INTRODUCTION TO

THEODOLITE

 Theodolite is used to measure the horizontal and

vertical angles.

 Theodolite is more precise than magnetic compass.

 Magnetic compass measures the angle up to as

accuracy of 30’. However a vernier theodolite
measures the angles up to and accuracy of 10’’, 20”.

 There are variety of theodolite vernier, optic,

electronic etc.
TYPES OF THEODOLITE
 Vertical axis
VERNIER THEODOLITE
Transverse/horizontal/trunnion axis
Vertical circle rigidly fixed to
the telescope

Line of Sight
 Vernier theodolite is
also known and
Alidade assembly transit.

 A transit theodolite
Horizontal circle is one in which the
assembly telescope can be
rotated in a vertical
Levelling head assembly plane.

Three assemblies of Theodolite

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIOUS
AXES
 Parts of a theodolite

Important parts of a theodolite

Leveling head (7): Leveling head

is used to attach the instrument to
tripod and attach the plumb bob
along the vertical axis of the
instrument.
Lower plate/circle plate (18): an
annular horizontal plate with the
graduations provided all around, from 0
to 360°, in a clockwise direction. The
graduations are in degree divided in to 3
parts so that each division equals to 20
min.

 Horizontal angles are measured with

this plate.

 The size of the theodolite is defined by

the diameter of horizontal circle.

Upper plate (17): Horizontal plate of

smaller diameter provided with two
verniers. on diametrically opposite parts
of its circumference. These verniers are
designated as A and B. They are used to
read fractions of the horizontal circle
plate graduations. The verniers are
graduated in 20 minute and each minute
is divided in 3 parts making least count
20”.
 Clamps and tangent screws (15, 19):
 There are two clamps and associated
tangent screws with the plate. These
screws facilitate the motion of the
instruments in horizontal plane.
 Lower clamp screw locks or releases the
lower plate. When this screw is unlocked
both upper and lower plates move
together. The associated lower tangent
screw allows small motion of the plate in
locked position.
 The upper clamp screw locks or releases
the upper vernier plate. When this clamp
is released the lower plate does not move
but the upper vernier plate moves with
the instrument. This causes the change in
the reading. The upper tangent screw
allows the fine adjustment.
 Plate level (5):
 Spirit level with the bubble and
graduation on glass cover.
 A single level or two levels fixed in
perpendicular direction may be
provided.
 The spirit level can be adjusted
with the foot screw (21) of the
leveling head (7).

 Telescope (10): The essential parts

of the telescopes are eye-piece,
diaphragm with cross hairs, object
lens and arrangements to focus the
telescope.
 Vertical circle (1): circular plate
supported on horizontal axis of the
instrument between the A-frames.
Vertical circle has graduation 0-90 in
four quadrants. Vertical circle moves
with the telescope when it is rotated
in the vertical plane.

 Vertical circle clamp and tangent

screw (11): Clamping the vertical
circle restrict the movement of
telescope in vertical plane.

 Altitude level (2): A highly sensitive

bubble is used for leveling
particularly when taking the vertical
angle observations.
 Important Definition
Face Right - When the vertical circle of a theodolite is on the right of the observer, the
position is called face right and the observation made is called face right observation.
Face left - When the vertical circle of a theodolite is on the left of the observer, the
position is called face left and the observation made is called face left observation.
By taking the mean of both face readings, the collimation error is eliminated.
Telescope Normal - The telescope is said to be normal or direct when its vertical circle
is to the left of the observer and the bubble is up.
Telescope Inverted - The telescope is said to be inverted when its
vertical circle is to the right of the observer and the bubble is up.
Changing face
Revolving the telescope by 180° in vertical plane about horizontal axis
Again revolving the telescope in horizontal plane about vertical axis.
Temporary Adjustments
Setting over the station
Levelling up
Elimination of parallax
Setting over the station includes centring and approximate
leveling of the instrument over a station.
Centring involves placing of the instrument exactly over the station
mark or the station peg. It is done by the following steps:
 The plumb bob is suspended from a small hook attached to the vertical
axis of the theodolite.
 The instrument is placed over the station mark with the telescope at a
convenient height and with the tripod legs set well apart.
 Two legs of the tripod are set firmly into the ground and the third leg
is moved radially to bring the plumb bob exactly over the station
mark. Then the third leg is also pushed into the ground.
 If the instrument has a shifting head, the instrument is roughly
centered over the station mark and then by means of the shifting
head, the plumb bob is brought exactly the station mark.
Approximate levelling – This implies leveling the instrument with
the legs of the tripod, i. e. by bringing the small circular bubble
provided on the tribrach in the center. To achieve this, two of the
tripod legs are pushed firmly into the ground and the third leg of the
tripod is moved to the right or to the left, i. e. in the circumferential
direction until the bubble is centered. This leg is then pushed into
the ground.
Levelling up means making the vertical
axis truly vertical
Done with the help of foot screws, after
bringing the plate level parallel to any two
foot screws.
Equal motions are given to these screws either inward or outward,
and the bubble is centered.
Turn the plate level by 90°, again center the bubble using third foot
screw.
Focusing consists of focusing the eye piece and objective.
Focusing of eyepiece is done to make the cross-hairs appear
clearly visible. It is performed in two steps:
Direct the telescope towards the sky or a sheet of white paper held
in front of the objective.
Move the eyepiece in and out until the cross-hairs appear clear and
distinct.
Focusing of objective is done to bring the image of the object in
the plane of the cross-hairs. Following are the steps:
Direct the telescope towards the object.
Rotate the focusing screw until the image appears clear and sharp.
 Measurement of horizontal angle
Measurement of Angle ABC
 The instrument is set over B.
 The lower clamp is kept fixed and upper clamp
is loosened.
 Turn the telescope clockwise set vernier A to 0°
and vernier B to approximately 180°.
 Upper clamp is tightened and using the upper tangent screw the
vernier A and B are exactly set to 0° and 180°.
 Upper clamp is tightly fixed, lower one is loosened and telescope is
directed towards A and bisect the ranging rod at A.
 Tightened the lower clamp and turn the lower tangent screw to
perfectly bisect ranging rod at A.
 Loose the upper clamp and turn the telescope clockwise to bisect the
ranging rod at C tightened the upper clamp and do the fine adjustment
with upper tangent screw.
 The reading on vernier A and B are noted. Vernier A gives the angle
directly and vernier B gives the reading by subtracting the initial
reading (180°) from final reading
 Read these two method
 Repetition method
 Reiteration method
 Vertical angle measurement

