TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING – I

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
SURVEYING UNIT-1 LECTURE - 5

Topics to be covered:

 Profile Leveling
 Reduction of Level
 PROFILE LEVELING

CHAIN SURVEYING
Profile Leveling

Profile leveling is a method of surveying that has been carried out along the central line
of a track of land on which a linear engineering work is to be constructed/ laid. The
operations involved in determining the elevation of ground surface at small spatial
interval along a line is called profile leveling.

Stations

The line along which the profile is to be run is to be marked on the ground before taking
any observation. Stakes are usually set at some regular interval which depends on the
topography, accuracy required, nature of work, scale of plotting etc. It is usually taken to
be 10 meter. The beginning station of profile leveling is termed as 0+00. Points at
multiples of 100m from this point are termed as full stations. Intermediate points are
designated as pluses.
 PROFILE LEVELING

Procedure

In carrying out profile leveling, a level is placed at a convenient location (say I1) not
necessarily along the line of observation. The instrument is to be positioned in such a
way that first backsight can be taken clearly on a B.M. Then, observations are taken at
regular intervals (say at 1, 2, 3, 4) along the central line and foresight to a properly
selected turning point (say TP1). The instrument is then re-positioned to some other
convenient location (say I2). After proper adjustment of the instrument, observations are
started from TP1 and then at regular intervals (say at 5, 6 etc) terminating at another
turning point, say TP2 . Staff readings are also taken at salient points where marked
changes in slope occur, such as that at X.

The distance as well as direction of lines are also measured.

PROFILE LEVELING
 PROFILE LEVELING

Field book for Reduction of Level

 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

There are two methods of working out the reduced levels of the point from the staff
readings taken in the field:
1. Height of Instrument or Collimation Method.
2. Rise and Fall Method.

1. Collimation Method:

It consists in finding the elevation of the plane of collimation i.e. (H.I.) for every setting of
the instrument and then obtaining the reduced levels of the points with reference to the
respective plan of collimation
To start with, the H.L is calculated by adding the back sight of the R.L. of the starting
point. The reduced levels of the intermediate point and the first change point are then
obtained by subtracting the respective readings from the H.I. When the instrument is
shifted, a new plane of collimation is set up and the height of which is calculated by
adding back sight reading to the R.L. of the first change point.
The reduced levels of the successive points and the second change point arc found out
by subtracting their staff readings from this new H.I. The process is repeated until all the
R.Ls are worked out, and then the arithmetical check is applied.
 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

Arithmetical Check:

The difference between the sum of the back sights and the sum of the fore sights should
be equal to the difference of the first and the last R.Ls i.e. Σ B.S. – Σ F.S. = Last R.L. -
First R.L. This check verifies the calculation of R.Ls. of the planes of collimation and of
the change points only. There is no check on the reduction of R.Ls. of the intermediate
points.
This method may more clearly be understood by the following example of longitudinal
levelling from flag – staff lower base to downstream parapet of culvert no. 8 . (Fig. 7.16).
 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

Check Levelling:

It is conducted for the purpose of checking a series of levels, which have previously
been fixed. At the end of each day’s work a line of levels starting from the point and
returning to the starting point of that day is run with the object of checking the work done
on that day.
Since the circuit is completed i.e., the levelling work ends at the starting point, therefore,
for the work to be correct the difference between the sum of all the back sights and that
of all therefore sights on that day should be zero.

Precise Levelling:
It is special method of levelling used for establishing bench marks with high precision at
widely distant points, it is conducted by some govt., agency such as Great
Trignometrical Survey of India department for establishing G.T.S. bench marks.
 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

Precautions while Levelling:

(i) The adjustment of the level are carefully tested.

