In construction, engineering, and many other fields, it’s important to verify the accuracy of measuring and surveying data. Even small inaccuracies can lead to mistakes, project delays, higher costs, and even unhappy clients. Total stations can give you the information you need to make sure you perform quality construction and finish the project in a timely manner.
A total station is an optical instrument that’s often used in construction, surveying, and civil engineering. It can measure horizontal and vertical angles as well as distance, and it does this by looking at the slope leading to a specific point. A quality total station camera will combine surveying, imaging, and high-speed 3D scanning into a single instrument. It will also combine the latest field technologies with advanced technical features to create a tool that can be trusted in demanding field situations — all while providing accurate results that can be used for analysis and engineering.
Here are three of the best total stations on the market.
Featuring mobile data capability, this Leica total station will let you transfer construction data between the office and the instrument. This will always keep your project progress and plans up to date, which will make sure you don’t miss any changes in the design. The device is simple and easy to master, so you can finish your projects more efficiently and with minimal training. You can analyze layout points both quickly and accurately, even on complex structures. You can also make fast and accurate as-built measurements, do volume calculations on-site, and work with digital design data (including fully rendered models in IFC format).
With this total station, you can minimize the amount of time it takes to perform any survey task, while maximizing your performance and accuracy on the job site. This total station for surveying is the ultimate one-man system with the following features:
- Up to 20% more automation performance.
- Extended reflectorless measurement capability.
- STReAM 360.
- AccXess technologies.
- Windows CE open connectivity.
It will scan the entire working area in seconds, so you can find your target quickly. Once it’s locked, the instrument will continue to aim at the target (even if it’s moving). It will also aim accurately at any prism without having to look through the telescope, and measurements are performed automatically with a great deal of dependability.
This Leica total station will allow you to go digital, so it’s leading the way to the no-strings and no-tapes approach for a construction project. It’s easy to learn, so you can finish your projects more efficiently and with very little training. This total station will allow you to perform a variety of tasks, which include but may not be limited to:
- Evaluating layout points and lines quickly and accurately.
- Evaluating complex structures easily.
- Quickly performing verticality checks on formwork and structures.
- Completing fast and accurate as-built measurements.
- Working with digital design data (including fully rendered models in IFC format).
If you’re looking for one of the best
total stations for construction and surveying applications, be sure to pick yours up at
Engineer Supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are total stations used for?
Total stations are often used by surveyors and civil engineers to either record features in a topographical survey or to set up areas for building certain structures (such as roads and houses). They can also be used to record and establish boundaries.
How many types of total stations are there?
Here are the three main types of
total stations:
- Manual Total Stations — The value of each horizontal and vertical angle is read manually, while the value of each slope distance is read electronically.
- Semiautomatic Total Stations — While using these instruments, you read the horizontal circle manually. But the reading of the vertical circle will be digitally displayed. The values of slope distances are also read electronically.
- Automatic Total Stations — These are the most common types of total stations being used today. They can sense both the horizontal and vertical angles electronically, find the coordinates of observed points, and measure the slope distance. It can even calculate the horizontal and vertical elements of those distances.
In each of these devices, you will need to set up the device to some known direction (such as magnetic north, true north, or some known bearing) as you measure the coordinates of each point you need to survey. This information can either be recorded in the memory of the
total station for surveying or by using an external data recorder.
What's included in a Leica total station?
A
Leica total station can maximize efficiency through the use of sophisticated technology that can streamline the process for layout applications in construction and surveying. It can integrate your 3D design model from the office to when you’re out in the field, which can improve workflow. It can also produce accurate and verified point data in real time, which can eliminate delays that can come from manually exporting and converting files.
How accurate is a total station?
The average
total station can measure distances of up to 1,500 meters with an accuracy of about 1.5 millimeters. Reflector total stations can measure distances of any object that is light enough in color up to a few hundred meters, depending on how you set up and calibrate the device.
Where can I buy a quality total station?
If you’re looking for a total station for surveying that you can use on your next project, you can find what you need at
Engineer Supply. We have a variety of
total stations from some of the best manufacturers on the market, so feel free to look at what we have in stock.