INTRODUCTION TO LEVELLING

Bhuwan Singh Bisht

Instructor
Land Management Training Center
bhuwan.bisht@nepal.gov.np
 INTRODUCTION

Levelling is the process by which elevations of points or

differences in elevation are determined.
Its purpose to provide spot heights or contour lines on a map, to
provide data for making longitudinal and cross-sections.
 Areas of Application
♦ Design of highways, railroads, canals, etc.
♦ Layout construction projects according to specific design
♦ Calculate earthwork volumes
♦ Investigate drainage characteristics
♦ Develop maps showing general ground configurations
♦ Monitor earth subsidence
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Mean Sea Level (MSL): Average elevation of the sea surface
based on hourly tide gauge measurements over a period of 19
years .
Bench Mark (BM): A permanent reference point with a known
elevation (relative to some datum, usually MSL).
Temporary Bench Mark (TBM): A point of known height above
a pre-defined level. This level is not absolute and is defined
locally by the surveyor for the purpose of the survey.

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 Level Surface : A level surface is the equipotential surface of the
earth’s gravity field. It is a curved surface and every element of
which is normal to the plumb line.
 Datum : A datum is a reference surface of constant potential,
called as a level surface of the earth’s gravity field, for
measuring the elevations of the points. One of such surfaces is
the mean sea level surface and is considered as a standard
datum. Also an arbitrary surface may be adopted as a datum.
 Level Line : A line lying in a level surface is a level line. It is thus
a curved line.

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Balancing of Sight: To reduce the effect of instrumental and
other errors, the distance of the point where a back sight is
taken and the distance of the point where a fore sight is taken,
as measured from the instrument station, should be
approximately equal. This is known as balancing of sight.
Height of Instrument: It is the elevation of the line of sight (or
a horizontal plane containing the line of sight) with respect to
the datum.

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 Backsight (BS): This is the first reading taken by the observer at
every instrument station after setting up the level. The back sight
is used to determine the height of the instrument (H.I.)
• Height of instrument = Known elevation + Back sight
Foresight (FS): This is the last reading taken at every instrument
station before moving the level The fore sight is used to determine
the elevation of the staff station.
• Elevation = Height of Instrument - Foresight
 Intermediate Sight (IS): This is any reading taken at an instrument
station between the backsight and the foresight .

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 Turning point (TP)/change point ( C.P. ) : This point at which
both a foresight and a backsight are taken before moving the
staff
 Station: The station is the point where the staff is held for
taking observation from a levelling instrument.
 Line of collimation: It is an imaginary line passing through
the intersection of the cross hairs at the diaphragm and
optical centre of the object glass and its continuation. It is
also known as line of sight.

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Axis of telescope: It is an imaginary line passing through the
optical centre of the object glass and the optical centre of the
eye piece.

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 Level Instrument

The instrument which is used for

levelling, is known as level, it
consists essentially of the
following parts
• A telescope to provide line of
sight
• A level tube to make the line
of sight horizontal
• A levelling head to bring the
bubble of the tube level at the
centre of its run
• A tripod to support the above
three parts of the level

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 Types of Level

The Dumpy Level

The Y-level
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 The reversible level

Digital level

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 Types of Levelling

Direct levelling (Sprit levelling)

1. Simple levelling
2. Differential levelling
3. Profile levelling
4. Cross-section levelling
5. Reciprocal levelling
6. Precise levelling
7. Check levelling
8. Fly levelling
Indirect levelling
1. Trigonometric levelling
2. Barometric levelling
3. Hypsometry
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Simple levelling: The operation of levelling for determining the
difference in elevation, if not too great, between two points
visible from a single position of the level, is known as simple
levelling.
Differential levelling: The method of levelling for determining
the difference in elevation of two points either too far apart or
obstructed by an intervening ground, is known as differential
levelling.

