SURVEYING

THEODOLITE
INTRODUCTION:
The theodolite is the most preside instrument designed for the measurements of
horizontal & vertical angles and wild applicability in surveying.
Theodolite may be classified as
1. Transit theodolite
2. Non- transit theodolite
1. TRANSIT THEODOLITE:
A transit theodolite is one in which the line of sight can be reversed by revolving the
telescope through 1800 in vertical plane.
2. NON-TRANSIT THEODOLITE:
The non-transit theodolites are either plain theodolites or Y- theodolites in which the
telescope cannot be transmitted.
ESSENTIAL PARTS OF TRANSIT THEODOLITE:

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1. Telescope 11. Upper clamp

2. Trunnion axis or horizontal 12. Lower clamp
axis 13. upper plate
3. Vernier frame 14. Horizontal plate vernier
4. Vertical circle 15. Lower plate
5. Plane levels 16. Horizontal circle
6. Standard A- frame 17. Inner axis
7. Leveling head 18. Outer axis
8. Leveling screws 19. Altitude level
9. Plumb bob 20. Vertical circles clamp
10. Foot plate
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS AND TERMS:
1. HORIZONTAL AXIS:
The horizontal axis is the axis about which the telescope & the vertical circle rotate in
vertical plane
2. VERTICAL AXIS:
The vertical axis is the axis about which the instrument can be rotated in a horizontal
plane.
3. LINE OF SIGHT (OR) LINE OF COLLIMATION:
It is the line passing through the intersection of the horizontal & vertical cross hairs &
optical center of the glass & its continuation.
4. AXIS OF LEVEL TUBE:
The axis of the level tube or bubble line is a straight line tangential to the longitudinal
curve of the level tube at its center. The axis of level tube is horizontal when the bubble is in
center.
5. TRANSITING:
It is the process of turning the telescope in vertical plane through 180 0 about the
horizontal axis.
Since line of sight is reversed in this operation it is also known as plunging or
reversing.

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6. SWINGING OF TELESCOPE:
It is the process of turning the telescope in horizontal plane. Telescope is rotated in
clockwise direction it is known as RIGHT SWING. If it is rotated in anti- clockwise direction
it is known as LEFT SWING.
7. FACE – LEFT OBSERVATIONS:
If the face of the vertical circle is to the left of the observer, the observation of the
angle (horizontal or vertical) is known as FACE LEFT OBSERVATIONS.
8. FACE- RIGHT OBSERVATIONS:
If the face of the vertical circle is to the right of the observer, the observation of the
angle (horizontal & vertical) is known as FACE RIGHT OBSERVATION.
9. TELESCOPE NORMAL:
A telescope is site to be normal or direct when the face of the vertical circle to be left
& the bubble up.
10. TELESCOPE INVERTED:
A telescope is site to be inverted or reversed when of the vertical circle is to be right
& the bubble down.
11. CHANGING FACE:
It is an operation of bringing the face of the telescope from left to right & vice versa.
TEMPERORY ADJUSTMENTS OF THEODOLITE:
Temporary adjustments are those which are made at every instrument station and
preparatory to taking observations with the instrument.
The temporary adjustments of theodolite includes following operations.
1. Setting over the station
2. Leveling up
3. Elimination of parallax
PERMANENT ADJUSTMENTS:
The permanent adjustment lines of transit are:
1. The vertical axis 4. Axis of plate level
2. The horizontal axis 5. Axis of altitude level
3. The line of collimation

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RELATION BETWEEN THE FUNDAMENTAL

