LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Exercise 2:
2.1 Free Stationing
The "free stationing" or "free choice of position" is used, if no
marketed, coordinative known position is available at the
measuring location and therefore the stationing is carried out
by observation of so called old points in the environment of
the measuring location. The task can be solved with the basics
of the similarity transformation, here we take the simple way
via a triangular calculation.

Free position
On the instrument standpoint P to be selected suitably, there
has to be line of sight to two so-called old points 𝐴1 and 𝐴2 ,
so that the horizontal distances 𝑠𝐴1 and 𝑠𝐴2 as well as the
horizontal angle 𝛽 can be measured exactly.

Direction observation and distance measurement

For this observation, high demands are placed on the position of the axes of a theodolite. If these are not
ideally fulfilled, the theodolite will show certain errors, which can be partially eliminated by suitable
measurement strategies. Symmetrical errors can be corrected by angle measurement in two positions
(aiming in the 1st telescope position (face I) with zenith angles of 0 to 200 gon and in the 2nd position
(face II) with 200 to 400 gon), the so-called strike-through. The aiming of all points to be observed in both
telescopic positions is called a set. In this exercise, the measurement of the horizontal angle between the
two connection points is to be done in 3 complete sets. For manual data recording, the following form for
angle and distance observation is used.

For this exercise - if the difference in the reduced means is less than 10mgon, you have measured
accurately enough.

When you finished the leveling of your instrument create a new Job. Please ask the supervisor how to do
it! Before starting measurements, we will configure the instrument. Define/set the correct units of
measurement, check the addition constant (prism selection). For the meteorological distance correction
settings, ask your supervisors for the air pressure and temperature.

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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Instrument: ................ Date: .................. Observer: ……....................... Weather: .............................

Target Point Face I Face II Mean I/II Reduced Final

Mean direction

𝐴1 (1. Set) 0 0

𝐴2

𝐴1 (2. Set) 0

𝐴2

𝐴1 (3. Set) 0

𝐴2

Distance 𝑠𝐴1 Distance 𝑠𝐴2

Map for your sketches:

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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Determination of the scale factor

The distance 𝑆𝐴1, 𝐴2 (𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛) calculated from the coordinates of the old points is to be compared with the
horizontal distance 𝑠𝐴1, 𝐴2 (𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑) calculated from the measuring elements via the cosine theorem in
the triangle 𝑃𝐴1 𝐴2. Provided that the deviation does not point to gross measuring errors, a scale factor
results (deviation of 1.000000 is expected only from the 4 decimal place), with which all observed
distances, in order to fit them to scale into the coordinate system of the old points, are to be provided.
Note the scale 𝑚 with 6 decimal places.

Pythagorean formula

Cosine theorem

𝑆𝐴1, 𝐴2 (𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛) 𝑠𝐴1, 𝐴2 (𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑) Scale factor 𝑚

Direction angle calculated from the two old points

From the coordinates of the old points
𝐴1 and 𝐴2 the direction angle 𝑡𝐴1 ,𝐴2 resp. 𝑡𝐴2 ,𝐴1 is
calculated. Via sine theorems in the triangle 𝑃𝐴1 𝐴2 the
triangles 𝛽1 and 𝛽2 can be calculated, with the help of
which the direction angles 𝑡𝐴1 ,𝑃 and 𝑡𝐴2 ,𝑃 are
determined. Thus the point of view 𝑃 (for calculation
control) can be set off polar from both old points.

𝐴1 (𝑦1 , 𝑥1 ): left handed of the standing point

𝐴2 (𝑦2 , 𝑥2 ): right handed of the standing point

Quadrant-Query!! See 1. Exercise or formulary

(2. Geodetic main task)

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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Control: calculation of the distance 𝑆𝐴1, 𝐴2 with the help of the direction angle

Condition:

Direction angle 𝑡𝐴1,𝐴2 Distance SA1,A2_a Distance SA1,A2_b

Triangle angles 𝜷𝟏 and 𝜷𝟐

𝑠𝐴2 ∙sin 𝛽 𝑠𝐴1 ∙sin 𝛽

Sine theorem: 𝛽1 = arcsin ; 𝛽2 = arcsin
𝑠𝐴1 ,𝐴2 _𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝐴1 ,𝐴2_𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑

Note: The arc sine function is not uniquely defined in the interval 0 to 200gon. Draw a sketch and derive
the correct interior angles from it.

Check: The interior angle sum of a triangle is 𝜅 = 𝛽1 + 𝛽2 + 𝛽 = 200 𝑔𝑜𝑛

Direction angle to the standing point

The following formulas for calculating the direction angles from the two old points to the instruments
position apply to the measuring arrangement sketched on the previous sheet. If necessary, adjust the
calculation of the direction angles according to your point situation:

Angle 𝛽1 Angle 𝛽2 Control 𝜅 𝑡𝐴1 ,𝑃 𝑡𝐴2 ,𝑃

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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Coordination of the standing point – polar appending from both old points
Calculation of the coordinates of the point of view from 𝐴1 :

Calculation of the coordinates of the point of view from 𝐴2 :

Instrument position/ 𝑦𝑃 −coordinate 𝑥𝑃 −coordinate

standing point
From 𝐴1
From 𝐴2

Mean of calculated coordinates:

𝑦𝑃 −coordinate 𝑥𝑃 −coordinate

Final control
The Tacheometer has a stationing program. You just have to start it and follow the steps of the free
stationing. Ask your tutor to make sure you’re doing the right way. You have to measure the distant targets
and the instrument calculates your stationing. Compare this stationing with your calculated one.

