Levelling

Lecture - 14
Levelling:
 Levelling is an art of determining relative height of different
points on the surface of earth.
 It deals with the measurement in vertical plane.

OR

 Levelling is an operation in surveying performed to determine

the difference in levels of two points. By this operation the
height of a point from a datum, known as elevation, is
determined.
Important Terms:
Level Surface:
 Level surface is any surface parallel to mean spheriodal
surface of earth. E.g surface of water in still lake.
 OR A level surface or level line is one at which all points is
normal to the direction of the force of gravity as defined by a
freely suspended plumb-bob.

Fig. 4.1
 Important Terms

Level Line:
 Any line lying on a level surface is called level line.

Horizontal Plane:
 Horizontal plane through a point is a plane tangential to level

surface passing through that point.

 It is perpendicular to the direction of gravity (vertical plane).

Horizontal Line:
 Any line lying in the horizontal plane is horizontal line.

 It is a straight line tangential to level line.

Vertical Plane:
 A plane is called vertical if it contains vertical lines.
 Important Terms

Vertical Line:
 A vertical line at a point is a line normal to the level surface

through that point. E.g Plumb line (direction of gravity)

Vertical Angle:
 It is angle between the two lines intersecting in a vertical

plane.
Datum:
 A datum is any reference surface to which the elevations of

points are referred. The most commonly used datum is that of

mean sea level (MSL).
 In Pakistan, the datum adopted for GTS (Grand Trigometical

Survey) bench marks is the mean sea level (MSL) at Karachi.

 Important Terms

Bench mark (BM):

 It is a permanent fixed reference point of known elevation and

position.
Reduced level (RL):
 The RL of a point is its height above or below a reference

datum. It is also called as Elevation.

Line of Collimation:
 Line joining the point of intersection of cross hairs to the

optical centre of object glass and its continuation is called the

line of collimation. It is also called as line of sight.
 Important Terms

Back Sight (BS):

 It is the staff reading taken at the point of known elevation

(such as BM). It is also the first staff reading after setting the
instrument.
Fore Sight (FS):
 It is the reading at a point after which the instrument is shifted

to another point. So it is the last reading at a setting.

Intermediate Sight (IS):
 Any reading taken between BS and FS reading is called

Intermediate Sight (IS).

Equipments:
 The equipment used in the levelling process comprises optical
levels and graduated staffs.
 Basically, the optical level consists of a telescope fitted with a
spirit bubble to ensure long horizontal sights onto the vertically
held graduated staff.

 Different type of levels includes:

A. Tilting Level
B. Automatic Level
C. Digital Level
Differential or Spirit Levelling:
 Differential levelling or spirit levelling is the most accurate
simple direct method of determining the difference of level
between two points using an instrument known as level with
a levelling staff.
 A level establishes a horizontal line of sight.
 Levelling staff measures the difference in the level of the line
of sight and the point over which the levelling staff is held.

Fig. 4.4
 Differential or Spirit Levelling

 Fig. shows the principle of determining the difference in level

∆h between two points A and B, and thus the elevation of one
of them can be determined if the elevation of the other one is
known.
 SA and SB are the staff readings at A and B, respectively, and
hA and hB are their respective elevations.
 From the figure, we find that:
1. if SB < SA, the point B is higher than point A.
2. if SB > SA, the point B is lower than point A.
3. to determine the difference of level, the elevation of ground
point at which the level is set up, is not required.
Booking and Reducing of Levels:
 Before discussing the booking and methods of reducing levels, the
following terms associated with differential levelling must be understood.
 Station: A station is the point where the levelling staff is held. (Points
A, a, b, B, c, and C in Fig. 4.5).
 Height of instrument (H.I.) or height of collimation: For any set up of
the level, the elevation of the line of sight is the height of instrument.
(H.I. = hA + SA in Fig. 4.4).
 Back sight (B.S.): It is the first reading taken on the staff after setting up
the level usually to determine the height of instrument. It is usually made
to some form of a bench mark (B.M.) or to the points whose elevations
have already been determined. When the instrument position has to be
changed, the first sight taken in the next section is also a back sight.
(Staff readings S1 and S5 in Fig. 4.5).
 Important Terms

Fig. 4.5
 Important Terms

 Fore sight (F.S.): It is the last reading from an instrument position

on to a staff held at a point. It is thus the last reading taken within a
section of levels before shifting the instrument to the next section,
and also the last reading taken over the whole series of levels. (Staff
readings S4 and S7 in Fig. 4.5).
 Change point (C.P.) or turning point: A change point or turning
point is the point where both the fore sight and back sight are made
on a staff held at that point. A change point is required before
moving the level from one section to another section. By taking the
fore sight the elevation of the change point is determined and by
taking the back sight the height of instrument is determined. The
change points relate the various sections by making fore sight and
back sight at the same point. (Point B in Fig. 4.5).
 Important Terms

 Intermediate sight (I.S.): The term ‘intermediate sight’ covers all

sightings and consequent staff readings made between back sight
and fore sight within each section. Thus, intermediate sight station
is neither the change point nor the last point. (Points a, b, and c in
Fig. 4.5).
 Reduced level (R.L.): Reduced level of a point is its height or
depth above or below the assumed datum. It is the elevation of the
point.
 Rise and fall: The difference of level between two consecutive
points indicates a rise or a fall between the two points. In Fig. 4.4, if
(SA – SB) is positive, it is a rise and if negative, it is a fall. Rise and
fall are determined for the points lying within a section.
 Important Terms

 Section: A section comprises of one back sight, one fore sight and
all the intermediate sights taken from one instrument set up within
that section. Thus the number of sections is equal to the number of
set ups of the instrument. (From A to B for instrument position 1
is section-1 and from B to C for instrument position 2 is section-2
in Fig. 4.5).
Rise & Fall Method:
 In the rise and fall method, the rises and the falls are found
out for the points lying within each section.
 Adding or subtracting the rise or fall to or from the reduced
level of the backward station obtains the level for a forward
station.
 In Table 4.1, r and f indicate the rise and the fall,
respectively, assumed between the consecutive points.
Table 4.1
 Checks

 For the rise and fall method

Σ B.S. – Σ F.S. = Σ Rise – Σ Fall = Last R.L. – First R.L.
Problem-1:
 Following consecutive readings were taken with a level and
staff rod:
 2.5 ft at A, 3.35, 4.75, 6.38, 8.91, 1.21, 3.76, 5.98 , 3.11, 6.74
and 7.75 at B.
 The instrument was shifted after 5th and 8th reading. If the
reduced level of A = 300 ft.
 Find the reduced level of B and also apply usual checks.
Problem-2:
 Following consecutive readings were taken with a level and
staff rod:
 8.75 at A, 6.50, 4.21, 5.65, 1.12, 3.75, 5.50, 9.21, 7.32, 5.81,
6.65 on B.
 Instrument was shifted after 4th and 7th reading.
 Find the RL of staff points and difference of RL between
change points.
 Given that reduced level of A is 500 ft, also apply usual
checks.