LINES:
1. The axis of the plate level must lie in a plane
perpendicular to the vertical axis
2. The line of collimation must be perpendicular
to the horizontal axis, at its intersection with
the vertical axis.
3. The horizontal axis must be perpendicular to
the vertical axis
4. The axis of altitude must be parallel to the line of collimation
5. The vertical circle must read zero when the line of collimation is horizontal
METHODS OF MEASUREMENT OF HORIZONTAL AXIS:
1. GENERAL METHOD OF MEASURING HORIZONTAL ANGLE:
1. Set up the instrument at Q and level it accurately.
2. Release all clamps; turn the upper and lower plates in opposite direction, till the
vernier A reads zero reading.
3. Clamp both the plates together upper lower clamps are bring the two zeros into
exact coincidence by turning the upper tangent screw. Take both verniers readings
on vernier B will be 1800. If there is no instrumental levels.
4. Now by loosening the lower clamp sight the telescope towards point P and tight
the lower clamp.
5. Now, by loosening the upper clamp sight the telescope towards R in clockwise
direction and tight the upper clamp.
6. Note the reading in both the verniers ( A and B)
7. Now changing the face of the instrument take the reading again as above.
8. The angle between the two points P and R is given by the both the readings. (face
left and face right)
2. REPETION METHOD:
1. Set the instrument at point O and level it.
2. Now, by loosening the both upper and lower clamps set reading as zero in vernier
A ( if the instrument has no errors the vernier B shows 1800)
3. Now, tight the upper clamp (lower clamp is loose position) sight the telescope
towards point P and tight the lower clamp.

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4. By loosening the upper clamp, sight the

telescope towards point Q in clockwise
direction and tight the upper clamp.
5. Take the readings as both verniers.
6. By releasing the lower clamp again sight
the point P and tight the lower clamp.
7. By releasing the upper clamp sight the
point Q and note the readings (clockwise).
8. Tight the upper clamp and release lower
clamp again sight the point P in clockwise
direction.
9. Tight the lower clamp and by releasing the upper clamp sight the point Q in clock
wise direction and note the reading in both the verniers.
10. The angle between the points P and Q (face left) is given by the last reading (third
reading) divided by three.
11. Now, changing the face of the instrument take the readings by following the above
procedure.
12. The angle between P and Q in face right observation is given by third reading
divided by three.
13. The final and accurate angle between the points P and Q is the mean of the both
angle (face left and right) observations.
3. REITERATION METHOD:
1. Set the instrument at point O and level it by loosening the both the clamps, set the
reading in the vernier A as zero and tight the upper clamp.
2. Now, lower clamp in the loose position sight the telescope towards A. tight the
lower clamp.
3. Release the upper clamp sight the telescope towards point B in clockwise
direction and note the reading in both the verniers.
4. Now, upper clamp in the loose position sight the telescope towards the point C
and note the readings.
5. The upper clamp is in the loose position sight the telescope towards A and notes
the reading in both the verniers.
6. Change the face of the instrument and by loosening the upper clamp set the
readings as zero in the vernier A.

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7. Now, tight the upper clamp and loosening the lower clamp, sight the telescope
towards point A and tight the lower clamp.
8. By releasing the upper clamp, sight the point C in anti-clockwise direction and
note the readings.
9. Upper clamp is in the loose position, sight the point towards A and note the
readings on both the verniers.
10. Upper clamp is in loose position, sight the point towards A and note the readings
on both the verniers and the reading should be zero.
11. The angles AOB, BOC, AOC are given by the mean of the angles measured in
both the faces.
METHODS OF MEASUREMENTS OF VERTICAL ANGLES:
1. Set the instrument at the point O and level it.
2. By loosening the vertical screws set the reading as zero in the vernier C and tight
the vertical screw.
3. Now, release the vertical screw and sight the telescope towards point B and tight
the vertical screw and note the readings in both the verniers C and D.
4. Now, again release the vertical screw, set the readings as zero in the vernier C
5. Again release the vertical screw, sight the telescope towards point A and tight the
vertical screw and note the readings on both the verniers C and D
6. Now, change the face of the instrument repeat the above procedure.
7. The angle of expression and depression are given by the mean of the both the
angles taken by the two faces.
MEASUREMENT OF DEFLECTION ANGLE:
1. Set the instrument at point B and level it