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 Simple levelling

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 Differential levelling

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 Booking and reducing the levels

Rise and fall method

Height of instrument method

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Rise and fall method
 Difference in elevation between two consecutive points for each
setting of the instrument, is obtained by comparing the staff
reading
 Difference in height= B.S.-F.S
 Rise if, Back sight reading> fore sight reading
 Fall if, Back sight reading < fore sight reading
 The rise and fall worked out for all points gives vertical distance
of each points relative to the preceding points
 If the RL of back staff point is known, then RL of following points
may be obtained by adding its rise or subtracting its fall from the
RL
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Arithmetic check
ΣB.s- Σf.s= ΣRise - Σfall=last R.L.-First R.L.
Check in intermediate site is also possible in this method.

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Height of instrument/Height of collimation method
In this method height of instrument(H.I) is calculated for each setting
of the instrument by adding the back sight to the elevation of the BM
Reduced level of the first station is obtained by subtracting its
foresight from the height of instrument
For the second setting of the instrument the height of the instrument
is calculated by adding the back sight taken on the first station to its
reduced level
The reduced level of the last point is obtained by subtracting the fore
sight of the last point from the height of instrument of last setting
Arithmetic check
ΣB.s- Σf.s= last R.L.-First R.L.
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 Comparison

 Height of instrument method

• It is more rapid method.
• Used for construction work, profile levelling and x Sectioning
• No check in intermediate site
• There are only two arithmetic check
 Rise and fall method
• It is laborious as the staff reading of each station is compared
• Used for determining the precise elevation between two points
• Complete check in intermediate site
• There are three arithmetic check

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 Specification For Different Order of Levelling In Nepal
(Red Book)

First order Second order Third order

Maximum staff 25 m 30 m 35 m
distance

Staff reading 0.5 m – 2.5 m 0.5m – 2.5 m 0.5 m – 2.5 m

Permissible error ±1.1√K mm, ±2.0√K mm, ±5.0√K mm,
k is distance in km k is distance in km k is distance in km

Staff type Invar staff with double Invar staff with double Invar staff
graduation graduation

Observation time Sunrise to 10 am, Sunrise to 10 am, Whole day

2 pm to sunset 2 pm to sunset

Instrument used Wild N3 Wild N3 or NA2 Wild NA2 or N2

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 Measuring Elevation Difference

The basic operation in differential leveling is the

determination of elevation differences between two points.
Consider two points A and B as shown below.
Set up the level so that readings may be made on a staff held
vertically at A and then at B

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 Checking Collimation Error

Collimation error:
 Collimation error occurs when the collimation axis is not truly horizontal at position of level
instrument is leveled. The effect is illustrated in the sketch below, where the collimation axis
formed a small angle a with the horizontal line.

 The amount of error increases due to the increase in distance of staff from the instrument
position. If the sight lengths for back sight and fore sight are equal, the amount of linear effect
is same for both readings.
 dh = (b + s.tana) - (f + s.tana) = b - f
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 That is, the effect of the collimation error is eliminated if back sight and fore sight is equal.
 Two peg test:
 There are three steps involved in this procedure:
 Set out and mark on the ground (with wooden pegs driven into the earth, ) twopoint some 30m apart.
Set up the level exactly mid-way (within 0.5m) between them:

 Take measurements of back sight and fore sight for this first set up. The height difference dh1 will be
freeof the effects of collimation error:
dh1 = b1 - f1 = (b + Sb.tana) - (f + Sf.tana)
= b - f + tana.(Sb - Sf)
= b-f (because Sb = Sf )
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 Move the level instrument to a position just beyond the fore staff position (about 5m):

 Then repeat the readings. In this case, Sb = 35m and Sf = 5m. Then:
dh2 = b2 - f2 = (b + Sb.tana) - (f + Sf.tana)
= b - f + tana.(Sb - Sf)

¹ b-f (because Sb ¹ Sf)From Figure, tana=[dh2 -(b-f)]/ (Sb - Sf)

Now from first case, b-f=dh1 i.e., tana=[dh2 -dh1 ]/ (Sb - Sf)

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 Now correct reading for second case b= b2-Sb tana

 𝑏 = 𝑏2− 𝑆𝑏.

 Obviously, this height difference is burdened with the effect of a collimation error over 40m.