𝑦𝑃 −coordinate 𝑥𝑃 −coordinate
Calculated
Instrument

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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

2.2 Polar appending

When we do one polar appending after another it is called a traverse. You already had one example of
calculating a traverse during the calculation exercises. To get more precise coordinates for the traverse
points you measure another known point at the very end of your traverse. It is called a traverse connected
on both sides. Today we will not measure and calculate a long traverse but we will do measure the first
point to learn how it would work and to get the meaning of a traverse.

We want to make an as built survey from one side of the Pinakothek building (where is the building,
walkway, trees, drains, electricity, …) but we do not have some marked points over there. That’s why we
will need another point. With the free stationing we are allowed to look around the corner, but we cannot
see everything we want to measure. So we need to do one polar appending – setting out another point
and move with our instrument to that point afterwards. In the following steps you will learn how to do a
polar appending:

Map for your sketches:

The new point

Choose a place, where you can see your last standing point and you can see everything you want to
measure. Put up the tripod with a forced centering. Level the tripod with the aid of the tube bubble.

1. Measure the angle between an old and the new point in 3 sets:
Don’t use “messen”, just write down the shown horizontal angles on the display
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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Target Point Face I Face II Mean I/II Reduced Final

Mean direction

New point (1. 0 0

Set)
𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡
(𝐴1 𝑜𝑟 𝐴2 )*
𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 0
(2. Set)
𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡
(𝐴1 𝑜𝑟 𝐴2 )*
𝐴1 (3. Set) 0

𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡
(𝐴1 𝑜𝑟 𝐴2 )*
*𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 (𝐴1 𝑜𝑟 𝐴2 ) depends which one is the closest anticlockwise

Distance 𝑠𝑃,𝑁𝑒𝑤

2. Getting the new points coordinates:

There are two options to get the new points coordinates. The first option is: calculate them like you did
the Single point acquisition (polar acquisition) in the first exercise. The second one is just to let them be
calculated by the instrument. That’s the way we will do it today. Ask your supervisor to help you. Know it
is important to name the point (e.g. N1) and press the “messen” button. This way the instrument saves all
measurements and can calculate with them.

𝑦𝑛𝑒𝑤 −coordinate 𝑥𝑛𝑒𝑤 −coordinate

calc. by Instrument

3. Moving the instrument

Now you can move the instrument to the new position, but: DO NOT OPEN the screw to fix the instrument.
Just open the forced centering. If you are not sure how to do it, don’t hesitate to ask the supervisors.
Switch the prism (same here – forced centering has to stay on tripod) of the new point with the
tacheometer.

4. Orientation of the instrument

Your instrument is now at the new point. You do know the coordinates of that point, but if you remember
the last exercise you do not know the orientation of your instrument. Here you have two options again.
The first option is, that you can calculate the direction angle and the unknown of the orientation etc. The
equivalent is to let the instrument calculate it. For that you have to choose the program stationing again.
But here do not use free stationing. Choose stationing with one known distant target and known
instrument position.

TUM – Chair of Engineering Geodesy – a.weinhuber@tum.de

LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

Now you can go on with for example further polar appending/traverse or you can measure some single
points. In our case you can do the as built survey now. For that you should measure prominent points with
which you can describe an object well (e.g. two points at the end of a straight structure, between which a
line can be drawn afterwards). To calculate the single points, you can use Single point acquisition like in
the last exercise or let it be done by the tacheometer.

2.3 Coordinates and Coordinate Field “Pinakotheken“

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LMGS/As-Built Exercise 2 – Free Stationing – 19th January 2022

List of Coordinates
North side of Pinakothek

𝑦𝑖 -Coordinate 𝑥𝑖 -Coordinate height

PIN1 32691129.6833 5336044.2938 515.1341

PIN2 32691178.9920 5336088.5685 515.2048

PIN3 32691173.1090 5336043.8376 515.1543

PIN4 32691163.8461 5336013.0409 515.0494

PIN5 32691205.2337 5335998.2540 515.1586

PIN6 32691221.2869 5336036.6200 515.0711

PIN7 32691223.0168 5336030.9095 515.1560

South side of Pinakothek

𝑦𝑖 –Coordinate 𝑥𝑖 –Coordinate height

PIS1 32691125.0501 5335909.5101 515.5151

PIS2 32691150.2274 5335932.0594 515.5127

PIS3 32691159.8096 5335890.8578 515.5777

PIS4 32691196.3528 5335842.6653 515.9342

PIS5 32691113.4820 5335869.4505 515.8582

PIS6 32691084.6264 5335888.1917 515.7696

PIS7 32691101.6077 5335940.2355 515.3933

TUM – Chair of Engineering Geodesy – a.weinhuber@tum.de