6 Most Frequently Used Surveying Instruments

Land surveys date back to ancient Roman times, making surveying one of the oldest professions. You might think that ancient surveying equipment was rudimentary and crude, but evidence shows that ancient measuring tools were developed with surprising accuracy. The Romans used a groma to “trace on the ground simple and orthogonal alignments required for the construction of roads, cities, temples, and agricultural lands subdivision1.” Surveying instruments have evolved in response to exponential technological advancements since then. Surveyors nowadays use advanced electronic equipment as well as more basic tools to aid in measuring and mapping efforts.

Do you want to learn more about the surveying equipment? We have compiled a list of the six most commonly used surveying tools, which include:

1. Theodolite

2. Measuring tape

3. Total station

4. 3D Scanners

5. GPS/GNSS

6. Level and rod

Theodolite:

A surveying instrument with a rotating telescope for measuring horizontal and vertical angles and triangulating the position of objects in a specific area.

Measuring tape:

A length of tape or thin flexible metal that has been marked at intervals to measure size or distance. Surveyors frequently use tape measures (also known as measuring wheels) in lengths greater than 100 meters.

Total station:

A theodolite with an on-board computer that collects data and performs triangulation calculations and uses electronics to calculate angles and distances. This tool is used in topographic surveying to record features or to mark out features (roads, houses, or boundaries).

Read More: https://medium.com/@falcongeosystem/6-most-frequently-used-surveying-instruments-b6089ed2859c