Leveling:

1 Levelling terminology

2 Instruments used for leveling methods of reducing level

3 Spirit level- sensitiveness

4 Benchmarks types of bench mark

4 5 Temporary adjustments of level Permanent adjustments of level

6 Correction for Curvature Correction for refraction

7 Classification of leveling- Profile Levelling

8 Differential levelling - Reciprocal levelling

9 longitudinal sectioning. cross sectioning.

Equipments used

1. How many chief types of levels are used in levelling?

a) 6

b) 3

c) 4

d) 2

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: There are 4 chief types of levels used. They are Dumpy level, Wye Level, Reversible level
and Tilting level.

2. A levelling staff is used to establish:

a) Horizontal line of sight

b) Vertical line of sight

c) Location of points

d) Distance of points
View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: A levelling staff is straight rectangular rod, with graduations, zero starting from foot of staff.
It is placed at the required point and horizontal line of sight from a level is made.

3. Dumpy level was originally designed by:

a) Fennel

b) Heerbrugg

c) Stanley

d) Gravatt

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: Gravatt designed the Dumpy level; which consists of a telescope secured in two collars
fixed by adjusting screws.

4. How many categories of levelling staff are there?

a) 4

b) 2

c) 3

d) 5

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: There are 2 categories – self reading staff and target staff. Self-reading staff can be directly
read from the instrument through telescope. Target staff consists of moving target against which
reading is to be taken.

5. Which of the below is used to make line of sight horizontally in a level?

a) Foot screws

b) Levelling head

c) Telescope

d) Tangent screws

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: There is a tube and bubble is enclosed in it. Using 3 foot screws, the bubble is centralised.
Once it is stable, the level is said to have maintained a horizontal line of sight.

6. A digital level reads a:

a) Target staff

b) Barcoded staff

c) Digital staff

d) Telescopic staff

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: Digital level is an electronic level. It is set up on a tripod and it reads a barcoded staff. All
the details are fed into the memory of level and can be retrieved on a computer.

7. Which of the below cannot be used to measure vertical heights?

a) Self level

b) Aneroid barometer

c) Transit

d) Hypsometer

View Answer
Answer: c

Explanation: Vertical measurement can be approximately taken using barometer and hypsometer. These
determine pressure difference at 2 elevations and results can be concluded from these.

8. How many types of self-reading staff are available?

a) 5

b) 2

c) 3

d) 4

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: There are 3 types of self-reading staff. They are solid, folding and telescopic staff.

9. Which of the below is not common in all levelling equipments?

a) Telescope

b) Level vials

c) Level rods

d) Tilting screws

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: Tilting screw is found only in the tilting level. Using this, one can tilt the telescope to the
required angle, keeping the vertical axis.

10. Level vials can be of ____________ types.

a) 4

b) 3

c) 5
d) 2

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: Level vials contain a bubble, which is to be centralised to obtain horizontal line of sight. It
may be of bulls-eye type (circular shaped) or vial type (tube shaped).

11. Abney level is a type of hand level.

a) True

b) False

View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: Hand level is a hand held instrument. Abney level is one of these. It includes a clinometer to
measure vertical angles.

12. For accurate levelling __________ is attached inside telescope in an automatic level.

a) Alinometer

b) Compensator

c) Cross hairs

d) Double lens

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: Compensator is also called stabilizer. It consists of 2 fixed prisms and it creates an optical
path between eye piece and objective. It results in exact positioning of line of sight due to gravity.

Methods of leveling:

This set of Basic Civil Engineering Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Methods of
Levelling”.
1. How many methods are used in levelling?

a) 3

b) 2

c) 4

d) 5

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: The 2 methods are height of instrument method and rise and fall method. These are used
to evaluate heights of various points.

2. How many types of levelling are there?

a) 3

b) 2

c) 4

d) 5

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: There are 4 ways to perform levelling. They are direct levelling, trigonometric levelling,
barometric levelling and stadia levelling.

3. Trigonometric levelling is also called:

a) Indirect levelling

b) Differential levelling

c) Fly levelling

d) Profile levelling
View Answer

Answer: a

Explanation: In trigonometric levelling, the horizontal distance and vertical angle are measured from the
station to the object. It uses trigonometric relations to compute vertical height of a point.

4. In _________ levelling, the first and last point are at a far distance.

a) Fly

b) Differential

c) Profile

d) Reciprocal

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: In differential levelling, a number of inter-stations are located and then instrument is
shifted to each station and the elevation is observed.

5. Stadia levelling is a modified form of:

a) Fly levelling

b) Differential levelling

c) Simple levelling

d) Trigonometric levelling

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: Tacheometer principle is used to determine elevation of points. Line of sight is inclined and
it is more suitable for surveying in hilly terrains.

6. The last reading taken from the instrument is called:

a) End sight
b) Free sight

c) Fore sight

d) Back sight

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: Fore sight (FS) is noted as last reading and back sight (BS) is noted as first reading taken
from instrument. Any intermediate points are noted down as intermediate sight (IS).

7. Reciprocal levelling is used when,

a) Flat terrain

b) Obstacles are there

c) BM not visible

d) Highway construction

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: If the points to surveyed lie on opposite banks of a river, reciprocal levelling can be used. It
is done from both sides to eliminate chances of error.

