CENTRE FOR DIPLOMA STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

GEOMATIC LABORATORY

Practical 1 – Introduction of Surveying Instruments

Introduction :
The most common surveying instruments used in Civil Engineering are total station and
level equipment. Total station used for measure the angles and distances whilst level
equipment used for measure the different height between two point.

Objectives :
1) To assist students in gaining confidence in operating surveying equipment.
2) To provide the fundamental operational skills necessary for subsequent tasks.
3) To familiar with the surveying instrument and general functions.

Learning Outcome :
At the end of this practical, students are able to:
1) Set up the survey instruments.
2) Operate survey instruments.
3) Measure horizontal distances and angles with total station.
4) Measure different height with level equipment.

Equipment :
All groups will be issued with the following equipment :

No. Items Quantity

1 Total Station 1
2 Automatic level 1
3 Prisms 2
4 Staff bubble 2
5 Level staff 2
6 Tripod 3

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Recommendation for Setting up a Total Station

1) Ensure that:
a) The tripod head is approximately level.
b) The tripod feet are firmly fixed in the ground.
2) Placed the total station on top of the tripod, and tighten the centring screw to
clamp the total station centrally on the tripod head.
3) Use the optical plummet to focus onto the survey station (e.g. nail in top of peg).
a) Turn the optical plummet eyepiece to focus on the reticule (the black
circular mark).
b) Turn the optical plummet focusing ring to focus on the survey station.
4) By rotating the levelling FOOT SCREWS, using all three in a random manner if
necessary, centre the reticule (black circle) in the OPTICAL PLUMMET onto
the survey station.
5) Carry out an approximate levelling using the pond (circle bubble) and by
adjusting the length of TWO TRIPOD LEGS, bring the POND BUBBLE into
the centre of the circle.

(At this stage the total station has been roughly centered and levelled).

6) Fine level the total station using the FOOT SCREWS and the PLATE LEVEL
BUBBLE tube:

Position A Align the plate level bubble tube with two of the foot screws.
Rotate the two foot screws in opposite directions to centre the plate level
bubble. The bubble follows the left thumb.

Position B Align the plate level bubble tube with the third foot screw i.e.
90° from position B. Centre the bubble by rotating the third foot screw (only).

REPEAT Position A and Position B until the bubble stays in the centre.

7) Look through the optical plummet again. Loosen the centring screw holding the
total station to the tripod and slide the total station over the TRIPOD HEAD until
the reticule of the OPTICAL PLUMMET is over the survey station.

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 REPEAT 6) and 7) until the plate level bubble is centre and the optical
plummet is over the survey station.
8) Check the plate level bubble in position C and D : - 90° from A and B and if
necessary remove half the bubble drift to FREEZE the bubble.

At this stage the total station has been

FINELY LEVELLED AND CENTERED OVER THE SURVEY STATION.

It is now ready for referencing to a BACK SIGHT for either measuring or setting out
angles.