Engineering Surveying I
CENG 2091
Chapter 3
Surveying Equipment
(Leveling)
Tamru T.
2017EC (2024/25GC)
2nd Sem
Leveling
Leveling 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.
The most commonly used datum is mean
sea level (MSL)
Definitions of terms
Datum:- A datum is any reference surface to which the
elevation (vertical distance) of a points are referred. The
most commonly used datum is that of mean sea level.
Elevation: - Elevation is the vertical distance of a points
above or below on assumed datum (level surface).
Leveling:- The process or methods of determining the
vertical distance of a points relative to on assumed level
surface.
Level line:- is the surface of which it has a constant height
relative to mean sea level.
Horizontal line:- this is a line which is tangential to the
level line or a line which is normal to direction of gravitas
Definitions ……
Bench Mark (BM):- are permanent reference points or
marks at which their elevation (reduced level) has been
accurately determined by leveling from other permanent BM.
Reduced level (RL):- is the height above or below a
reference datum- similar to elevation.
Temporary bench mark (TBM):- are marks let up on
stable points near construction sites which all leveling
operation on that particular site will be referred.
Back sight (BS):- is the staff reading taken on points of
known elevation as a BM or a turning points.
Fore Sights (FS):- is the staff reading on points whose
elevation is to be determined as a turning points. It is the last
staff reading denoting the shifting of the instruments.
Definitions ……
Intermediate sights (IS):- any other staff reading
taken on a points at unknown elevation from the
same set up of the level. All sights b/n BS & FS are
IS.
Turning points (TP) or Changing Point (C.P):-
is a point denoting the shifting at the level. It is the
point on which the back a fore sight are taken.
Station:- is a points of which whose elevation is to
be determined.
Height of instruments:- is the elevation of plane
of collimation (plane of sight) where the instruments
is correctly leveled.
Equipments used in leveling
Basically three equipments are needed.
◦ Level – to give the true horizontal line
◦ Staff – to read vertical height
◦ Tape – to measure height of instruments
Principle of leveling
RL B = (100,003 – 1)
= 100,002 m
RLA + BS = HPC = Height of plane of collimation
Booking methods
There are two methods of booking in the
field for leveling.
◦ Rise & fall method
◦ Height of collimation/instrument method.
Booking methods
Rise and fall methods
Height of instrument method
Example 1
The following readings were taken with a level
and 4 m staff.
A. Draw up a level book page and reduce the
levels by the height of instrument method and
rise and fall method.
B. The gradient of the line joining the first and
last points (The chainage start from 0 and end 180m with interval
of 20 m in each station a total of 10 stations)
0.578 B.M. (= 58.250 m), 0.933, 1.768, 2.450,
(2.005 and 0.567) C.P., 1.888, 1.181, (3.679
and 0.612) C.P., 0.705, 1.810.
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Example 2
A page of level book is reproduced below in
which some readings marked as (x), are missing.
Complete the page with all arithmetic checks.
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Misclosure, Limits and its
distribution
Misclosure in leveling can only be assessed by
Connecting the leveling back to the BM from which it
started
Connecting in to another BM of known and ground
elevation.
A Common Criteria used to assess the misclosure (E) is
Where n = No of instrument setup
M = Constant is mm ( 5)
OR E = 15mm*D where D is the total distance in Km
if E is with in the misclosure, it has to be contributed
equally to all set up
Error in leveling
The errors in leveling might occur due to
Instrumental error : Collimation (when the
line of sight is not truly horizontal), Defect of
staff, Tripod defects
Field error: staff not vertical, Handling the
instruments and tripod
Effect of Earth curvature and refraction
of light
Instrumental error
Collimation error: The error occurs if
the line of the sight is not truly horizontal
when the tubular bubble is centered i.e
the line of sight is inclined up or down
from the horizontal.
a1
e Horizontal line
Collimation error
a1 b1
d1.e e e d2.e
d1 d2
A B
Error in curvature and
refraction
e com= - 0.0673d2 m where d is
distance in km
Reciprocal leveling
By averaging the two readings we can
eliminate combined error of collimation,
curvature and refraction.
Trigonometric Leveling
Trigonometric leveling is a process of
determining the differences of elevations
of stations from observed vertical angles
and known distances.
R. L. of Q = R. L. of B. M. + S + (D tan)
Engineering Application of
Leveling
Before engineers can properly design
linear facilities such as highways, railroads,
transmission lines, aqueducts, canals,
sewers, and water mains, they need
accurate information about the
topography along the proposed routes.
Profile leveling
Cross-sectional leveling
Example 3 : Error Distribution
Point Readings Diff. in Elev. RL Corr. Rem.
No RL
BS IS FS Rise Fall
BM35 0.813 1350.218 BM35
1 2.170
2 2.908
3 3.133 C.P / T.P.
3.752
4 3.277
5 1.899
6 2.390 C.P / T.P.
2.810
7 1.542
8 1.274
BM35 1.840 1350.218 BM35
Point Readings Diff. in Elev. RL Cor. Corr. Rem.
No RL
BS IS FS Rise Fall
BM35 0.813 1350.218 1350.218 BM35
1 2.170 1.357 1348.861 -0.004 1348.857
2 2.908 0.738 1348.123 -0.004 1348.119
3 3.133 0.225 1347.898 -0.004 1347.894 C.P / T.P.
3.752
4 3.277 0.475 1348.373 -0.008 1348.365
5 1.899 1.378 1349.751 -0.008 1349.743
6 2.390 0.491 1349.260 -0.008 1349.252 C.P / T.P.
2.810
7 1.542 1.268 1350.528 -0.012 1350.516
8 1.274 0.268 1350.796 -0.012 1350.784
BM35 1.840 0.566 1350.230 -0.012 1350.218 BM35
Error = 1350.230 – 1350.218 = 0.012 m Correction per setup = - 0.012/3
Correction applied = - E = - 0.012 m = - 0.004
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