(ii) (ii) The parallax should be entirely eliminated by correct focussing.
(iii) The staff should be exactly vertical. It may be plumbed with the staff-level or plumb-
bob.
(iv) The bubble should be exactly in the centre of its run at the time of taking readings.
(v) Lengths of sights are limiting to about 100 m.
(vi) The back sight and fore sight distances should be exactly equal. Stadia readings
may be taken for this purpose.
(vii) Ground for level and staff should be stable. To avoid error due to settlement of tripod
and staff, the back sights and the following fore sights should be taken in quick
successions and the order of taking readings is interchanged at alternate set up i.e. at
first setting, the back sight is observed first and then the fore sight while at the 2nd
setting, the foresight is taken first and then the back sight and so on.
(viii) Levelling work should be suspended in rainy and windy days and also at noon in
hot summer days. If work is necessarily to be done under such conditions, level should
be protected from the sun or wind by a screen or umbrella.
(ix) Check levelling should be performed by a different surveyor on different days with
different change points. And if the closing error exceeds the permissible value, the work
should be repeated.
 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

Reciprocal Levelling:

It is a method of levelling adopted to determine the difference of levels between two

points when it is, not possible to set up the level midway between them as in the case of
a river, a deep valley etc.

This method also eliminates:

(i) The error due to curvature and refraction, and
(ii) The error due to line of collimation not being parallel to the bubble line which may
otherwise occur due to non —equality of back and fore sight distances.
The operation involves two sets of observations giving two incorrect differences of
levels, the mean of which is the true difference. Let A and B be two points [Fig- 7.3 (a)
and (b)] on opposite banks of a wide river.

Then to find the true difference of level between A and B, proceed as follows:
(i) Set up and level the instrument very near to A or over A [fig. 7.31. (a)].
(ii) Read the staff held at A and B and let the staff readings be (a1) and (b1) respectively.
(iii) Transfer the instrument to B and set it up and level very near to B or over B [fig. 7.31
(b)].
(iv) Observe the readings on the staff held at A and B and denote them as (a2) and (b2)
respectively.
REDUCTION OF LEVEL
REDUCTION OF LEVEL
 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

Entries are shown in Table 7.1.

 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

2. Rise and Fall Method:

In this method, the difference between consecutive points is calculated by comparing

each point after the first with that immediately preceding it. The difference of their staff
reading indicates rise or fall according as any staff reading is smaller or greater than that
at the preceding point. The R.L. of each point is then found by adding rise or subtracting
fall to or from the R.L. of the preceding point.

Remember:

If a staff reading (fore reading) is greater than that at the preceding point, then there is
fall and if smaller then there is a rise.

Arithmetical Check:
In this method, there are three checks on the accuracy of reduction of levels. The
difference between the sum of the back sights and the sum of the fore sights is equal to
the difference between the sum of the rises and that of the falls is equal to the difference
between the first and the last R.Ls.
Σ B S. – Σ F.S. = Σ Rise – Σ fall = Last R.L. – Ist R.L.
This method is made clear by finding R.Ls. of the points in Fig. 7.16 in Table 7.2.
REDUCTION OF LEVEL
 REDUCTION OF LEVEL

Comparison of the Collimation and Rise and Fall Methods of Reduction of Levels:

Collimation Method:
1. In the case of more intermediate readings, there is considerable saving of labour and
time as it involves only a few calculations.
2. There is no check on the R.Ls of intermediate stations.
3. There are two checks for arithmetical accuracy i.e. the difference between the sum of
back sights of fore sights should be equal to the difference of the Ist and last R.Ls.
4. It is generally used for longitudinal and cross levelling operations and for giving levels
of roads and canals and similar constructional works.

Rise and Fall Method

1. It is a laborious method as staff reading of each point on the ground, after the first is
compared with that preceding it, and the difference of level entered as a rise or fall.
2. There is a complete check on the reduction of R.Ls. of intermediate stations.
3. There are three checks for arithmetical accuracy. The difference between the sum of
the back sights and the sum of the fore sights should be equal to that between the sum
of the sum of rises and the sum of the falls as well as that between the Ist. and the last
R.Ls.
4. It is generally used for earth work calculations and other precise levelling operations.