1.

0 LEVELLING

Levelling is the name given to the process of measuring the difference in elevation between
two or more points. In engineering surveying, levelling has many applications and is used at
all stages in construction projects from the initial site survey through to the final setting out.

1.1 Definition of terms

• Datum – Datum plane is an arbitrarily assumed level surface or line with reference to
which level of other line or surface are calculated
• 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.
• Level Surface: The surface which is parallel to the mean spheroidal surface of the earth
is known as level surface.
• Benchmark is a relatively permanent point of reference whose elevation with respect to
some assumed datum is known.
• Reduced level or Elevation: The vertical distance of a point above or below the datum
is known as the elevation or R.L of that point. R.L of a point may be positive or negative
according as the point is above or below the datum.
• What are the different kinds of bench marks? A BM is the reference point of known
elevation. It may be classified into following types.
(i). G.T. S Bench Mark: The great trigonometrical survey (G.T.S) bench marks are
established by the survey of India throughout the country. The levels of this bench
marks are established very accurately at a large interval with respect to the mean sea
level at Bombay port.
(ii). Permanent Bench Mark: These are established by different Government
departments like PWD, Railways, Irrigation etc, The RL of these points are determined
with reference to the G.T.S Bench Marks. Points on rocks, culvert, gate pillars, etc,
(iii). Temporary Bench Mark: These are established temporarily whenever required.
These are generally chosen to close the day s work and to start the next days. Points on
roofs, walls, ‟ basements, etc,
(iv). Arbitrary Bench Mark: When the RL of some fixed points are assumed, they are
termed arbitrary benchmark.
• Staff station: A point whose elevation is to be determined or staff holding point

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 • Line of Collimation: It is the line joining the intersection of the cross hair and the optical
center of the objective and its extensions, it is also called line of sight or collimation.
• Height of Instrument (HI): The elevation of the line of sight with respect to assumed
datum is known as height of Instrument (HI).
• Back sight: (B.S.) – The first sight taken on a levelling staff held at a point of known
elevation. B.S. enables the surveyor to obtain HI +sight i.e. Height of Instrument or line
of sight.

1.2 PRINCIPLE OF LEVELLING

The instrument is set up and correctly levelled in order to make the line of sight through the
telescope horizontal. If the telescope is turned through 360◦, a horizontal plane of sight is swept
out. Vertical measurements from this plane, using a graduated levelling staff, enable the relative
elevations of ground points to be ascertained.

Figure 1

Consider Figure 1 with the instrument set up approximately midway between ground points A
and B. If the reduced level (RL) of point A is known and equal to 100.000 m above OD (AOD),
then the reading of 3.000 m on a vertically held staff at A gives the reduced level of the
horizontal line of sight as 103.000 m AOD. This sight onto A is termed a backsight (BS) and
the reduced level of the line of sight is called the height of the plane of collimation (HPC).
Thus:

1.3 Two-peg Test

This is carried out exactly as for the tilting level. However, the line of sight is raised or lowered
to its correct reading by moving the cross-hair by means of its adjusting screws. If the

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instrument is still unsatisfactory the fault may lie with the compensator, in which case it should
be returned to the manufacturer.
Example 1

The readings obtained from a two-peg test carried out on an automatic

level with a single level staff set up alternately at two pegs A and B placed

50 m apart were as follows:

With the level midway between A and B

staff reading at A = 1.283 m

staff reading at B = 0.860 m

With the level positioned 5 m from peg B on the line AB produced

staff reading at A = 1.612 m

staff reading at B = 1.219 m

Calculate

(1) The collimation error of the level per 50 m of sight

(2) The reading that should have been observed on the staff at A from the level in position 5 m
from B.

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A more complicated levelling sequence is shown in cross-section in the figure 2 below in which
an engineer has levelled between two TBMs to find the reduced levels of points A to E. The
readings could have been taken with any type of level and figure 2 shows the levelling in plan
view. The field procedure is as follows.

Figure 2

(1) The level is set up at some convenient position 1 1 and a BS of 2.191 m taken to the first
TBM, the foot of the staff being held on the TBM and the staff held vertically.

(2) The staff is moved to points A and B in turn and readings taken. These are intermediate
sights of 2.505 m and 2.325 m respectively.

(3) A change point must be used in order to reach D owing to the nature of the ground.
Therefore, a change point is chosen at C and the staff is moved to C and a reading of 1.496 m
taken. This is a FS.

