LEVELING AND CONTOURING

NAME- RUPALA NIRAV P.

M.SC. SEM 4
PAPER NO. 507
GUIDED BY DR. P. M. SOLANKI
INDEX
LEVELLING
• INTRODUCTION
• USES OF LEVELLING
• TERMS
CONTOURING
• INTRODUCTION
• TYPES OF LEVELLING EQUIPMENTS
• TYPES OF LEVELLING OPERATION:
• USES OF CONTOUR MAP
REFERENCE
LEVELING
 INTRODUCTION
• The art of determining relative heights of different points
on or below the surface of the earth is called LEVELLING,
deals with measurements in the vertical plane.

• For execution of Engineering Projects it is very necessary

to determine elevations of different points along the
alignment of proposed project.
 USES OF LEVELLING
1. To prepare a contour map for fixing sites for reservoirs,
dams etc. & to fix the alignment of roads, railways,
irrigation canals etc.
2. To determine the altitudes of different important points
on a hill or to reduced levels of different points on or below
the surface of the earth.
3. To prepare a longitudinal & cross section of a project
(roads, railways, irrigation canals etc) in order to determine
the volume of earth work.
4. To prepare a layout map for water supply , sanitary or
drainage schemes.
 TERMS
Level Surface : The surface which is parallel to the mean
spheroidal surface of the earth is known as level surface.
Level line – any line lying on a level surface is called a
level line.
 TERMS
Datum Surface or line : This is an imaginary level surface
or level line from which the vertical distances of different
points (above or below this line) are measured.

Mean Sea Level (M.S.L.) : M.S.L. is obtained by making

hourly observations of the tides at any place over a period
of 19 years. MSL adopted by Survey of India is now
Bombay which was Karachi earlier.

Reduced Level (RL) : The vertical distances or Height or

depth of a point above or below the assumed datum is
called Reduced level. It may be positive or negative.
 TERMS
Bench Mark (BM) : These are fixed reference point or
marks of known elevation or RL determined with reference
to the datum line. These are very important marks. They
serve as reference points for finding the RL of new points
or for conducting levelling operations in projects involving
roads, railways, etc.

GTS Bench mark (Great Trigonometrical Survey ): These

Bench marks are established by national agency like
Survey of India Department at a large interval all over the
country ( 100 km. interval). They are established with
highest precision. Their position and elevation above MSL
is given in a special catalogue known as GTS Maps.
 TERMS
Intermediate Sight (IS) : It is any other staff reading
between the BS & FS in the same setup of the instrument.
Change Point (CP) : The point indicates the shifting of the
instrument.
OR
The point on which both the foresight and back sight are
taken during the operation of levelling is called change
point.
CONTOURING
 INTRODUCTION
• Contour An imaginary line on the ground surface joining
the points of equal elevation is known as contour.

• In other words, contour is a line in which the ground

surface is intersected by a level surface obtained by
joining points of equal elevation. This line on the map
represents a contour and is called contour line.
 INTRODUCTION
Height of Instrument (HI) : When the levelling instrument is
properly levelled, the RL of the line of collimation is known as
the height of instrument.
OR
The elevation of the line of sight with respect to assumed
datum is known as HI. This is obtained by adding the BS
reading to the RL of the BM.

Parallax : The apparent movement of the image relative to

the cross hairs is known as Parallax. This occurs due to
imperfect focussing, when the image does not fall in the plane
of the diaphragm.
 INTRODUCTION
TYPES OF LEVELLING EQUIPMENTS

i) Dumpy level
ii) Tilting level
iii) Automatic level
iv) Digital Auto level
 INTRODUCTION
Types Of Levelling
Operation:
1. Simple levelling
2. Differential Levelling
3. Fly Levelling
4. Longitudinal or Profile
Levelling
5. Cross-sectional Levelling
6. Check Levelling
Sources Of Errors In
Levelling
1. Instrumental errors
2. Personal errors
3. Errors due to natural
causes
 INTRODUCTION
CONTOUR MAP:
• A map showing contour lines is known as Contour map.

CONTOUR INTERVAL:
• The constant vertical distance between two consecutive
contours is called the contour interval.

HORIZONTAL EQUIVALENT:
• The horizontal distance between any two adjacent
contours is called as horizontal equivalent.
PURPOSE OF CONTOURING
1. Contour survey is carried out at the starting of any engineering
project such as a road, a railway, a canal, a dam, a building etc.
2. For preparing contour maps in order to select the most
economical or suitable site.
3. To locate the alignment of a canal so that it should follow a ridge
line.
4. To mark the alignment of roads and railways so that the quantity
of earthwork both in cutting and filling should be minimum.
5. To find the capacity of a reservoir and volume of earthwork
especially in a mountainous region.
6. To trace out the given grade of a particular route.
7. o locate the physical features of the ground such as a pond
depression, hill, steep or small slopes.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTOURS
All points in a contour line have the same elevation.

Flat ground is indicated where the contours are widely

separated and steep- slope where they run close together.

A uniform slope is indicated when the contour lines are

uniformly spaced.

A plane surface when they are straight, parallel and equally

spaced.

Contours cannot end anywhere but close on themselves

either within or outside the limits of the map.
 A series of
closed
contour
lines on
the map
represent
a hill , if
the higher
values are
inside
 A series of
closed
contour
lines on
the map
indicate a
depressio
n if the
higher
values are
outside
USES OF CONTOUR MAP
1. A contour map furnishes information regarding the features
of the ground , whether it is flat, undulating or mountainous.
2. From a contour map , sections may be easily drawn in any
direction
3. Intervisibility between two ground points plotted on map can
be ascertained
4. It enables an engineer to approximately select the most
economical or suitable site for an engineering project such
as a road, a railway, a canal or a pipe line etc.
5. A route of a given grade can be traced on the map.
6. Catchment area and capacity of a reservoir may be
determined from the contour map.
7. Contour map may be used to determine the quantities of
earth work.
REFERENCE
• http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/fileadmin/wwc/Library/P
ublications_and_reports/Climate_Change/PersPap_15._
Water_Re sources_and_Services.pdf

• http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWAT/Resources/En
v_Fl ows_Water_v1.pdf

• http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/Gla
s sessment4.pdf
THANK YOU!