CE 371 Surveying

Trigonometric LEVELING
Dr. Ragab Khalil
Department of Landscape Architecture
Faculty of Environmental Design
King AbdulAziz University
Room LIE15
Overview 2/20

• Trigonometric Leveling
• Curvature And Refraction in Trigonometric
Leveling
• Trigonometric Leveling With Unknown Distance
• Elevation of Inaccessible Points
• Grid Leveling
• Radial Line Leveling
• Borrow-Pit Leveling

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

 Trigonometric Leveling 3/20

Trigonometry can be used to compute difference in

elevation between two points by measuring horizontal
distance H between the two points and the vertical angle a
(or zenith angle z).

a= 90-z D

V= H. tan (a) S r
V
V= H. cot (z) C z B ‫ق‬
a
E
hi
A
ElevB= ElevA + hi + V - rB H
(For distances up to 300 m)
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
 4/20
Trigonometric Leveling Example
A theodolite is set up at point A whose elevation is 100.00
m. A level rod is put at point B whose horizontal distance
from A is 120.00 m. If rod reading is 2.29 m, zenith angle
is 65o, height of instrument is 1.50 m, find ElevB.

Solution:

V = 120.00 cot(65o) = 55.96 m

ElevB = 100.00 + 1.50 + 55.96 - 2.29 = 155.17 m

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

 Curvature And Refraction in
Trigonometric Leveling 5/20

• For long horizontal distances,

the effect of curvature and
refraction should be taken
into account.

ElevB= ElevA + hi + V – rB +.0675 H2

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Trigonometric Leveling _Long
distances Example
6/20

A theodolite is set up at point A whose elevation is 100.00

m. A level rod is put at point B whose horizontal distance
from A is 500.00 m. If rod reading is 2.29 m, zenith angle
is 65o, height of instrument is 1.50 m, find ElevB.

Solution:
V = 500.00 cot(65o) = 233.15 m
Combined curvature and refraction effect
CR = 0.0675(0.5)2 = 0.017 m
ElevB =100.00 + 1.50 + 233.15 - 2.29 + 0.017 = 332.38 m

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

 Trigonometric Leveling
With Unknown Distance 7/20

• If the horizontal distance is unknown, we can use stadia

method or we have to take two level rod readings and
two zenith angles.

𝑟1 −𝑟2
𝐻= D r1
tan(𝑎1 )−tan(𝑎2 )
S r2
z2 V V1
ElevB= ElevA + hi + V1 – r1 C z1 B ‫ ق‬2
a1 a2
E
hi
A
ElevB= ElevA + hi + V2 – r2 H

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Trigonometric Leveling With
8/20
Unknown Distance
A theodolite is set up at point A whose elevation is 50.00 m. A
level rod is put at point B. A rod reading of 1.78 m is taken at a
zenith angle of 82o. A second rod reading of 0.45 m is taken at
zenith angle equals 83o. Compute horizontal distance AB and
elevation of B. Height of instrument is 1.50 m.
• Solution
a1 = 90-82 =8º a2 = 90-83 =7º
1.78−0.45
𝐻= = 74.90 m
tan(8)−tan(7)

V1= 74.90 x tan (8) = 10.53 m

ElevB= ElevA + hi + V1 – r1

ElevB= 50 + 1.50 + 10.53 – 1.78 = 60.25 m

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Elevation of Inaccessible Points
9/20

• Case 1. Base of the object accessible

• Case 2. Base of the object inaccessible, Instrument

stations in the vertical plane as the elevated object.

• Case 3. Base of the object inaccessible, Instrument

stations not in the same vertical plane as the elevated
object.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Case 1. Base of the object accessible
B
10/20

A = Instrument station
R.L. of B = R.L. of B.M. + Bs + h
B = Point to be observed
= R.L. of B.M. + Bs + D. tan 
h = Elevation of B from the
instrument axis If distance is large, then add Cc & Cr
D = Horizontal distance between A
and the base of object R.L. of B = R.L. of B.M. + Bs + D. tan  + 0.0675 D2
h1 = Height of instrument (H. I.)
Bs = Reading of staff kept on B.M.
= Angle of elevation = L BAC
Elev. of B = Elev. Of A+ hi + h
h = D tan 
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Case 2. Base of the object inaccessible, Instrument
stations in the vertical plane as the elevated object.
11/20

There may be two cases.