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2. Now, by releasing the both the clamps

set the reading as zero in the vernier A
and clamp the upper & lower screw in
the loose position sight the point A and
tight the lower screw.
3. By releasing the vertical screw transit
the telescope in 1800 such that it is in
the line of the prolongation of AB and
tight the vertical screw.
4. By releasing the upper clamp sight the telescope towards point C and note the
readings in both the verniers which gives the amount of deflection angle α.
5. Now, change the face of the instrument repeat the above procedure.
6. The final deflection angle is given by the mean of the angles taken on both the
faces.
ELECTRONIC THEODOLITE:
The electronic theodolites are modern type of theodolites in which high accuracy is
maintained or obtained. In electronic theodolites, absolute angle measurements is provided by
a dynamic system of “opto-electronic scanning”. The electronic theodolites are provided with
control panels with keyboards and liquid crystal displays. The LCD’s with points &
accurately. The electronic theodolites works with speed and efficiency. The measure
electronically and open the way to electronic data and data processing.

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TRIGNOMETRICAL LEVELLING:
Trigonometric Levelling Is the Process of determining the differences of elevations of
stations from the observed vertical angles and known distances, which is the assumed to be
either horizontal or geodetic lengths.
In order to get differencing elevation between the instrument station & the object
under observations, consider the following cases.
i. Base of the object is accessible
ii. Base of the object is in-accessible (instrument stations in the same vertical plane)
iii. Base of the object is in-accessible (instrument stations not in the same vertical
plane)
CASE (I)
Let assume that the horizontal distances between the instrument & the object can be
measured accurately.

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O = Instrument station
P = point to be observed
A = Centre of instrument
Q = projection of P on horizontal plane through A
D = AQ = horizontal distance between O & R
hI = height of the instrument at O
h = QQI
S = Reading of the staff kept at bench mark with line of collimation
Q = Angle of elevation from A to P
From triangle AQQI
h = D tanα
R.L of P = R.L of the instrument axis (height of the instrument) +
D tanα
If the reading on the staff kept at the B.M is ‘S’ with the line of sight horizontal.
R.L of Q = R.L of B.M +S+ D tanα

CASE (II)
INSTRUMENT AXIS AT SAME LEVEL:

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1. Setup the instrument at B and level it accurately with respect to the altitude
bubble.
2. Sight the telescope towards P & bisect accurately & clamp the vertical screw, note
the vertical angle α1.
3. Bringing the line of collimation again in horizontal position with the help of
vertical screw. Bring the line of collimation horizontal.
4. Now, transit the telescope with 1800 & locate the second instrument station A.
5. Take the staff reading on B.M & calculate the R.L of instrument al axis.
6. Shift the instrument to the station A & set the instrument in such a way that the
R.L of instrument axis is equal to the R.L of instrumental axis of station B.
7. Measure the distance between two instrument stations & note it as ‘b’.
8. Now, sight the telescope towards P & note the vertical angle as α2.

Consider a triangle BPR

h = D tan α1 Eq 1
From triangle APR
H = (b+D) tan α2 Eq 2
From eq 1 & 2
D tan α1 = (b+D) tan α2
D (tan α1- tan α2) = b tan α2

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b tan α 2
D =
tan α 1−tan α 2
b tan α 1 tan α 2
Therefore h =
tan α 1−tan α 2
R.L of P = R.L of instrumental axis + h
CASE (III)
INSTRUMENT AXIS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS:

When the instrument axis are at different axis are at different levels if S 1 & S2 are the
corresponding staff readings on the staff kept at B.M. the difference in the levels of
instrument axis is given by S1 - S2.
Let PI be the projection of P on horizontal line through instrument station B &P II be
the projection of horizontal line through the instrument station A.
From triangle BPPI
h1 = D tan α1
From triangle APPII
h2 = (b+D) tan α2
Difference of heights
h 1- h 2 = D (tan α1- tan α2)- b tan α2
But h 1- h 2 = S
S = D (tan α1- tan α2)- b tan α2
S+b tan α 2
D =
tan α 1−tan α 2
R.L of P = R.L of instrumental axis of B + h 1

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(Or)
R.L of P = R.L of instrumental axis of A + h 2
TRAVERSING:
Methods of traversing:
1. Included angle method
2. Deflection angle method
3. Fast needle method

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