 Set the theodolite at O. Centered and levelled properly. Zeros of

verniers (C and D) are set at 0°- 0° mark of the vertical circle. Clamp
the telescope.
 Plate bubble with foot screws, and altitude bubble with clip screw is
brought to center. At this position the line of collimation is exactly
horizontal.
 Now raise the telescope slowly to bisect the point A accurately. Note
readings of both the verniers, and record the angle of elevation.
 Change the face of the instrument and again bisect point A. Note
readings of both the verniers, and take average of both faces readings.
Note: On lowering the telescope from 0°- 0° mark, the angle of
depression can be obtained.
Operations with theodolite
Measurements of
 deflection angle
P
 magnetic bearing
B
 - Deflection angle

N
B C

 - Magnetic bearing

A
Method of traversing
 Included angle method
 Fast needle method (or magnetic bearing method)
 Deflection angle
 Free or loose needle method (performed by compass along
with a chain)

Q. Distinguish between loose needle method and fast needle

method of traversing.
Plotting a traverse
(i) by angle and distance method
(ii) by co-ordinate method (Latitude and departure method)
 Latitude of a survey line is its co-ordinate length measured
parallel to the meridian (e.g. magnetic meridian, etc.). Also
known as Northing (+Latitude) and Southing (–Latitude) .
 Departure of a survey line is its co-ordinate length measured at
right angles to the meridian. Also known as Easting
(+Departure) and Westing (–Departure) .
Computing latitude and departure
Sources of errors in theodolite
 Instrumental errors
 Non adjustment of plate bubble
 Line of collimation not being perpendicular to horizontal axis
 Horizontal axis not being perpendicular to vertical axis
 Line of collimation not being parallel to axis of telescope
 Graduation not being uniform
 Verniers being eccentric
 Personal errors
 Natural errors
 High temperature causes error due to irregular refraction.
 High winds cause vibration in the instrument, and this may
lead to wrong readings on verniers
TACHEOMETRIC SURVEYING
 Tacheometer is a transit theodolite, i.e. it is fitted with a stadia
diaphragm (in addition with cross-wires) and anallatic lens.
 Theodolites with this arrangement can be directly used for
measuring distances, i.e. an optical way of distance measurement.
 For horizontal line of sight, the horizontal distance D = Ks + C

Stadia diaphragm Stadia rods

Anallatic lens: Additional convex lens is provided between the eye
piece and the object glass at a fixed distance from the object glass.
The purpose of providing anallatic lens is to make additive constant
(f+d), i.e. C exactly zero.
Advantage
 It simplifies the calculation by making the additive constant ‘0’,
i.e. C.
 Therefore, there is only one constant which is multiplying
constant.
 Distances are directly calculated by multiplying the difference of
stadia hair (s) readings by 100, i.e 100 x s.
Disadvantage
 Brightness of the image is much reduced due to absorption of
light.

Methods of Tacheometry
 Stadia Method: Parallactic angle ‘α’ is kept constant and
observations to staff intercept is varied .
 Tangential Method: Observations are made for vertical angles
and staff intercepts are obtained by cross-wires only. Stadia wires
are not used at all. Similar to trigonometric leveling.