(a) Instrument axes at the same level

(b) Instrument axes at different levels.

1) Height of instrument axis to the object is lower:

2) Height of instrument axis to the object is higher:

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Case 2. Base of the object inaccessible, Instrument
stations in the vertical plane as the elevated object.
12/20
(a) Instrument axes at the same level
 PAP, h= D tan 1
 PBP, h= (b+D) tan 2

D tan 1 = (b+D) tan 2

D tan 1 = b tan 2 + D tan 2
D(tan 1 - tan 2) = b tan 2

1 R.L of P = R.L of B.M + Bs + h

Elev. of P = Elev. Of A+ hi + h

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

(b)Instrument axes at different levels.
1) Height of instrument axis to the object is
lower: 13/20

 PAP, h1 = D tan 1

 PBP, h2 = (b+D) tan 2

hd is difference between two height

hd = h1 – h2
hd = D tan 1 - (b+D) tan 2
= D tan 1 - b tan 2 -D tan 2
hd = D(tan 1 - tan 2) - b tan 2
hd + b tan 2 = D(tan 1 - tan 2)

h1 = D tan 1 Elev. of P = Elev. Of A+ hi + h1 +CR

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Ex. 14/20

To determine the elevation of building p above point B in the

figure, the following measurements were made: b=50.00 m,
hiB=1.24 m, hiA =0.94 m, angle 2 = 13.125o, angle 1 =
18.626o. The instrument in the two positions was at the same
level. Compute Elevp above BM B.
Solution
hd = 1.24-0.94=0.30

0.3+50 tan(13.125)
𝐷= =115.12 h2 = 165.12 tan (13.125) =38.50
tan 18.626 −tan(13.125)

Elev. of P = Elev. Of B+ hi + h2 +CR

Elev. of P - Elev. Of B = 1.24 + 38.50+ 0.0675 (165.12/1000)2 =39.74 m
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
(b)Instrument axes at different levels.
2) Height of instrument axis to the
object is higher: 15/20

 PAP, h1 = D tan 1

 PBP, h2 = (b+D) tan 2

hd is difference between two height

hd = h2 – h1
hd = (b+D) tan 2 - D tan 1
= b tan 2 + D tan 2 - D tan 1
hd = b tan 2 + D (tan 2 - tan 1 )
hd - b tan 2 = D(tan 2 - tan 1)
- hd + b tan 2 = D(tan 1 - tan 2)

h1 = D tan 1

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Case 3. Base of the object inaccessible, Instrument
stations not in the same vertical plane as the elevated
object. 16/20

Set up instrument on A
Measure 1 to P
L BAC = 
Set up instrument on B
Measure 2 to P
L ABC = 
L ACB = 180 – (  +  )

Sin Rule:
b
b· sin
BC=
sin{180˚ - (+ )}
b· sin
AC=
sin{180˚ - ( + 

h1 = AC tan 1

h2 = BC tan 2
Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying
Borrow-Pit Leveling 17/20

• It is a method employed on construction jobs to

evaluate quantities of earth, gravel, rock, or other
material to be excavated or filled. Also to generate
contour maps
• Two methods can be used
 Grid Leveling
 Radial Line Leveling

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Grid Leveling 18/20

• Grid leveling is a method for locating contour lines and

topographic features by stacking an area in squares of
5, 10, 50, 100 m, or more depending on the project
extent, ground roughness, and accuracy required

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Radial Line Leveling 19/20

• This method for locating contour lines and topographic

features is simpler to perform compared to grid
leveling, and it requires less time.
• The level instrument is set up in the middle of the field
and the rod person moves along radial lines from the
instrument. Radial lines are spaced at equal or unequal
central angles.

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying

Summery 20/20

• Trigonometric Leveling
• Curvature And Refraction in Trigonometric
Leveling
• Trigonometric Leveling With Unknown Distance
• Elevation of Inaccessible Points
• Grid Leveling
• Radial Line Leveling
• Borrow-Pit Leveling

Dr. Ragab Khalil KAU – FED – CE371 - Surveying