optical
levelling.
• With artificial lighting of the staff, measurements can be made in
the dark.
Advantages of Digital Level:
• Fatigue-free observation as visual staff reading by the observer is
not required.
• User friendly menus with easy to read, digital display of results.
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Tishk International University Faculty of Engineering
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering
• Measurement of consistent precision and reliability due to
automation.
• Automatic data storage eliminates booking and its associated
errors.
• Automatic reduction of data to produce ground levels.
• Fast, economic surveys resulting in saving in time (up to 50% less
effort has been claimed by manufacturers)
• Data on the storage medium of the level can be downloaded to a
computer enabling quick data reduction for various purposes.
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