Wollega University

Ground Surveying(GISc 2030)

By: Bira-anu T.
 Unit 8: Leveling
 Concepts and principles of vertical distance
measurements particularly leveling
 Significance of leveling operations
 Definitions of terms
 Methods of Levelling


 Instruments used in leveling

 Computations for leveling operations

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By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024
 WHAT IS LEVELING?

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 Leveling

 Is the process or operation of directly or

indirectly measuring vertical distances to
determine the elevation of points or their
differences in elevation.

By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU!

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 Significance of leveling operations

 Provides necessary data for engineering

design, engineering construction and
production of topographic maps

 Site suitability analysis

 Proper design and laying out of vertical and

horizontal structures

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 Effect of Earth’s Curvature
 The effect of earth’s curvature is the amount by
which the horizontal line departs from the earth’s
surface(which is a level surface).

𝟐
𝒉𝒄 =𝟎 . 𝟎𝟕𝟖𝟓 𝑲

= curvature correction in meters

K = horizontal distance or level surface
distance in kilometers

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11/22/2024
 Refraction Correction

 Rays of light passing through the earth’s

atmosphere in any direction other than vertical
are refracted or bent from a straight path.
 This bending usually takes place in a direction
toward the earth’s surface under normal
conditions of temperature and pressure
gradients.
 Such bent rays of light tend to diminish the
effect of curvature for a slight amount, normally
about 14%(or 1/7) of the curvature effect.

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 Cont’d

= correction due
to curvature and
refraction

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 Example

1. A man standing on the ground can see just the tip of

a tower 25 km away. If the eye of the man is 1.8m
above sea level, determine the height of the tower
above sea level considering curvature and refraction
correction. Ans.= 26.6m
2. The top of the tower signal at B 2000m away from A
was sighted through a transit with recorded vertical
angle of 3 30. The height of the mast is 12m and the
HI of the transit above the point where it is set is
1.10m. The elevation of the point under the transit A is
133.33m. Compute the elevation of the base of the
signal B. Ans.= 245.025m

9 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Definitions of Terms

 Level surface:
A curved surface
parallel to the mean
spheroidal surface of
the earth.

 Level line:
line lying on level surface

 Horizontal surface:
A plane that is tangent to a level surface at a
particular point.
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 cont’d

 Horizontal line:
• A straight line in a horizontal plane which is
tangent to a level line at one point.
 Vertical line:
• Is a line parallel to the direction of gravity.
 Elevation:
• For a particular point, it is the vertical distance
above or below mean sea level or any other
selected datum.
 Difference in Elevation:
• Is the vertical distance b/n the two level
surfaces in which the points lie.

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 cont’d

 Datum:
• Any convenient level surface coincident or
parallel with mean sea level to which elevations
of a particular area are referred.
 Mean Sea Level (MSL):
• Any imaginary surface of the sea which is
midway between high and low tides.
• It is taken as the reference surface to which
most ground elevations are referred.
• This surface is determined by averaging the
height of the sea’s surface for all its tide stages
over a long period of time which may extend to
about 20 years.
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 cont’d

Vertical Datum:

 Geoid:
• It is a surface of constant
potential energy
(equipotential surface) that
coincides with mean sea
level over the oceans.

 Reference Ellipsoid:
• It is mathematical surface
of the reference

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 Geoid and Ellipsoid

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 Leveling Terms

 Bench Mark(BM):
• It is a fixed point of reference whose elevation is
either known or assumed.
• It may be Permanent(PBM) or temporary(TBM)

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 Cont’d

 Backsight (BS):
• It is a reading taken on a rod held on a point of
known or assumed elevation.
 Backsight Distance (BSD):
• It is measured from the center of the instrument to
the rod on which a backsight is taken.

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 Cont’d

 Foresight (FS):
• It is a reading taken on a rod held on a point
whose elevation is to be determined.
 Foresight Distance (FSD):
• It is the horizontal distance from the center of the
instrument to the rod which a foresight is taken.

17 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Cont’d

 Turning Point (TP):

• It is an intervening point between two bench
marks upon which point foresight and backsight
rod readings are taken to enable a leveling
operation to continue from a new instrument
position.

