Chapter 3 – Levelling

Definition
Levelling is the process:-
• to determine the differences in the elevation between two or more points
or height of points such as the vertical distances between the points.
• to determine of variation in altitude or level.

A benchmark is a permanent or semi permanent physical mark of known

elevation. It is set as a survey marker in order to provide a point of
beginning for determining elevations of other points in a survey.
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Specialised equipment is required to undertake leveling which are:-

• Level with Tripod
• Levelling Staff
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

The Level with Tripod

Three (3) types of level are in common use today which are:-
1. The dumpy level
In dumpy level, telescope and vertical spindle are cast together in one piece.

For purposes of description, the level can be analysed with respect to its three
major component: telescope, level tube and levelling head.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling
2. The tilting level
The tilting level is more advance design than the dumpy level and generally
quicker in use due to the shorter time required to set it up and prepare it to use.

The telescope is not rigidly fixed to the vertical spindle.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling
3. The automatic level
There is now a great range of levelling instruments available with no precise
bubble attached.
The telescope is rigidly fixed to the vertical axis, as in the dumpy level & the
levelling head may be either bal-and-socket or three-foot screw type.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Levelling Staff
The levelling staff is used to measure distances
vertically above or below points.

The ordinary staffs are made of wood, aluminium

alloys or fiberglass and graduated in feet or metres.

The surveying staffs are usually between 2 and 5 m in

length.
Care of Equipments
The survey equipment is long lasting when it is 1

properly used.
Carelessness may injure them so severely that they will
require extensive repairs or be damaged permanently.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Below several suggestions are made concerning the care of the instrument
used (McCormac, 1976):-

1. The level

i. Before the level is removed from its box, the tripod should be set up in firm
position. The student should observe exactly how the level is held in the box, so
that after use they can return it to exactly the same position.

ii. After the instrument is taken from its box, its base should handle it when it is
not on the tripod.

iii. If possible, levels should not be set up on smooth surface, such as building
floors, unless the tripod points can be firmly held in place in some other means
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such as triangular frames made.

iv. The level should never be left unattended unless it is a very protected location,
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
v. The student should protect their instruments as much as possible from moisture,
but if the level does get wet, they gently wipes everything dry except the lens.
The lens should never touch with everything other.

2. Levelling Screws

i. Do not apply too much pressure to the levelling screw, it cause injury to the
levels.
ii. When the level is taken indoors for storing or outdoors for use, its screws and
clamps should be loosed because severe temperature changes may cause damage.

3. Levelling Staff 1

i. The staff should never drag on the ground and its metal base should never allow
striking rocks, pavement or other hard objects.

ii. It is because can cause errors due to the change in the length of the staff.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Errors in Levelling
Errors in levelling can be determined in many ways. Below the source of
errors & how to prevent & to reduce the errors.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Height Measurement by Levelling

Heights are required in many of the procedures used in engineering
surveying, for example, in establishing vertical control, when setting out and
for detail surveying.
Heights can be measured by levelling to a precision better than 0.01m, but
fieldwork tends to be slow.
In levelling, the optical
level is used to set up a
horizontal line and
readings are taken where
this horizontal line 1

intersects the levelling

staff which is held
vertically as shown in
figure (horizontal & level
lines)
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Strictly, the readings should be taken on the level line through the instrument
which is perpendicular to the direction of gravity at all points, unlike the
horizontal line which is only perpendicular to the direction of gravity at the
instrument.
However, if sight distances are kept below 100m to enable the staff readings
to be estimated to 0.001m wherever possible the horizontal and level lines
can be assumed to coincide, the error between the two being less than 1mm
over 100m.
Heights of points are usually
measured relative to an
agreed datum.

If Ordnance Datum is 1

chosen it will be necessary

to start and end the levelling
operation at an Ordnance
benchmark (OBM).
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
These are points of known
height relative to the datum
used by the Ordnance
Survey (OS), which is
currently the Mean Sea
Level (MSL) at Newlyn in
Cornwall.
OBMs are found on
buildings, walls and other
permanent, solid features
throughout Great Britain.

