MEASUREMENT OF DIFFERENCE

IN ELEVATION

Levelling – is the process of determining the difference in elevation between two level
surfaces.

Methods in measuring difference in elevation

1. Direct levelling – is a method by which the difference in rod reading held at two points is
equal to the difference in elevation between those points.

2. Trigonometric levelling ( indirect levelling ) – is a method of determining the difference

in elevation by measuring the vertical angles, stadia intercept and the application of
trigonometric principles.

Definitions

Elevation – is the vertical distance above or below the given datum.

Datum line – is a plane of reference where all other elevation are referred to.

Difference in elevation – is the vertical distance between two level surfaces.

Benchmark – is a point whose location and elevation are known and serve as a reference
for levelling work in a given locality.

Back sight – is a rod reading taken from a point of known elevation.

Foresight – is a rod reading taken from a point whose elevation is determined.

Back sight distance – is the distance from the center of the instrument to the rod where
the back sight was taken.

Foresight distance – is the horizontal distance from the center of the instrument to the rod
where the foresight was taken.

Turning points – is the intervening point or points between two benchmarks wherein back
sight and foresight were taken.

Height of instrument – is the elevation of the line of sight above the datum.
 EARTHS CURVATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION

Horizontal line – a straight line tangent to a level surface.

Level surface – a curved surface every element of which is normal to the plumb line.

Level line – a line in a level surface.

hcr = 0.067 (K)2

where :
hcr = elevation of a certain object in meters
K = distance of the object from the observer in thousand of meters.

𝑫𝟐
h = h2 + (h1-h2) – 0.067D1D2
𝑫𝟏 +𝑫𝟐

Where:
h = height in meters of the line of sight at the intervening hill B above sea level.
h1 = height in meters of the station occupied A, above sea level
h2 = height in meters of the station observed C, above sea level
D1 = distance in of the intervening hill B from A
D2 = distance of the intervening hill B from C.
 SAMPLE PROBLEMS

1. The table shows the data of a profile level route from BM1 and BM2.

STA. BS HI FS IFS ELEV.(m)

BM1 2.32 331.02 328.70
1 1.7
2 2.2
3 1.2
4 0.9
TP1 2.77 330.36 3.43
5 2.2
6 3.7
7 1.6
TP2 2.22 329.52 3.06
8 2.8
9 3.6
10 2.0
11 1.1
BM2 2.45

a. Find the difference in elevation between stations 5&9.

b. Find the elevation of TP2.
c. Find the elevation of BM2.

2. A man’s eyes 1.75m above sea level can barely see the top of a light house which is at a
certain distance away from a man.

a. What is the elevation of the top of the light house above sea level if the light house is
20km away from the man.
b. How far is the light house from the man in meters if the top of the light house is 18.86m
above sea level.
c. What is the height of the tower at a distance 20km away from the man that will just be
visible without the line of sight approaching nearer than 1.75m to the water.

3. Two hills A and C have elevations of 600m and 800m respectively. In between A and C is
another hill B which has an elevation of 705m and is located at 12km from A and 10km
from C.

a. Determine the clearance of obstruction of the line of sight at hill B if the observer is at A
so that C will be visible from A.
b. If C is not visible from A, what height of tower must be constructed at C so that it could
be visible from A with the line of sight having a clearance of 2m above hill B.
c. What height of equal towers at A and C must be constructed in order that A,B and C will
be intervisible.
 𝑫𝟐
h = h2 + 𝑫 (h1-h2) – 0.067D1D2
𝟏 +𝑫𝟐

Where:
h = height in meters of the line of sight at the intervening hill B
above sea level.
h1 = height in meters of the station occupied A, above sea level
h2 = height in meters of the station observed C, above sea level
D1 = k1 = distance in of the intervening hill B from A
D2 = k2 = distance of the intervening hill B from C.