Trigonometrical

Levelling and GNSS

Heighting
MUHAMMAD FAIZ BIN PA’SUYA
Department Surveying Science and Geomatic
0197648604
 Trigonometrical Levelling
Definition of Trigonometrical
Levelling
• A process of determining the
differences of elevations
(orthometric height) of stations
from observed angle (vertical angles
or zenith angles ) and known
distances
• Orthometric height is a distance
from earth’s surface to the geoid
along the plumb line. Geoid /msl
 Terminologies

• Level Surface
This is a surface that the direction of gravity is normal to it at
all points. Since gravity is variable over the earth’s surface,
this surface will be irregular.
• Level Line
Any line lying on a level surface and it is normal to the plumb
line (direction of gravity) at all points.
• Horizontal Plane
Any plane tangential to the level surface at any point and it is
perpendicular to the plumb line which indicates the direction
of gravity.
 Terminologies

• Horizontal Line
This is the straight line on the horizontal surface, tangent to the
level surface which is perpendicular to the plumb line
(direction of gravity) and parallel to the collimation line.

• Vertical Line
The direction indicated by a plumb line (direction of gravity)
and it is perpendicular to the horizontal line.
 Terminologies

Horizontal Line

Level line
Mean Sea Level

Vertical line
Figure 2: Different Lines
 Terminologies
 Reduced Level (RL)
The vertical distance of a point above or below the datum line. The
RL of a point may be positive or negative according as the point is
above or below the datum.

 Line of collimation
It is an imagery line passing through the intersection of the cross-
hairs at the diaphragm and the optical center of the object glass and
its continuation. It is also known as the line of sight.

 Mean Sea Level

Mean Sea Level (MSL) is a tidal datum used in leveling operation.
Tidal datums are specific tide levels that are used as
surfaces of reference for depth measurements in the sea
and as a base for determining elevations on land.
 Trigonometrical Levelling

• Zenith angles are measured in vertical

planes, downward from zenith.
• Vertical angles are measured in
vertical planes, up or down from
horizontal.
• Distances can be measured either
slope distances or horizontal
distances.
• For long lines (more than 300m),
Earth’s curvature and refraction need
to considered..
 Trigonometrical Levelling
• Basic principles of trigonometric levelling

H=S sin α
 Example

Table 1
 Trigonometrical Levelling

THE EFFECTS OF CURVATURE AND REFRACTION

IN TRIGONOMETRIC HEIGHTING
 EFFECTS OF CURVATURE

• The earth being a spheroid, a level line is defined as a

curved surface parallel to the spheroid (ground
surface).
• Observations cannot taken along this curved surface.
• A level generates a horizontal surface. So the line of
sight is a horizontal line. It can be seen that the level
and horizontal lines through the instrument diverge.
• This is a possible source of error in levelling since all
readings are taken along horizontal lines instead of
level lines
• Curvature error (c): divergence between a level line
and horizontal line over a specified distance
EFFECTS OF CURVATURE
 EFFECTS OF CURVATURE
Based on the AOC
OC2=AC2+OA2
D C
(R+c) 2 = D2 + R2
A R2 + 2Rc + c2 = D2 + R2
c
R
c(2R+c) = D2
R c = D2 / (2R+c)

O since R >>>c, so
c = D2 / (2R)

if the R is equal to 6370KM

c=0.0785 D2
Where D is the distance from
point of tangency in kilometers.
 EFFECTS OF REFRACTION
• The line of sight is horizontal at the instrument, but
is not a straight line because of refraction in the air.
• The change of air density with elevation causes the
line of sight to bend toward the earth
• The effect of refraction, r usually is 1/7 of the
curvature
r= 0.14c
• Then the combined effect of the Earth’s curvature &
refraction is:
( c & r ) = 0.0673 D2
where D is distance in KM
 METHODS OF TRIGONOMETRICAL….

• Single–ended trigonometric heighting

Observations taken from one end of the line only

• Reciprocal trigonometric heighting

Observations taken from each end of the line but at
different time period

• Simultaneous reciprocal trigonometric heighting

Observations taken from each end of the line but at the
same time period
 METHODS OF TRIGONOMETRICAL….

Reciprocal Trigonometric Heighting

α HT Observe at Station A
V
RLB =RLA +HI +v-HT
HI
V= sd x Sin (va) – (c&r)
RLB
c&r = 0.0673 D2
RLA
msl
Observe at Station B
α
HI
RLB =RLA +HT +v-HI
V
V=sd x Sin (va) – (c&r)
c&r = 0.0673 D2
RLB
HT
RLA
msl
 METHODS OF TRIGONOMETRICAL….

Reciprocal Trigonometric Heighting

α
V HT
Reduce Level at B
RL B Observe RLB Observe at
HI RLB at Station A + Station B
RLA
msl 2
α
V HI

RLB
HT
RLA
msl
 METHODS OF TRIGONOMETRICAL….

Example
Observation At Station A At Station B
HI 1.345m 1.456m
HT 1.123m 1.234m
Vertical Angle 0 30 30 - 0 33 20
Slope Distance 550.012m 555.023m

RLA =12.345m
Trigonometrical Levelling
THANKS…..
Thanks