8. In a hilly terrain, staff reading is more at:

a) Lower point

b) Higher point

c) First point

d) Last point

View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: In hilly terrain, the lowest point will give highest staff reading. It is at a lower level
compared to others and hence has more height.

9. Which is the arithmetic check for height of instrument method?

a) ∑FS + ∑BS = First RL + Last RL@

b) ∑BS – ∑FS = Last RL – First RL@

c) ∑FS + ∑BS = Last RL + First RL@

d) ∑BS – ∑FS = First RL – Last RL@

View Answer

Answer: b

Explanation: To check if the readings are written properly, an arithmetic check is done. The sum of back
sight (BS) and Fore sight (FS) are subtracted. It should be equal to the difference of the last and first
reduced level (RL).

10. Which instrument is used in trigonometric levelling?

a) Wye level

b) Compass

c) Theodolite

d) Dumpy level

View Answer

Answer: c

Explanation: Trigonometric levelling involves measurements that are angular and hence requires an
angle measuring instrument, like theodolite.

11. In levelling, error due to earth’s curvature is to be corrected using:

a) Cc=0.0673D2

b) Cc=0.0112D2

c) Cc=0.0136D2
d) Cc=0.0785D2

View Answer

Answer: d

Explanation: Correction for earth’s curvature and refraction is to be applied. Cc is given by 0.0785D2.
Combined correction Cc – Cr is given by 0.0673D2.

4 1 1    Define levelling. what are the use of levelling?

It is a branch of surveying, the object of which is
i. To find the elevation of given or assumed datum
ii. To establish points at a given elevation or at different elevation with respect to a given or
assumed datum
4 1 1 Differentiate between a level line and horizontal line.
v  Level line is defined as the line lying on the level surface. At every point, the level surface
and the level line are normal to the plumb line. The surface of still water (in a lake) represents
the level surface and the level line. * Horizontal line is defined as the line, lying on the
horizontal surface. It is a straight line tangential to the level line.
4 1 1 What is a datum surface? A datum surface is an arbitrarily assumed level surface from
which the vertical distances of various objects are measured.
4 1 1 v  The imaginary straight line passing through the
Distinguish between line optical centre of the object and the point of intersection of the
of Collimation and line of cross-hairs is called line of collimation. *  The imaginary straight
sight. line passing through the optical centre of the object, traversing
the eye piece and entering the eye is called line of sight.
4 1 2 State Plane of collimation The horizontal plane in which the telescope of a adjusted and
corrected levelling instrument about its vertical axis is called
plane of collimation
4 1 2 v  The imaginary straight line passing through the
  State line of collimation optical centre of the object and the point of intersection of the
cross-hairs is called line of collimation.
4 1 2 Foresight is the last sight taken on a levelling staff held over an
  What is fore sight?
unknown elevation, before shifting the level.
4 1 2
The first reading on the levelling staff, at a station of known
What is back sight? elevation is called back sight.Back sight is used to obtain the
height of the instrument.
4 2 1 This is the simplest type of the levelling instrument and it is
compact and stable. It consists of a telescope, rigidly fixed to the
What is Dumpy Level? supports. It can neither be rotated about its longitudinal axis nor
can it be removed from its supports. A long bubble tube is
attached to the top of the telescope.
4 2 1 In tilting level, the line of sight and the vertical axis need not be
Explain the use of Dumpy
exactly perpendicular to each other, and hence tilting levels are
level and Tilting Levels.
used for quick levelling.
4 2 1 1. Self-Reading staff
(a) Solid Staff
What are the types of (b) Folding Staff
Staves? (c) Telescopic Staff
2. Target staff

4 2 1    
4 2 2 Turning Point or Change point is defined as the instrument
station, at which, the instrument is shifted from one point to
What is meant by change
another. It is the point, on which the back sight of the new station
point in levelling?
and foresight of the previous station are taken. Stable points and
well-defined points are taken as the change (or) turning points.
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4 7 Reference point of known elevation is
1 Define Bench Mark.
called benchmark.
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4 7 Write the types of 1.    G.T.S. Benchmark,2.    Permanent Benchmark,3.   
2
bench mark. Temporary Benchmark,4.    Arbitrary Benchmark
4 7 What are G.T.S. Bench G.T.S. benchmarks are established by the GTS
marks? Department of India, with highest accuracy at an
2
interval of about 100 km, all over the country. There
elevations are referred to as M.S.L. datum.
4 7 What is the datum
The mean sea level at Karachi is adopted as the datum
2 adopted for GTS Bench
for GTS Bench mark. It is Considered as Zero level.
marks?
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4 8 2   What is Reciprocal It is the method of levelling and it is used when the
Levelling? instrument is placed equidistant from the back staff
and foreword staff stations, the difference in elevation
of two stations, is equal to the difference of staff
 readings.
4 8 2 How will you continue Reciprocal leveling should be undertaken across a
leveling across a river? river.
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4 9   Cross-Sectioning is defined as the process of determining the
lateral outline of the ground while levelling the sections right
2   Define Cross-Sectioning angles to the centreline.  The length of the cross-sections from the
centreline depends on the ground features and the nature of the
project.
4 9 For the Highway Project, the length varies from 30 m to 60 m on
list out the applications of
2 cross sectioning
either sides of the centreline. For the railway project, the length
varies from 200 m to 300 m.
4 9 2