 The entire process should be repeated as a check. It is practically impossible to adjust the
instrument so that no collimation error exists - the purpose of the adjustment is to reduce the
size of this error.
 If the discrepancy dh2 - dh1 can be reduced to around 2mm this is perfectly adequate, provided
sight lengths are there after kept reasonably similar.

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 Collimation error in Digital Level DL15

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Collimation error in Geomax ZDL700 Digital Level

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 Field Procedure

1. Planning
2. Reconnaissance,
3. Monumentation,
4. Observation,
5. Recording,
6. Computation and error adjustment

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 1. Planning:
This phase includes following step;
 Collection of existing topographical maps.

 Drawing leveling route in map

 Marking tentative location for BMs.

2. Reconnaissance:
This phase includes following steps;
 Field visit to verify the location of BM and leveling route

 Minor modification of leveling route and location of BMs

 Preparation of verified loop for levelling

3. Monumentation:
This phase includes following steps
 Monumentation of signal (Pillar, brass signal etc )

 Preparation of D-card of BM

 Preparation of map of complete level loop

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4. Observation
(a) Setting up

• Back sight and foresight distances should be approximately equal to avoid any

errors due to collimation, refraction or earth curvature.

• Distances must not be so great as to not be able to read the graduations
accurately.
• The points to be observed must be below the level of the instrument, but not

lower than the height of the staff.

(b) Elimination of parallax

• Parallax is the apparent movement of the image produced by movement of the

observer's eye at the eyepiece. It is eliminated by focusing the telescope on
infinity and then adjusting the eyepiece until the cross-hairs appear in sharp
focus. The settingwill remain constant for a particular observer's eye.

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5. Booking/Recording
 Level books or loose-leaf levelling sheets shall be numbered and indexed in a register.

 Details of the site, work, date, observer, chainman, booker, weather, wind, instrument

and any other relevant items shall be entered.

 Enter the first observation (which is on a known point) in the Back sight column, and

sufficient detail in the Remarks column to identify it. Enter the point's R.L. zero from the
site register or plate on the BM, etc.
 Enter all other points on subsequent lines as intermediates except the point chosen as

the foresight. Identify them in the Remarks column as above. Enter the foresight on a
further line in the Foresight column.
 Change the instrument to the next setup. Enter the following back sight on the same line

as the previous foresight but in the Back sight column.

 Repeat the above procedure at each setup on the outward run then reverse it to work

back to the starting point on the return run. The furthest point out is treated as for all
other change points.
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6. Calculation and error adjustment
 Calculation of Rise/Fall
 Calculation of Reduced level
 Arithmetic check for each loop
 Calculation of height of BM /TBM
 Calculation of Error
 Error= Measured Value- True Value
 Correction= +/- Error
 Calculation of tolerance Tolerance = C* sqrt (K)
mm Where, C is constant
 K distance in KM

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 Errors in Levelling

1. Collimation Error of Level Instrument

Instrumental error
लेभल यन्त्रको लेभललङ्ग गरिसकेपलि सोको line of sight horizontal हन ु पु नेमा
त्यसो नभई horizontal plane सँग inclined हन
ु ु collimation error हो।
समान दूिीमा collimation error को कािणले staff reading मा आउने error पलन
समान हन ु े हँद
ु ा level instrument दे खि backsight staff ि foresight staff समान
दुिीमा िािेि(balancing of sight द्वािा) हटाइन्त्ि।