(4) While the staff remains at C, the instrument is moved to another position, 1 2 • A reading is
taken from the new position to the staff at C. This is a BS of 3.019 m.
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(5) The staff is moved to D and E in turn and readings taken of 2.513 m (IS) and 2.811 m (FS)
respectively, E being another CP

(6) Finally, the level is moved to 13 , a BS of 1.752 m taken to E and a FS of 3.824 m taken to
the final TBM.

(7) The final staff position is at a point of known RL. This is most important as all levelling
fieldwork must start and finish at points of known reduced level, otherwise it is not possible to
detect misclosures in the levelling.

1.4 Booking and Reduced Level Calculations

The booking and reduction of the readings can be done by one of two methods.

i. The Rise and Fall Method

The readings are shown booked by the rise and fall method in table 1. These are normally
recorded in a level book containing all the relevant columns. Each line of the level book
corresponds to a staff position and this is confirmed by the entries in the Remarks column. The
calculation proceeds in the following manner, in which the reduced level of a point is related
to that of a previous point

Example 1: Use figure 1 above to adjust the levels by rise and fall method

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Example 3: The following staff readings were observed successively with a level. The
instrument was shifted after the third, sixth and eighth reading, determine the level difference
between the first and last stations using rise and fall method, The first readings were taken on
a staff held on BM 100.00 3.865, 3.345,2.930,1.950,0.855,3.795,2.640,1.54,1.935,0.865and
0.665

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 ii. The Height of Collimation Method

The level book for the reduction of the levelling of figure 1 is shown in the height of collimation
form in table 2. This method of reducing levels is based on the HPC being calculated for each
instrument position and proceeds as follows.

(1) If the BS reading taken to the first TBM is added to the RL of this bench mark, then the
HPC for the instrument position 11 will be obtained. This will be 49.873 + 2.191 = 52.064 m
and is entered in the appropriate column.

(2) To obtain the initial reduced levels of A, B and C the staff readings to those points are now
subtracted from the HPC. The relevant calculations are

✓ RL of A = 52.064 - 2.505 = 49.559 m

✓ RL of B = 52.064 - 2.325 = 49.739 m
✓ RL of C = 52.064 - 1.496 = 50.568 m

(3) At point C, a change point, the instrument is moved to position 1 2 and a new HPC is
established. This collimation level is obtained by adding the BS at C to the RL found for C
from 11 • For position 12 , the HPC is 50.568 + 3.019 = 53.587 m. The staff readings to D and
E are now subtracted from this to obtain their reduced levels.

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(4) The procedure continues until the initial reduced level of the final TBM is calculated and
the misclosure found as before. With the Initial RL column in the table completed, the following
checks can be applied:
Example1: Use the diagram in figure 1 above to adjust the levels using HPC method

(BS) - (FS) = LAST RL - FIRST RL

IS + FS + RLs except first = (each HPC X number of applications)
LIS + FS + RLs except first= 7.343 + 8.131 + 300.420 = 315.894. The first HPC, 52.064, was
used to calculate the levels of A, B and C and was therefore used three times. The second HPC,
53.587, was used twice to calculate the levels of D and E, and the last HPC of 52.528 was used
only once to close the levels onto the final TBM. This gives the second part of the check as
52.064 × 3 + 53.587 × 2 + 52.528 × 1 = 315.894. After applying the check, any misclosure is
distributed as for the rise and fall method.
Example 2: The staff readings were observed for a leveling survey work as follows 1.820
,2.150, 1.230, 1.460, 0.905, 2.345, 1.995, 1.860. Two staff readings at 33rd and 4th are inverted
and after 5 th reading instrument shifted. Reduced level of first staff point was 50.00, calculate
reduced level of all other points in collimation method.

