LEVELING.

Leveling is the process of

directly or indirectly measuring vertical

distances to determine elevation of

points or their difference in elevation.

DEFINITION OF TERMS.
 Level surface – It is a curved surface which is at any point
perpendicular to the
direction of gravity or the plumb line. It is best represented by
the surface of a large
body of still water.

 Level line – A level line is a curved line in a level surface all

points of which are
normal to the direction of gravity and equidistant from the center
of the earth.

 Horizontal surface – it is a plane that is tangent to a level

surface at a particular
point. The horizontal surface is also perpendicular to the line at
the same point.

 Horizontal line - a straight line in a horizontal plane which is

tangent to a level line at
one point. This line is perpendicular to the direction of gravity
at the point of
tangency. Since the mean radius of the earth is comparatively
large, it is practical
for most purposes to assume that a level line and a horizontal
line are the same for
short distances.

 Vertical line – A vertical line at any point is a line parallel to

the direction of gravity.
It is exemplified by the direction taken by a string supporting a
suspended plumb
bob passing through a point. For ordinary purposes it is
convenient to assume that
the earth is a true sphere with a smooth surface, and that a plumb
line held at any
point on its surface is always directed toward the center of the
sphere.

 Mean sea level – mean sea level is an imaginary surface of the sea
which is midway
between high and low tides. It is taken as the reference surface
to which most
ground elevations are referred. This surface is determined by
averaging the height
of the sea’s surface.
  Datum – Datum is any convenient level surface coincident or
parallel with mean
sea level to which elevations of a particular area are referred.
Any surface may be

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 used as a datum when relative elevations over a limited area
need to be
established.

 Elevation – For a particular point, its elevation is the vertical

distance above or
below mean sea level or any other selected datum.

 Difference in elevation – the difference in elevation between two

points is the
vertical distance between the two level surfaces in which the
points lie.

LEVELING METHODS.
1. Direct or Spirit Leveling – it is the 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. This method of leveling is
also referred to as spirit
leveling since the device used is a spirit level. Differential
leveling, double-rodded
leveling, three-wire leveling are forms of direct leveling. In
direct leveling vertical
distances are measured above or below a level line and these
values are used to
compute the elevation of points or their differences in
elevation. Being the most
precise method of leveling, it is used when a high degree of
accuracy is required.

2. Reciprocal Leveling – reciprocal leveling is the process of

accurately determining
the difference in elevation between two intervisible points
located at a
considerable distance apart and between which points leveling
could not be
performed in the usual manner. This method is commonly employed
when leveling
across a wide river, a deep ravine, or across canyons and gullies
where it would be
difficult or impossible to maintain a foresight and a backsight
distance of nearly
equal lengths.

3. Profile Leveling – This method of leveling is 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. In the design of roads, railroads, canals,
drainage systems, and
transmission lines, it is necessary to first obtain a profile of
the existing ground
surface.

4. Trigonometric Leveling – this method of leveling is employed in

determining by
 trigonometric computations the difference in elevation between
two points from
measurements of its horizontal or slope distance and the vertical
angle between
the points. The required distances are usually obtained by
stadia, triangulation, or
by direct taping.

5. Stadia Leveling – Stadia leveling combines features of direct

leveling with those of
trigonometric leveling. This method is in fact a form of
trigonometric leveling. It can
provide reasonable accuracy for preliminary surveys, mapping, and
rough leveling
where quick measurements are needed. In stadia leveling,
differences in elevation
between points are computed from observed vertical angles and the
three
intercepts on a rod held at each point backsighted or
foresighted. Any surveying

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 instrument may be employed in stadia leveling as long as it has
a telescope to read
vertical angles and is equipped with stadia hairs in addition
to the standard cross
hairs.