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2. Zero Error of Staff
 लामो समयसम्म प्रयोग गदाा स्टाफको base खिइएि graduation zero बाट सुरु हन ु पु नेमा सो नहन ु :ु
Zero error
 Benchmark दे खि benchmark सम्म even setup बनाएि हटाइन्त्ि।
3. Error Due to Curvature of Earth
 पृथ्वीको सतह curved भएकाले level surface पलन curved नै हन्त्ु ि।
 ति level instrument को line of sight horizontal line हो, जसले staff लाई level line ले भन्त्दा मालि
काट्ि
 Curvature का कािणले गदाा staff reading बढ्ि, अिाात staff reading मा positive error आउँि।
अिाात object वास्तववक उचाइभन्त्दा कममा भएजस्तो लाग्ि (object appears too low due to
curvature)
 Curvature correction is always negative or subtractive:
 formula:: - D2/2R जहाँ D is distance and R is earth radius.
 Cc= - 0.0785D2 m, where D in Km.
 Balancing of sight द्वािा(BS ि FS distance balance गिे ि) curvature का कािणले आउने error
हटाइन्त्ि ।
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४. Error due to Refraction
 Refraction वा आवतानका कािणले line of sight तललति झुकी staff reading घट्ि। अिाात
ु े हँद
,refraction error –ve हन ु ा correction positive
 Refraction correction curvature correction को 1/7 हन्त्ु ि ि खचन्त्ह ववपिीत( धनात्मक)
हन्त्ु ि।
 Refraction correction always positive or additive
 Refraction correction = + 0.0112D2 जहाँ D is distance in km
 Combined correction for curvature and refraction = -0.0673 D2m or 6/7. D2/2R m ,
जहाँ D is distance in km, R is Earth Radius
5. Graduation Error of Staff
 Levelling मा प्रयोग गरिने staff को graduation गदाा division हरु uniform नभएमा आउने
रुवट
 Field procedure बाट हटाउन सवकँदै न।
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 Precautions in Levelling

Collimation error हट्छ

Balancing of sight curvature error हट्छ
refraction error घट्छ

स्टाफको धेरै तल reading नललनाले Simmering को कारणले आउन सक्ने error कम हुन्छ

Staff vertical नभएर ( non-verticality of

स्टाफको धेरै माथि reading नललनाले
staff)को कारणले आउने त्रटु ट कम हुन्छ

BM दे खि BM सम्ममा even instrument

Staff को zero error हट्छ
setup बनाउनाले
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 Some points to be remembered

 Permanent Benchmark स्िापना गदाा सडकदे खि 50 दे खि 100 लमटि टाढा स्िापना गनुप
ा िा ।
 Permanent benchmark को वरिपरि 2 लमटि ि बेञ्चमाकामालि 3.2 लमटिसम्म िुला हुनपु दाि ।
 Permanent Benchmark का लालग Steel ि Brass mark प्रयोग गरिन्त्ि, जसमध्ये steel mark better मालनन्त्ि
 For the accuracy of work, the surface of benchmark needs to be spherical.
 Precise levelling का लालग प्रयोग गरिने double graduation staff मा small number ि big number को difference
301.55 cm हुन्त्ि ।
 Permanent benchmark single, तीनवटाको समूह (triad)मा तिा चािवटा समूह(quadruple) मा स्िापना गरिन्त्िन्
 हिे क 8 वकलोलमटिमा 9 वटा PBM पिान ् । त्यसै ले, D वकलोलमटिमा PBM को सं ख्या (9/8) * D हुन्त्ि । जस्तै :
200 वकलोलमटिमा (9/8) *200 = 225 PBM हुन्त्िन् ।
 Levelling मा numbering गदाा 102-218/5c भलनयो भने:
• 102: alignment number, 102 भन्त्नाले first order(सुरुको अं क 1 हुनाले)
• 218: PBM no.
• 5: TBM no.
• c: station number
 Temporary benchmarkका लालग iron rivet प्रयोग गरिन्त्ि ।

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 Place the instrument at equal distance from back and fore staff. (use pacing for
ordinary leveling and tape for precise leveling)
 Leveling work should be carried form known point to known point. If known point is
not available then work should be closed at same station for check.
 Take three wires reading for check of observation and distance calculation.
 Staff should be placed vertically during staff reading.
 Prepare clear sketch of the leveling route showing location of BMs.
 The leveling station should be chosen in such a way that the total number of station
is odd. (helps to eliminate zero error)

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 Check the collimation error daily before starting work. (2mm tolerance
for 20m)
 The difference between the average of three wire reading and middle
wire should not be more than 1 mm.
 Do not take staff reading more than 2.700m and less than 0.300m in
ordinary leveling for precise leveling the reading should be within
0.500-2.500m.

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 Some MCQ’s

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 (-)

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 (-)

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 Thank you !!

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