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Example 3: The staff readings were observed for a leveling survey work as follows 1.820
,2.150, 1.230, 1.460, 0.905, 2.345, 1.995, 1.860. Two staff readings at 3rd and 4th are inverted
and after 5th reading instrument shifted. Reduced level of final staff point was 50,00m.
Calculate reduced level of all other points in collimation method

iii. Additional Levelling Methods: Inverted Staff

Occasionally, it may be necessary to determine the reduced levels of points such as the soffit
of a bridge, underpass or canopy. Generally, these points will be above the line of collimation.
To obtain the reduced levels of such points, the staff is held upside down in an inverted position
with its base on the elevated points. When booking an inverted staff reading it is entered in the
levelling table with a minus sign, the calculation proceeding in the normal way, taking this sign

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into account. An example of a levelling line including inverted staff readings is shown in figure
3, table 3 showing the reduction of these readings
Example

Figure 3

Each inverted reading is denoted by a minus sign and the rise or fall computed accordingly. For
example, the rise from TBM A to point X is 1.317 - (-3.018) = 4.335 m. Similarly, the fall from
point Z to TBM B is -3.602 - 1.498 = -5.100 m. An inverted staff position must not be used as
a change point since there is often difficulty in keeping the staff vertical and in keeping its base
in the same position for more than one reading

1.5 Various sources of errors in leveling. Three principal sources:

(i). Instrumental error

✓ Error due to imperfect adjustment

✓ Error due to sluggish bubble.
✓ Error due to movement of objective slide
✓ Error due to defective joint.

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 ✓ Error due to incorrect length of staff.

(ii). Natural error.

✓ Earth s curvature.
✓ Atmospheric refraction
✓ Variations in temperature.
✓ Settlement of tripod.
✓ Wind vibrations.

(iii). Personal errors.

✓ Mistakes in manipulation.
✓ Mistake in staff handling
✓ Mistake in reading the staff.
✓ Error s in sighting.
✓ Mistakes in recording.

1.6 The Precautions to Minimise Errors in Levelling

• It always necessary to hold the staff vertical when the reading is taken

• When taking the readings it is always necessary to make sure that the bubble of bubble tube
is centre.

• The graduation of the staff should be read in the downward directon.

• Check the verticality of the staff by bringing the image between two vertical hairs of
diaphragm

• The level is set up approximately centre in between two staff. Station

• The instrument men should not rest his hand on the tripod while taking reading

• In booking care should be taken to enter correctly in the field book

• Elimination of parallax: It arise when the image formed by the objective is not in the plane
of the cross-hairs. Parallax is eliminated in two steps:

✓ By focusing the eye-piece.

✓ By focusing the objective.

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1.7 Temporary Adjustment of a Level

At each set up of a level instrument, temporary adjustment is required to be carried out prior
to any staff observation. The temporary adjustment of a dumpy level consists of:

(1) Setting up of the level

(2) Leveling up of the level

(3) Focusing the objective

(1) Setting up of the level: The tripod stand is set up at a convenient height having its head
horizontal (through eye estimation). The instrument is then fixed on the head by rotating the
lower part of the instrument with right hand and holding firmly the upper part with left hand.
Before fixing, the leveling screws are required to be brought in between the tribrach and trivet.
The bull's eye bubble (circular bubble), if present, is then brought to the centre by adjusting the
tripod legs.

(2) Leveling up of the level: Levelling of is done to make the vertical axis of the instrument
truly vertical.

(3) Focusing the objective: It is required to be done in order to form image through objective
lens at the plane of the diaphragm and to view the clear image of the object through eye-piece.
This is being carried out by removing parallax by proper focusing of objective and eye-piece.
Focusing the eye-piece: To focus the eye-piece for distinct visions of the cross-hairs, hold a
sheet of white paper in front of objective and move eyepiece in and out till the cross hairs are
seen sharp and distinct. Focusing the objective: The Telescope is now directed towards the
object to be sighted and the focusing screw is turned till the image appears clear and sharp

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1.8 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Q2. The following consecutive readings were taken on a continuously sloping ground at 30 m
interval with a dumpy level and 4 m levelling staff 0.585 on A then, 0.936, 1.953, 2.846, 3.644,
3.938, 0.962, 1.035, 1.089, 2.534, 3.844, 0.956, 1.579, at subsequent stations and 3.016 on B.
The elevation of A was 520.450 m.

(i) Prepare a page of level book and calculate the R.L of all points by rise and fall method.
Apply usual checks.

(ii) Determine the gradient of line AB.

Q3. The following readings are successively taken from an instrument in leveling work 0.350,
0.480, 0.620, 1.755, 1.895, 2.350,1.780, 0.345, 0.685, 1.230. The instrument was shifted after
4th and 7 threading. Assume RL of first point as 50. 00m.Calculate the RL of all the points
using rise and fall method Arithmetic

(check answer 2.175)

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