6. Barometric Leveling – Barometric Leveling involves the

determination of differences
in elevation between points by means of a barometer. This
leveling method
depends on the basic principle that differences in elevation are
proportional to the
differences in atmospheric pressure. The readings of a barometer
at different points
on the earth’s surface provides a measure of the relative
elevations of these points.
It is an accepted fact that the pressure caused by the weight of
a column of air
above the observer decreases as the observer goes higher in
altitude. The method
is particularly useful for low precision leveling over rough
terrain where extensive
areas need to be covered and differences in elevation are large.
It is principally
employed on reconnaissance surveys or other work requiring only
approximate
values. However, it is not desirable to employ when the
atmospheric pressure in the
area changes rapidly.

7. Cross-Section Leveling – In highway or railroad constructions it

is often necessary to
obtain a representation of the ground surface on either side of
the centerline Short
profiles at right angles to the line of work are usually plotted
at regular intervals for
this purpose. This type of data is obtained in the field by a
process referred to as
cross-sectional leveling.

8. Borrow-pit Leveling – Borrow-pit leveling is a method of

determining the relative
elevations of points in borrow-pit excavations for the purpose of
calculating
volumes of earthworks. This type of work is usually encountered
in the construction
of roads and railroads.

TYPES OF LEVEL.
1. Dumpy level – The dumpy level is the most widely used direct
leveling instrument. It
has a long telescope which is rigidly attached to the level bar.
The telescope,
which can be rotated through 360 degrees, fixes the direction of
the line of sight.
Attached to the level bar is a level vial which always remains in
the same vertical
plane as the telescope. A leveling head supports the telescope
and permits the
 bubble in the tube to be centered by means of the leveling
screws. The whole
instrument is in turn supported by means of a tripod.

2. Wye level – The wye level is very identical to the dumpy level.
The only distinct
difference between these two instruments is in the manner by
which their
telescopes are attached to the supporting level bar. The wye
level has a
detachable telescope which rests in supports called wye. It can
be removed from
the Y-shaped supports and turned end for end during adjustment by
releasing the
two clamping collars which fit across the tops of Y’s. Curved
clips are used to fasten
the telescope in place.

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 3. Builder’s level – This instrument is used primarily in the
different phases of building
construction where a high degree of precision is not a primary
requisite. Engineers,
architects, and builders use it in the setting of concrete forms,
better boards, and in
establishing grades for earthworks.

4. Automatic level – Self leveling features are incorporated in

automatic levels. This
type of level has become popular for conventional leveling work
because of the
ease and speed of their operation. It does not use a level vial
and its ability to level
itself depends upon the action of a complex pendulum-and-prism
device. This type
of leveling instrument is particularly useful where ground is
soft or when strong winds
blow against the instrument since it can automatically relevel
itself.

5. Tilting Levels – This type of leveling instrument can be tilted

or rotated about its
horizontal axis. A bull’s eye level is employed for its quick and
approximate leveling.
The tilting knob is used to rotate the telescope into a correct
horizontal position.
Tilting levels are commonly employed for very precise leveling
operations and in
other general leveling work. It is also equipped with a
horizontal circle which makes
it suitable for lay out and construction surveys.

6. Geodetic level – The geodetic level is basically another type of

tilting level. Most of
its metal parts are made of invar to reduce the effects of
temperature. Geodetic
levels are employed in first-order leveling work where extreme
precision is an
important requirement. The equipment is equipped with stadia
hairs in addition to
the standard vertical and horizontal cross hairs to make it
suitable for three-wire
leveling. When using the instrument the observer has to stand
erect since it is
designed with a high tripod to bring the line of sight way above
any intervening
ground surface. This was purposely done to lessen the effects of
differential
refraction of extra-long lines of sight.

