Surveying Equipment Companies Recommendations
Since ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome, man has used tools to measure and keep his boundaries and separate himself from his neighbors. As the usage of such tools were all but lost within the Middle Ages, the Renaissance saw a resurgence in interest and need in tools to survey and parcel the land around them. Many tools still used today are similar to those used to map and survey the initial settlements of america. We are at the dawn of a brand new era, on the flip side, where technology which has not drastically changed in the past hundreds of years are being introduced to the computer age, which has served to only make man's estimations much more accurate than before.
In its earliest forms, among the main tools for conducting land surveys was a chain (sometimes described as a Gunter's chain) of a specific length. These chains could be pulled taut, and attempts were made to hold the measure level as a way to improve accuracy.
Leaps and bounds in accuracy in surveying were made with the introduction of such equipment as the surveyor's compass and theodolite. The surveyor's compass, or circumferentor, consisted of a brass circle and an index; on the circle was a compass. It was used to measure horizontal angles. A theodolite could measure both horizontal and vertical angles. Because of the higher accuracy, the theodolite was the preferred tool for surveyors throughout Europe by the early 1800s. However, as a result of its bulk, the surveyor's compass was still utilized in heavily wooded areas, leading to its resurgence in popularity through the Colonial period inside america.
Theodolites, however more sophisticated versions, were still used as late as the 1990's for simple surveys, together with other equipment to improve the accuracy. More recently, modern electronics have improved on the theodolite with the addition of an electronic distance measurement device, or EDM; these tools are known as total stations. In a short time period, total stations have gone from being mechanical/electronic devices to purely electronic systems with onboard computer and software.
Linear surveying is just one of the most basic methods of surveying and involves no measurement of angles. Whilst often now overlooked in favour of hi-tech theodolites and GPS equipment, It can be used to plot single features or whole towns. However it is most suited for small scale projects as accuracy can suffer over larger areas but it does offer a cheap alternative to sophisticated but expensive measurement equipment.
How Does Linear Surveying Work? This method involves establishing a linear baseline over the area which is to be measured/plotted. Over short distances this could be accomplished with a tape between two rods but over longer distances the baseline is best constructed by a team of at least two surveyors. One surveyor can stand at the previous rod and ensure the next rod is put in the ground in-line with the others.
Once a perfectly straight baseline is established then another tape can be provided by the baseline to an point that requires to be measured/plotted. The key is that this line is taken at exactly a 90 degree angle from the baseline. This can be ensured through the utilization of a standard surveyors triangle.
The two linear measurements that need to be taken will be the distance of the point along the baseline and secondly the distance from the baseline. By having these measurements from all the points required, it really is then possible to plot them and produce a drawing of the site.
For larger or more complicated sites it is strongly recommended to set up multiple baselines through the site with ideally each point being measured from more than one baseline to improve accuracy.
Global Positioning Systems have also entered the arena of land survey, and have steadily gained in knowledge and use in the private sector. For land surveying, conversely, they are not necessarily as accurate as the surveyor would wish. Although they have increased the speed of surveying, GPS systems are only horizontally accurate to 20mm and vertically accurate to about 30mm. Furthermore, GPS systems have problems functioning properly in heavily wooded areas. In lots of cases, surveyors will still depend upon their total stations in conjunction with other equipment such as laser scanners. Where the budget is large enough, a helicopter equipped with a GPS system can verify the findings on Get the facts ground.
While the technology used by land surveyors has been changing and moving forward by leaps and bound within the last 25 years, even the most advanced technology can just do so much. Land surveying remains an art, with the expertise of the surveyor cannot be replaced by technology. The surveyor must investigate and infer exactly what the true boundaries of any property might be using both the technological and historical information they have at hand.