An alternative to an OBM is to set up either a Temporary Bench Mark or a

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Transferred Bench Mark, both being referred to as TBMs.

Any height that has been related to some datum is known as a Reduced Level
(RL), and when the datum used is Ordnance Datum the reduced levels are
said to be Above Ordnance Datum (AOD).
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Principles of Levelling
Levelling can be used to calculate either height differences or reduced levels
as shown in the following example.
Simple Levelling: Example

 Figure above shows a level correctly set up at a point I which is approximately

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midway between an OBM of RL 72.83m AOD and a point B. A levelling staff is

held vertically with its base at the OBM and at point B in turn and readings of
1.762m and 1.931m are obtained, respectively.
Calculate (i) the height difference between the OBM and point B.
(ii) the reduced level of point B.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Solution: Simple Levelling

 (i) Height difference between the OBM and point B.
Height difference = RLOBM – RLB
but from figure above;
RLOBM + 1.762 = RLB + 1.931
hence
RLOBM – RLB = 1.931 - 1.762 = 0.169m
 (ii) Reduced level of B
RLOBM + 1.762 = 72.83m + 1.762 = 74.592m 1

= Height of the Plane of Collimation

(HPC) of the level at I .
RLB = HPC at I – 1.931
= 74.592 - 1.931 = 72.661m
Hence RLB = 72.66m AOD
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Differential Levelling
Determining the difference in elevation between two or more points without
any regard to the allignment of the points is called differential levelling.

It is used when:-
(a) two points are a large distance apart.

(CP)
(CP)
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(CP)

where:-
BS – back sight FS – fore sight
IS – intermediate sight CP – change point
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
(b) the difference in elevation between the two points is large.

(c) some obstacle intervenes between the points.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Field Procedure in Levelling

The field work consists of reconnaissance, taking observation and booking
them in the field book.
1. Reconnaissance

 Before undertaking the levelling operation, a reconnaissance should be made.

 The positions of fundamental benchmarks are determined to control the location

of level lines.
 The route to be followed is then studied in detail so as to decide the positions of
temporary benchmarks.
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 Thereafter, the position of the staff stations is decided.

2. Observations

 Before starting the work, a surveyor should check the adjustments of the
instrument and should ensure that it is in good order.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
 When levelling is done in busy and noisy area, it becomes impossible for the
instrument man to give oral instructions to the surveyor holding the staff.

 Hand signals as listed in table & figure are very useful in such a case.

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Chapter 3 – Levelling

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling
3. Booking and Reading the Level
The observations are recorded in a level book. There are two (2) methods of
booking and reducing the levels of the points from the observed staff readings
which are:-
(i) Collimation Method @ Height of Instrument Method
 The elevation of the plane of collimation for the first setup of the level is
determined by adding backsight to the reduced level of a B.M.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling
(ii) Rise and Fall Method
 It consists of determining the difference of levels between the consecutive points
by comparing their staff readings.
 The rise or fall is obtained by calculating the difference between the consecutive
staff readings.
 A rise indicate BS > FS and a fall if BS < FS.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Solution :-

(+)

(=)

(-)
(-) (=)
(-)
(=)

(+)

(=)
(=)
(-)
(=)
(=)
(+)
(-) (-) (=)
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(=)
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Solution :-

(+ve) (-ve)

(-)

(=)
(-)
(=)
(-)
(=)
(-)
(=)
(-)

(=)
(-)
(=) 1
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Tutorial 3
The following consercutive readings were taken with a level and a 4.0m staff on
a continously sloping ground at a common interval of 30m:
0.780, 1.535, 1.955, 2.430, 2.985, 3.480, 1.155, 1.960,
2.365, 3.640, 0.935, 1.045, 1.630 and 2.545.

The reduced level of the first point A was 180.750m. Rule out a page of a level
field book and enter the above readings.
Calculate the reduced levels of the points by:-
i) The collimation system
ii) The rise and fall system
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Also calculate the gradient of the line joining the first and the last point.