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By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU!
 Cont’d

 Height of Instrument(HI):
• It is the elevation of the line of sight an
instrument above or below a selected reference
datum.
• It is determined by adding the rod reading on the
backsight to the elevation of the point on which
the sight is taken.

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 Conventional and Traditional
Methods of Leveling

 Direct or spirit leveling

 Reciprocal leveling
 Profile leveling
 Trigonometric leveling
 Stadia leveling
 Barometric leveling
 Cross-section leveling
 Borrow-pit leveling
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 Direct or Spirit leveling

 Method of determining the elevation of points

some distance apart by series of set ups of a
leveling instrument along a selected route.
 Forms of Direct leveling:
• Differential leveling
• Double-Rodded leveling
• Three-Wire leveling

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 Differential Leveling

 It is the process of determining the difference in

elevation b/n 2 or more points some distance apart.
 It requires a series of set ups of the instrument along
a general route and, for each set up, a rod reading
back to the point of known elevation and forward to a
point of unknown elevation are taken.

22 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Procedure of Differential
Leveling
 The leveling instrument is set up at any convenient
location along the level route and a backsight is taken
on a leveling rod held vertically on .

 The backsight reading added to the known or

assumed elevation of the initial bench mark gives the
Height of Instrument above datum or

 The rodman moves forward along the general

direction of and holds the rod at convenient turning
point().

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 Cont’d

 The instrument man takes a foresight on the rod.

 This foresight reading subtracted from the height

of instrument gives the elevation above datum
of the turning point or

 Then, the level is transferred again and a

backsight is taken at and foresight at .
 Repeat procedures until foresight is taken on .

24 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Leveling Notes

 It is important
that all data
gathered in
differential
leveling work
be properly
recorded in a
special field
notebook ruled
with suitable
lines.

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 Checking Leveling Notes

 The calculations in differential leveling work are

limited only to determining heights of instrument and
the elevation of stations or points.
 Steps:
 The backsight reading is added to the elevation
 The foresight reading is subtracted from the height
of instrument to determine the elevation of the
point foresighted.

 The difference between the 2 sums should equal the

difference in elevation between the first and last
stations unless a mistake is made in arithmetic.

26 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Examples

From the given data of a differential leveling as shown

in the tabulation:

 Find:
 The difference in elevation of station 7 and 5. Ans1.=10.9m
 The difference in elevation of station 7 and 4. Ans2.=11.77m
 The elevation of station 3. Ans3.=392.61m

27 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Cont’d

 By plotting the elevation of the different stations, you

will have a projection of the actual elevation of the
surveyed land.

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 Three-Wire Leveling
 It is a method of determining differences in
elevation wherein three horizontal hairs(or
threads) are read and recorded rather then from
a single horizontal hair.

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 Reciprocal Leveling

 This method is commonly employed when

leveling across a wide river, a deep ravine, or
across canyons and gullies where it could be
difficult or impossible to maintain a foresight
and a backsight distance of nearly equal
lengths.

By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU!

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 Profile Leveling
 Is used to determine difference in elevation between
points at designated short measured intervals along
an established line.
 The operations involved in determining the elevation
of ground surface at small spatial interval along a
line.

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 Cont’d

stations:
 The line along which the profile is to be run is to be
marked on the ground before taking any observation.
 Stakes are usually set at some regular interval which
depends on topography, accuracy required, nature of
work, scale of plotting etc.
 The beginning station of profile leveling is termed as
0+00 and the stations usually taken to be 20m.
 Points at multiples of 100m from this point are termed
as full stations and intermediate points are
designated as pulses.
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 Cont’d
Profile Leveling(10m
station):

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 Example

From the given profile

leveling notes:
 what is the difference in
elevation b/n station 5
and 2
Answer: 1 .69m
 Compute the elevation of
TP2
Answer: 227 .66m
 Compute the elevation of
BM2

Answer: 224 .88m

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 Trigonometric(Indirect) Leveling

 Is employed in determining by trigonometric

computations the difference in elevation b/n two
points from measurements of its horizontal and
slope distance and the Vertical angle between the
points.

35 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Stadia Leveling

 Combines features of direct leveling with those of

trigonometric leveling.
 Is an alternate technique in measuring distances.
 Stadia observations are obtained by sighting through
a telescope equipped with two or more horizontal
cross wires at a known spacing.
 The apparent intercepted length b/n the top and
bottom wires is read on a graduated rod held
vertically at the desired point.
 The distance from telescope to rod is found by
trigonometry. D= Ks+C
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 What about for inclined sight?