7. Transit as a level – The engineer’s transit has always been

referred to as the
“universal surveying instrument” because of its variety of uses.
It can provide results
which are fairly precise although not as good as those obtained
with conventional
levels. This is because the transit has relatively shorter
telescope and level vial.
 8. Laser level – a new innovation introduced to surveying operations
is the use of
lasers. A laser system is a separate unit equipped with a
portable power supply and
may be a helium-neon laser or gas laser. They are usually mounted
or attached to
conventional surveying instrument such as levels, transits and
theodolites. Laser light
is a low-powered beam of red light which is suitable for
projecting a line of sight
since it is coherent and highly collimated. A sharply defined
light spot is focused at
the target when the telescope image is focused.

9. Hand level - The hand level is a handheld instrument used on

surveys involving short
sights and where a low order of accuracy is sufficient. It has
been proven useful in
reconnaissance surveys, in cross-sectioning to obtain additional
rod readings on
sloping ground, and in taping to determine of the tape is held
horizontally during
measurement. This instrument also provides a quick way of
determining how high or

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 low the engineer’s level should be set up in order to be able
to read a leveling rod
held a certain distance away.

DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING. Is a technique used to determine differences

in elevation
between points that are remote from each other. Differential leveling
requires the use
of a surveyor's level together with graduated measuring rods. An
elevation is a vertical
distance above or below a referenced datum.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Bench mark – a fixed point of reference whose elevation id either

known or
assumed.
 Backsight – a reading taken on a rod held on a point known or
assumed elevation.
 Foresight – a reading taken on a rod held on a point whose
elevation is to be
determined.
 Backsight distance – measured from the center of the instrument to
the rod on
which a backsight is taken.
 Foresight distance – the horizontal distance from the center of
the instrument to the
rod on which a foresight is taken. Its length is usually made
nearly equal to its
corresponding backsight distance.
 Turning point – an intervening point between two bench marks upon
which point
foresight and backsight rod readings are taken to enable a
leveling operation to
continue from a new instrument position.

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  Height of Instrument – the elevation of the line of sight of an
instrument above or
below a selected reference datum.

HI = Elev BMa + BS
Elev TP1 = HI – FS

ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEMS-

1. Determine the elevation of B.M. 2 from the following notes. Check

arithmetic by
adding F.S.s and B.S.s.

Solutions:

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 Sum (B.S.) - Sum (F.S.) = 15.26 - 16.14 = -0.88

Elev B.M. 2 - Elev B.M. 1 = 49.12 - 50.00 = -0.88

Arithmetic check: do these differences equal?

Sum (B.S.) - Sum (F.S.) = Elev B.M. 2 - Elev B.M. 1

Answer: yes, they do equal.

2. A differential level network is run from BM Ripp through A, TP1,

B, and closes back on
BM Ripp, Figure 2. The elevation of BM Ripp is 820.12 ft.

The BS and FS numbers shown in Figure are the Backsight (BS)

and Foresight (FS)
readings respectively at each instrument set up. These are
shown only for example
purposes - this is not how readings are recorded in the field.

The measurement and computation sequence carries an elevation

from the BS
point through the instrument to the FS point, in Figure The
notes are recorded and
reduced reflecting this process.

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 EI= Elevation of the Instrument (HI)

PROFILE LEVELING. The process of determining differences in

elevation along a
fixed line at designated short measure intervals is referred to as
profile leveling.

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 DEFINITION OF TERMS.

 Profile – a curved line which graphically portrays the intersection

of a vertical plane
with the surface of the earth.
 Stationing – A numerical designation given in terms of horizontal
distance any point
along a profile line is away from the starting point.
 Intermediate Foresights – These sights, which are also known as
ground rod readings,
are taken along the centerline of the proposed project to provide
an accurate
representation of the ground surface.
 Full Stations – Are points which are established along the profile
level route at
uniformly measured distances.
 Plus Stations – Any other intermediate point established along a
profile level route
which is not designated as a full station is called a plus station.
 Profile paper – A special heavy grade graphing paper used for
plotting profiles.

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 ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEMS-

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Property of and for the exclusive use of SLU. Reproduction, storing in a retrieval
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