Gradient =  B.S -  F.S =  Rise -  Fall

Distance
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
Collimation Method VS Rise & Fall Method

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Levelling Difficulties
Some of the difficulties encountered during the levelling operation are as
follows:-
1. Ascending or descending a hill

 It is difficult to ascertain the vertically of a level staff on slopes. Therefore, a

plumb bob must be used to check the vertically of the staff.
 While ascending and descending a hill, the backsight and foresight will be near
the top and bottom of the staff.

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 Chapter 3 – Levelling
2. Levelling across a summit or a hollow
 Care should be exercised in selecting a suitable position for the level when a
summit or a hollow is encountered.

3. Taking observation on a point above the line sight

 The level staff

can be held 1

inverted and the

observation can
be made.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
4. Ponds and Lakes
 When a pond or a lake is too wide, it cannot be sighted across.
 The difficulties can be overcome by driving two pegs say A and B on opposite
sides of the pond or lake with the RL of the water surface.

5. When the staff is too near the level

 In case the staff is held too near the level, tha graduation on the staff will not be
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clearly visible.
 To overcome this, this surveyor holding the staff should morve a piece of paper
along the staff graduations, till he finds that the edge of the paper is bisected by
the line of collimation.
 The reading to the edge of the paper will be the required observation.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Errors in Levelling

Instrumental Errors Natural Errors Personal Errors

Level Wind Level

Center the bubble Difficult to hold the staff
vertical in strong winds
Levelling Staff Curvature of the earth
Should be vertically 1
Mistakes setting up the
level & focused the
eyepiece
Levelling Staff

on a point Mistakes reading the staff

incorrectly
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Correction for the Errors

The bubble should be center. This can be made by:-
Two-Peg Test
 Set the instrument at point C
on the plane surface between
point A and point B.

 Take the reading at staff a1

and b1 on peg A and B.
 In calculation: (a1 – b1) will give the true diffrences between levelling at A and at
B because the sight distance (which cause the error) is same.
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 Move the instrument to point D which same line of AB (distance: BD = CB).

 Take the reading of staff a2 and b2 at point A and B.
 When (a1 – b1) = (a2 – b2) is true, the instrument is in level. Else, need to take the
true reading at staff and setup the level equipment.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
 Let say, there is a constant distance AC = CB = BD. If the errors occured at
distance AC = e , hence the error on CB and BD are same with e and for distance
DA, the error is 3e.
Example
 Here is the data that had been recorded during practical: two-peg test.
Station Staff reading Difference
at A at B
C a1 = 3.75 b1 = 4.25 A is 0.5 unit higher than B (true
difference)
D a2 = 7.86 b2 = 6.36 B is 1.5 unit higher than A (considerable
difference)

 The result: (a2 – b2)  (a1 – b2), so the instrument is unlevel.

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With the instrument at D, reading a2 = true reading at point A + 3e

and b2 = true reading at point B + e
 As the results, the true reading at A = (a2 – 3e) and B = (b2 – e)
 Chapter 3 – Levelling
 NOW,
True correction = true reading at A – true reading at B
= (a2 – 3e) – (b2 – e)
= (7.86 – 3e) – (6.36 – e)
= 1.5 – 2e
BUT,
True difference = a1 – b1
= 3.75 – 4.25
= – 0.5
HENCE,
– 0.5 = 1.5 – 2e 2e = 2 e = 1 m / distance
SO,
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Then, the intrument can

True reading at A (a2) = 7.86 – 3 = 4.86 be setup to give these true
True reading at B (b2) = 6.36 – 1 = 5.36 readings.
Notes:- If e < 1 mm / 20 m – no need to make a correction due to the instrument BUT the
reading should be same distance or short distance to avoid the error.
 Chapter 3 – Levelling

Permissible Error

First Order Levelling

 (4D )mm where D is the total distance during fieldwork (kilometer) OR
(0.017M ) feet where M is the total distance during fieldwork (miles).

Second Order Levelling

 (8.4D )mm where D is the total distance during fieldwork (kilometer) OR
(0.035M ) feet where M is the distance during fieldwork (miles).
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Third Order Levelling

 (12D )mm where D is the total distance during fieldwork (kilometer) OR
(0.05M ) feet where M is the distance during fieldwork (miles).