Tacheometry

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 STADIA/ TACHEOMETRY.
• Rapid and efficient way of indirectly
measuring distances and elevation differences
• Total station and GPS receivers designed for
rapid and extremely accurate real-time
positioning system, putting stadia method into
background.
• Commonly used for topographic surveys,
rivers, roads, buildings and draw counters.

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 Principle of Stadia.
• In addition to the center horizontal cross hair, a
theodolite has two additional horizontal cross hairs
spaced equidistant from the center one. These are called
Stadia hairs.
• With the line of sight horizontal and directed towards
the graduated rod (staff) held vertically at a point some
distance away, the internal appearing between the two
stadia hairs of most surveying instruments is precisely
1/100 of the distance of rod (staff). Thus the intercepts
on a staff held 100ft away would be 1.0 ft. The stadia
method is based on the principle that in similar triangles,
corresponding sides are proportional.
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 DERIVATION OF DISTANCE FORMULA;
For horizontal sights.

• f = focal length of the object glass.

• ab = plane of stadia hairs
• O = object glass.
• ί = stadia hair interval.
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• AB = S = Staff intercept.
• d = distance of staff from object glass.
• d´ = distance of object glass from stadia hairs.
• C = distance of object glass from instrument axis.
• D = Required horizontal distance.
In similar
triangles;

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 • (f/ί) is a constant and set by manufacturing company.
Generally,

(f/ί) = 100 and f+c = 0

So for horizontal sights:
d+c = 100 * S
D = 100 * S
– S = Staff intercept
– D = Required horizontal distance.
– f/ί = 100 = constant
– f+c = 0 7
For inclined sights.

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• Staff may be held vertically or perpendicular
to the line of sight. Usually it is vertically.

θ = inclined angle (Depression or elevation)

D = inclined distance from inst. Axis to the point
“C” on staff.
V = vertically distance between inst. Axis and
middle hair reading.
H = horizontal distance of inst. Axis from staff.

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Since it is not practical to hold
the staff at an angle "θ" it is
plumbed
and reading AB or "S" is taken.

for small angles at "C" on most

sights
it is sufficiently accurate to
consider angle
AA´C as right angle, therefore,

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• In triangle AA´C
Cos θ = (A´C/AC)
A´C = AC Cosθ
A´ B´ = AB Cosθ
A´ B´ = S Cosθ
D = (f+c) + f/ ί * A´ B´
= (f+c) + f/ ί * S Cosθ

Since, H = D Cosθ __________(I)

H = {(f+c) + f/ ί * S Cosθ} * Cosθ _____(II)

 H = 0 + 100 S Cos2θ

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Since, V = D Sinθ
V = (f+c) Sinθ + (f/ ί) S Cosθ . Sinθ
= (f+c) Sinθ + (f/ ί) S . (Sin2θ)/2 ____(III)

Since, (f + c) = 0
& (f/ ί) = 100

 V = 100 * S (Sin2θ)/2

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 Calculation of Reduced level.
a) For angle of Elevation:

(R.L)B = (R.L)A + H.I + V - h

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b) For angle of Depression:

(R.L)B = (R.L)A + H.I - V - h

• V = Vertical distance from line of sight to the staff
intercepting point (middle hair)
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Instrument H.I Elevation of Staff point V-angle Axial Stadia
Station instrument Reading Intercept

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 Problem:
The elevation of point “x” is to be determined by observation
from two adjacent stations of a tacheometrical survey, the
staff was held vertically above the point and instrument
constant error 100. Calculate the required elevation from the
following data,
taking two observations as equally trustworthy.
Instrument H.I Elevation of Staff point V-angle Axial Stadia
Station instrument Readin Intercept
g
G 1.16 149.63 X 2º-27´ 2.30 2.475

H 1.25 177.43 x -4º-51´ 2.11 2.095

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Sight “GX”
V = 100 * S * (sin2θ)/2
= 100 * (2.475) * {sin2(2°-27´)}/2
= 10.57m
(R.L)x = (R.L)G + H.I + V – h.
= 149.63 + 1.16 + 10.56 – 2.30
=159.06 m
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Sight “HX”
(R.L)H + H.I – V – h.
= 177.43 + 1.25 + 17.65 – 2.11
=159.99 m
Mean = (159.06+158.92)/2
(R.L)x = 158.99 m

Staff held Vertically

Staff held normal

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Problem #2;
A Techeometer was setup at a station “A” and the following
readings were obtained on a vertically held staff.

Instrument Staff V-angle Hair readings Remarks

Station station
P B.M -4º-22´ 1.050, 1.103, R.L of
1.156 B.M
(1958.3
Q +10º-0´
)
0.952, 1.055,
1.158
Find horizontal distance from P to Q and Reduced level of Q.

Hint,
R.L of Q = R.L of B.M + h2 + V2 + V1 – h1
=1958.3 + 1.103 + V2 + V1 -1.055
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 R.L of Q = 1962.673 m

H1 = 100 * S1Cos2θ
= 100 * (1.158-0.952) * Cos2(10°)
= 20.6 * Cos2(10°)
= 19.97 m

V1 = 100 * S1 * (sin2θ)/2
= 100 * (1.158-0.952) * {sin2(10°)}/2
= 3.52 m

V2 = 100 * S2 * (sin2θ)/2
= 100 * (1.156-1.050) * {sin2(4°-22´)}/2
= 100 (0.106) * 0.07592
= 0.805 m

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Problem #3;
To determine the elevation of the first station “A” of a
techeometric survey, the following observations were made,
the staff being held vertically.

Instrum H.I Staff V-angle Staff readings Remarks

ent station
Station
O 1.440 B.M -5º-40´ 1.332, 1.896, 2.460 R.L of
B.M
(158.205
O 1.440 C.P +8º-20´ 0.780, 1.263, 1.746
)

A 1.380 C.P -6º-24´ 1.158, 1.617, 2.076

Calculate the Reduced level of “A”. 22

V1 = 100 * S1 * (sin2θ)/2
= 100 * (2.460-1.332) * {sin2(5°-40´ )}/2
= 11.083 m

V2 = 100 * S2 * (sin2θ)/2
= 100 * (1.746-0.780) * {sin2(8°-20´ )}/2
= 13.853 m
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V3 = 100 * S3 * (sin2θ)/2
= 100 * (2.076-1.158) * {sin2(6°-24´ )}/2
= 10.17 m

(R.L)A = R.LBM + h1 +V1 +V2 –h2 +h3 +V3 – H.IA

= 158.205 + 1.896 + 13.853 + 11.083 – 1.263
+ 1.617 + 10.17 – 1.380
(R.L)A = 194.181 m

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 Sources of error in Stadia work.
Instrumental Errors;
1. Improper spacing of stadia wires
2. Incorrect length of staff.
3. Line of sight not established truly
Personal errors;
1. Staff not held vertically.
2. Incorrect staff readings from long-sights.
3. Careless leveling of theodolite.

Mistakes;
1. Reading of staff intercept.
2. Waving rod.
3. “+” “-” sign confusion in angles.
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• Field work

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