For just about as long as there have been buildings, the world has had surveyors. While the world's earliest surveyors lacked sophisticated tools, they still managed to build monuments such as the Pyramids and even Stonehenge. Today's surveyors still do many similar tasks, including recording boundary lines, created maps of the earth's surface, helping to construct houses and skyscrapers, roads, bridges and much more.
In ancient times, measuring ropes and levels were common tools of surveyors. In the 16th century, the theodolite was invented and this tool, which measures horizontal and vertical angles, has been used for hundreds of years and still is in common use today. In fact, today's theodolites are still very similar to those used hundreds of years ago. Some of the most notable theodolites are those designed by Jesse Ramsden. These massive theodolites were used for the earliest ordnance surveys of Great Britain, back in the 1790s.
Today, many surveyors use what is called a total station. This optical instrument consists of a transit theodolite and an electronic distance meter. These also are sometimes called a TST or total station theodolite. There are even robotic total stations that allow a surveyor to control the TST at a distance away from the device.
Some of the world's greatest historical figures have worked as surveyors. In the United States, this includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. However, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are perhaps the most famous American surveyors. Benjamin Banneker is another notable surveyor. Banneker, the son of freed slaves, was an autodidact who eventually worked with team that surveyed the original borders of the District of Columbia.
International Surveyors Week has been celebrated for several years now and the week provides surveyors with a chance to share their knowledge with each other. While each day has a special theme, the big event of the week is the Survey Earth in Day project. At a specific time on the day of the Summer Solstice, thousands of surveyors, from spots around the globe, gather GPS data and send in it in to the organizers of the event. In order to participate, you need to be using survey-quality GPS receivers, as these are the most accurate.
Both amateur surveyors and the pros often enjoy geocaching, which requires one to use a GPS receiver to find hidden containers all around the planet. In addition to the hidden caches, you also could hunt for the thousands of geodetic markers placed around the country by the staff at the National Geodetic Survey. Some of these markers have been in place for longer than a century. To find them, you can leave the theodolite and clinometer at home and just pack a GPS device and compass.
In ancient times, measuring ropes and levels were common tools of surveyors. In the 16th century, the theodolite was invented and this tool, which measures horizontal and vertical angles, has been used for hundreds of years and still is in common use today. In fact, today's theodolites are still very similar to those used hundreds of years ago. Some of the most notable theodolites are those designed by Jesse Ramsden. These massive theodolites were used for the earliest ordnance surveys of Great Britain, back in the 1790s.
Today, many surveyors use what is called a total station. This optical instrument consists of a transit theodolite and an electronic distance meter. These also are sometimes called a TST or total station theodolite. There are even robotic total stations that allow a surveyor to control the TST at a distance away from the device.
Some of the world's greatest historical figures have worked as surveyors. In the United States, this includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. However, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are perhaps the most famous American surveyors. Benjamin Banneker is another notable surveyor. Banneker, the son of freed slaves, was an autodidact who eventually worked with team that surveyed the original borders of the District of Columbia.
International Surveyors Week has been celebrated for several years now and the week provides surveyors with a chance to share their knowledge with each other. While each day has a special theme, the big event of the week is the Survey Earth in Day project. At a specific time on the day of the Summer Solstice, thousands of surveyors, from spots around the globe, gather GPS data and send in it in to the organizers of the event. In order to participate, you need to be using survey-quality GPS receivers, as these are the most accurate.
Both amateur surveyors and the pros often enjoy geocaching, which requires one to use a GPS receiver to find hidden containers all around the planet. In addition to the hidden caches, you also could hunt for the thousands of geodetic markers placed around the country by the staff at the National Geodetic Survey. Some of these markers have been in place for longer than a century. To find them, you can leave the theodolite and clinometer at home and just pack a GPS device and compass.
About the Author:
Carey Bourdier loves blogging about precision scientific instruments. For more information about surveying products like a surveyor compass, or to discover other alignment instruments, check out the Warren Knight website today.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment