MODULE 3: MEASUREMENT OF VERTICAL DISTANCES: LEVELING METHOD

The learning objectives:

At the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:

 Discuss two-peg test

 Discuss the effects of earth’s curvature and refraction
 Discuss the differential leveling
 Define terms related to differential leveling and procedure of differential leveling
 Discuss the profile leveling
 Define terms related to profile leveling and procedure of profile leveling
 Discuss the reciprocal leveling and trigonometry leveling
COURSE MATERIAL:
LEVELING - general term applied to any of the various processes by which elevations of points
or differences in elevation are determined.

Basic Leveling Terms

 Level Surface – a curved surface that at every point is perpendicular to the plumb line.
 Level Line – a line in a level surface equidistant from the center of the earth
 Horizontal Plane – a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity that is tangent to the
level surface
 Horizontal Line – a line in a horizontal plane
 Vertical Line – a line parallel to the direction of gravity.
 Mean Sea Level – is an imaginary surface of the sea which is midway between high tide
and low tide
 Datum – any convenient level surface coincident or parallel with mean sea level to which
elevations of a particular area are referred.
 Elevation – is the vertical distance above or below mean sea level or any other selected
datum
 Difference in Elevation – is the vertical distance between the two level surfaces in which
the points lie.
Equipment for Leveling
a. Level Instrument
 Dumpy Level
 Tilting Level
 Automatic Level
 Digital level
 Electronic Laser Level
 Hand Level
b. Tripod
c. Staff/Pole/Rod
d. Pole Staff Bubble
Basic Rules for Leveling

 Always start and finish a leveling run on a Benchmark (BM) and close the loops
 Keep fore sight and back sight distances as equal as possible
 Keep lines of sight short (normally < 50 m)
 Never read below 0.5 m on a staff (refraction)
 Use stable, well defined change points
 Beware of shadowing effects and crossing waters
Adjustment of the Dumpy Level (Two-Peg Test)
PROBLEM 1: In the two-peg test of a dumpy level the following observations were taken:

Instrument Set-up Instrument Set-up

Rod Reading
Near A (m) Near B (m)

On Point A 1.505 0.938

On Point B 2.054 1.449

a. Determine if the line of sight is in adjustment and explain your answer.

( )
( )
Eq. (1) – Eq. (2):

b. If the line of sight is not in adjustment, determine the correct rod reading on A with the
instrument still set up near B.
Correct rod reading on A (instrument near B) = 0.938 – 0.019 = 0.919 m
c. Determine the error in the line of sight for the net distance AB.

d. Explain how the line of sight of the instrument should be adjusted.

PROBLEM 2: In a two-peg test using model Wild NA2 dumpy level, the following observations
were taken.

Instrument at C (m) Instrument at D (m)

Rod reading on A 1.103 0.568

Rod reading on B 0.991 0.289

Point C is equidistant from A and B and D is 12 m from A and 72 m from B.

a. What is the true difference in elevation between A and B?

b. With the level in the same position at D, to what rod reading on B should the line of sight
be adjusted?

( )
By similar triangles:

( )
 Substitute Eq. (2) into Eq. (1):

( )
Correct reading at B (instrument at D) = 0.289 + 0.2004 = 0.4898 m

c. What is the corresponding rod reading on A for a horizontal line of sight with instrument
still at D?
Correct reading at A (instrument at D) = 0.568 + 0.0334 = 0.6014 m
Curvature and Refraction

The effects of earth curvature and atmospheric refraction are taken into account in leveling work
since the measurements are made in vertical planes and these effects all occur in the same
plane. The combined effects are represented in the figure above. Due to earth’s curvature a
horizontal line departs from a level line by 0.0785 m in one kilometer, varying as the square of
the length of the line. This expression for earth curvature is based on the mean radius of the
earth which is about 6,371 km. In the given figure the vertical distance between the horizontal
line and the level line (or BD) is a measure of the earth’s curvature.
In physics, we learned that when a ray of light passes through air strata of different densities, it
is refracted or bent downward towards the denser medium. This bending is greatest when the
line of sight passes near the ground or when it skims through bodies of water where
temperature differences are large. It is here that large variations in air densities occur. During
summer, heat waves or boiling air indicates rapidly changing refraction.
Atmospheric refraction varies with atmospheric conditions. Under normal conditions, it is
approximately equal to 0.0010 m in one kilometer, also varying directly as the square of the
length of the line. This is about one-seventh the effect of curvature of the earth. In the figure, it
can be seen that due to refraction, a ray of light which apparently is the straight line AB actually
follows the curved path AC. The point observed through the level (at A) appears to be point B
but is actually point C. the angular displacement resulting from refraction is variable. It depends
upon the angle the line of sight makes with the vertical and the surrounding atmospheric
conditions.
The combination of the earth’s curvature and refraction causes the telescope’s line of sight to
vary from a level line by approximately 0.0785 minus 0.0110 or 0.0675 m in one kilometer,
varying as the square of the sight distance in kilometers. This may be represented by a
mathematical equation as follows:

where:
= the departure of a telescope line of sight from a level line (in meters)
= the length of the line of sight (in kilometers)
PROBLEM 3: A woman standing on a beach can just see the top of a lighthouse 24 km away. If
her eye height above sea level is 1.738 m, determine the height of the lighthouse above sea
level.

Hence,

Therefore,

( )

PROBLEM 4: Two hills A and C have elevations of 600 m and 800 m, respectively. In between
A and C is another hill B which has an elevation of 705 m, and is located at 12 km from A and
10 km from C.
a. Determine the clearance or obstruction of the line of sight of hill B if the observer is at A
so that C will be visible from A.
Correction for Hill A:
( )
Correction for Hill C:
( )

Apparent height of Hill A:

Apparent height of Hill C:

Using similar triangles:

x y
0 590.28
22 793.25
Press: ̂

Hence, the height of the line of sight at hill B is just 700.99 m.

Therefore, the obstruction is 705 – 700.99 = 4.01 m

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 2 m above hill B.
 x y
0 590.28
12 707
Press: ̂
Height of tower = 804.267 – 793.25 = 11.017 m

c. What height of equal towers at A and C must be constructed in order that A, B and C will
be intervisible.
By similar triangles:
Leveling Methods
Methods of Determining Differences in Elevation

 Differential Leveling - commonly employed method of determining the elevation of points

some distance apart by a series of set ups of a leveling instrument along a selected
route

 Barometric Leveling – involves the determination of differences in elevation between

points by measuring the variation in atmospheric pressure at each point by means of a
barometer
 Trigonometric Leveling - difference in elevation between two points can be determined
by measuring:

o Inclined or horizontal distance between them

o Vertical angle between two points
 Reciprocal Leveling - leveling used across topographic features such as rivers, lakes
and canyons when it is difficult or impossible to keep plus and minus sights short and
equal
 Profile Leveling - used to determine differences in elevation between points at
designated short, measured intervals along an established line to provide data from
which a vertical section of the ground surface can be plotted.

 Grid Leveling - method for locating contours by staking an area in squares and
determining the corner elevations by differential leveling. Grid size depends on:
o Project extent
o ground roughness
o required accuracy
 Cross-Section or Borrow-Pit Leveling - employed on construction jobs to ascertain
quantities of earth, gravel, rock or other material to be excavated or filled
PROBLEM 5: Complete the differential level notes shown below and perform the customary
arithmetic check.

STATION BS (m) HI (m) FS (m) ELEVATION (m)

BM1 1.256 127.133

TP1 1.116 1.886

TP2 1.228 1.527

BM2 1.189 2.246

BM3 1.070 2.017

TP3 1.831 2.656

BM4 2.765
PROBLEM 6: From the data of a differential leveling as shown in the tabulation:

Station BS (m) FS (m) ELEVATION (m)

1 5.87 392.25

2 7.03 6.29
3 3.48 6.25

4 7.25 7.08

5 10.19 5.57

6 9.29 4.45

7 4.94

a. Find the difference in elevation of station 7 and station 5

b. Find the difference in elevation of station 7 and station 4.
c. Find the elevation of station 3.
PROBLEM 7: The following shows a tabulated data of leveling notes using rise and fall method.

ROD READINGS (m)

Reduced Level (m) Rod Station
BS IFS FS

3.755 346.75 BM1

2.895 1

1.742 2

1.683 3

2.729 4

2.057 BM2

a. Compute the rise or fall at station 2.

b. Compute the reduced level at station 3.
c. Compute the reduced level of BM2.

PROBLEM 8: In leveling across a deep and wide river, reciprocal leveling readings were taken
between two points, X and Y, as follows: (a) with the instrument set up near X, the rod readings
on X are 1.283 m and 1.285 m; on the distant point Y, the rod readings are 2.618 m, 2.619 m,
2.621 m, and 2.622 m. (b) With instrument set up near Y, the rod readings on Y and 3.478 m
and 3.476 m; on the distant point X, the rod readings are 2.143 m, 2.140 m, 2.146 m, and 2.144
m. Determine the true difference in elevation between the two points and the elevation of Y if
the known elevation of X is 290.082 m.