𝑫= 𝑲𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜽 +𝑪
Consequently,

K= stadia interval factor

S= stadia intercept
C= stadia constant

= angle that the line of sight makes with the horizontal

V= vertical distance from the level sight to the middle
hair reading on the rod
H= horizontal distance from the instrument center to
the face of rod
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 Barometric Leveling
 It involves the determination of differences in elevation
b/n points by measuring the variation in atmospheric
pressure at each point by means of altimeter or
barometer.
 Is used to determine the differences in elevation of
points, w/c differ considerably in heights as in a hilly
area or mountainous country.
 Is chiefly used on exploratory or reconnaissance
surveys.

 Since the pressure of the atmospheric at any point is

constantly changing & barometer reading are
affected by the temperature of the air
38 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024
 Cont’d
 Types of barometer in use are:
 Mercury barometer
 Aneroid barometer

39 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Cross-Section Leveling
 In highways or railroad constructions, it is often
necessary to obtain a representation of the ground
surface on either side of the centerline.
 Is carried out perpendicular to alignment at an
interval of 10,20,30,40m.
 The idea is to make an estimate of earthwork.

40 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Borrow-Pit Leveling

 Is a method of determining the relative

elevations of points in borrow-pit excavations for
the purpose of calculating volumes of earthwork.

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 Types of Levels

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 Types of Levels

 Dumpy Level
 Wye Level

 Builder’s Level
 Automatic Level

 Tilting Level
 Geodetic Level
 Transit as a Level
 Laser Level
 Hand Level

43 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024

 Dumpy Level

 Is the most widely used direct leveling

instrument.
 It has a long telescope which is rigidly attached
to the level bar.

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 Wye Level

 Identical to dumpy level.

 The only difference is the telescope are

attached to the supporting level bar.

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 Builder’s Level

 Often called a construction level or an

architect’s level.
 The level vial is not as sensitive as in other
levels and its telescope has a much lesser
magnifying power.

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 Automatic Level

 Also termed as self aligning level.

 Is equipped with a prismatic device called

compensator.

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 Tilting Level

 It consists of a telescope attached with a level

tube which can be tilted within few degrees in
vertical plane by a tilting screw.

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By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU!
 Geodetic Level

 Are employed in first-order leveling work where

extreme precision is an important requirement.

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 Transit as a Level

 Also called ‘universal surveying instrument’

because of its variety of uses.
 There is no doubt that it can also be used for
leveling work.

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 Laser Level

 A new innovation introduced to surveying

operations is the use of lasers.

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 Hand Level

 Is a handheld instrument used on surveys

involving short sights and where a low order of
accuracy is sufficient.

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 Digital Level

 It uses electronic image processing to evaluate

the special bar-coded staff reading.

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 Leveling Rods

 It is a graduated rod which is used for

measuring the vertical distance b/n the
line of sight through a leveling
instrument & the point whose elevation
is either required or known.
 Other Types of Rods
 Rods named after cities or states
 Rod Ribbons
 Precise Rod
 Geodetic Rod
 Tape Rod

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 Rod Level

 It is a device used for fast and correct plumbing

of a leveling rod.
 It is L-shape in design and consists of a small
circular spirit level fastened to the rod or to a
small bracket held against the side of the rod.

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 Telescope

 It is a metal tube containing a system of lenses

which are used to fix the direction of the line of
sight and in magnifying the apparent size of the
objects in its field of view.

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 Telescope parts…

By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU!

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 Level Vial

 It is sealed graduated glass tube containing

some amount of liquid and a small air bubble.

 It is used to determine the direction of gravity.

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 Tripods

 It serves as a base to prevent movement of the

instrument after it is set up.
 It consists of three wooden or aluminum legs
which are securely fastened the tripod head by
means of a hinged joint.

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 Sources of Errors in Leveling

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 Common mistakes in Leveling

 Misreading of the rod.

 Incorrect recording
 Erroneous Computations
 Rod not fully extended

 Moving turning points

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 Thank you!!

62 By: Bira-anu Tadesa @WU! 11/22/2024