Total station survey is a type of topographic survey performed using special instruments. As such, a theodolite and a range finder, or a total station, can serve. The result of such a survey is to obtain a terrain plan and an image of the terrain.
Tacheometric surveying is intended to create a plan or digital model of small areas on a large scale or in combination with some other type of work, when it is economically impractical or difficult to technically conduct stereotopographic or mensural surveys. The result of such a survey is used when conducting land or city cadastre, for designing settlements, planning land allotment, planning measures for land reclamation, as well as when conducting or planning other types of work. This type of shooting is advantageous and appropriate to use when searching for canal routes, roads for automobile and railway transport, power lines, other linear objects located on a fairly narrow strip of terrain.
If you translate the word "total station" from the Greek language, it means "quick measurement." A significant enough advantage of this type of survey over all others is that it can be carried out under the most adverse weather conditions. Office work may well be done right away by some other performer after the field measurements are completed. This allows you to significantly reduce the time for the preparation of a terrain plan. The tachometric survey process itself can be fully automated through the use of electronic total stations, and the plan can be drawn up on the basis of computers using plotters.
A total station has a slight drawback: a terrain plan is made in office conditions only on the basis of measurements and field sketches that have already been done. However, it is difficult to say that total station survey is less significant than other types of surveys. In this case, a three-dimensional model in dwg format can serve as the final result.
To speed up the work associated with the shooting of the terrain, as well as to increase the degree of accuracy, it is possible by partially conducting off-site work directly at the facility using a whole set of instruments at the same time. In this case, the results of the work can be considered visually, along the way, clarify the location of objects on the plan, compare the results obtained earlier with the plan, without errors fulfill the purpose of the work with clarifying certain details and correcting defects on the spot.
Working with a total station can be paired using computer-aided design systems that are installed on a tablet PC. In this case, the use of this type of technology is not only expedient for accelerating the shooting process, but also relevant, since the tablet is a fairly compact device with a low battery consumption, which can provide high autonomy in the field. The acceleration of shooting is facilitated by the use of several instruments simultaneously: several total stations, a level and a total station. This approach is quite convenient when shooting complex rough terrain, if it is most appropriate to engage in parallel shooting of several sections. Such objects include gas pipelines, which are quite difficult to design in the Far East or the north due to difficult natural conditions.
So, the total station survey is quite important for different areas of management.