Abstract: The merits and demerits of many kinds of deformation measurement methods are compared.The method of industrial surveying system which uses electronic theodolite as angle sensor is advanced.The principle of industrial surveying system is introduced.The measurement accuracy of the system is calculated and it is firstly applied to measure the deformation of the harp shaped cable-stayed bridge model.The study result shows that the measurement accuracy of the system is up to 0.2 mm in 6 m×5 m×4 m spatial region.The difference between industrial surveying system and dial gauge is within 20% percent.The proposed method is widely applied to the other civil engineering structural experiment and has broad prospects for application for its reliability and creditability.