SURVEYING 1 LABORATORY

Elementary and Higher Surveying

FIELD WORK NO. 5

RECIPROCAL LEVELING

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DATE PERFORMED DATE OF SUBMISSION

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

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(Name of Student) (Name of Instructor)

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(Course/Student Number)

FIELDWORK NO. 5 Group No.: __________________

Date: ________________________ Location:____________________
Time/Temp.: __________________ Weather: ___________________

TITLE: RECIPROCAL LEVELING

OBJECTIVE/S: a) To determine the difference in elevation in two points on opposite

sides of imaginary deep ravine or Wide River

EQUIPMENT/S:

Fig 5.1 Automatic Level Fig 5.2 Tripod Fig 5.3 Stadia Rods Fig 5.4 Markers

PROCEDURES:

a. Set two marks on the ground about 150 to 200 m apart and call these as BM-1 and BM-
2. The elevation of BM-1 is assumed and the elevation of BM 2 is to be determined.
Also, imagine that there is an intervening deep ravine or wide river between these two
points.

b. Set up and level very carefully the instrument at point A near BM 1. Instrument must
be in between BM-1 and BM-2.

c. Take and record a series of three consecutive backsight rod readings on BM 1 and six
consecutive foresight rod readings on BM 2.

d. Move the instrument to point B on the opposite side of the imaginary ravine and near
BM 2 in between two benchmarks. Set up and level the instrument carefully.

e. From the new set up, take and record three consecutive foresight rod readings on BM
2 and six consecutive backsight reading on BM 1.
 f. To determining the difference in elevation between BM 1 and BM 2 for the first set-
up, subtract the mean of the foresights from the mean of the backsights or

DEA= (am - bm)

Where
DEA = difference in elevation between BM-1 and BM-2.
am = mean of the three consecutive rod readings on BM-1.
bm = mean of the six consecutive rod readings on BM-2.

Similarly, for the second set up at B

DEB= (am bm)
Where
DEB = difference in elevation between BM-1 and BM-2.
am = mean of the six consecutive rod readings on BM-1.
bm = mean of the three consecutive rod readings on BM-2.

g. The true difference in elevation is taken as the mean of the two differences in elevation
(DEA and DEB) between BM-1 and BM-2 or

TDE = (DEA + DEB) / 2

h. To determine the elevation of BM-2, use the following equation:

Elev of BM-2 = Elev of BM-1 TDE

ILLUSTRATIONS:
DATA AND TABULATION:

Table 5.1. Mean Backsight and Foresight

INSTRUMENT SET UP NEAR BM-1 INSTRUMENT SET UP NEAR BM-2

STATION BS FS STATION FS BS

BM-1 BM-2

BM-2
BM-1

SUM SUM
MEAN MEAN

COMPUTATIONS:
CONCLUSION:

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RECOMMENDATION:

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