Objectives

Differential Leveling
● Differentiate between differential and three - wire
leveling
● Field procedures of the different leveling methods
● Learn to apply adjustment or corrections

CE 404 - Fundamentals of Surveying

LECTURE 4

DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING - Differential leveling is the operation of determining the

In this most commonly employed method, a telescope elevations of points some distance apart. Usually, this
with suitable magnification is used to read graduated is accomplished by direct leveling (Davis, et al., 1981)
rods held on fixed points. A horizontal line of sight
- Differential leveling requires a series of setup of the
within the telescope is established by means of a instrument along the general route and for each setup, a
level vial or automatic compensator. rod reading back to a point of known elevation and
forward to a point of unknown elevation.
 ● Bench mark (BM) - definite point on an object, the
elevation and location of which are known
● Turning point (TP) - intervening point between two bench
marks upon which point foresight and backsight rod
readings are taken
● Backsight (BS) - rod reading taken on a point of known
elevation; sometimes called a plus sight
● Foresight (FS) - rod reading taken on a point the
elevation of which to be determined; sometimes called a
minus sight
● Height of instrument (HI) - elevation of the line of
sight of the of the telescope above the datum when the
instrument is leveled.

procedure 3. If the telescope is then turned

to bring into view a rod held on
1. An instrument is set up approximately point X, a minus sight also called
halfway between BM Rock and point X. foresight (FS), is obtained. In this
Assume the elevation of BM Rock is known example, it is 1.20 ft. A minus
to be 820.00 ft. sight is defined as the rod reading
2. After leveling the instrument, a plus
on a point whose elevation is
sight taken on a rod held on the BM
gives a reading of 8.42 ft. This reading desired. The term minus sight is
is used to compute the height of preferable to foresight. Subtracting
instrument (HI), defined as the vertical the minus sight, 1.20 ft, from the
distance from datum to the instrument HI, 828.42, gives the elevation of
line of sight. Direction of the point X as 827.22 ft.
sight—whether forward, backward, or
sideways—is not important. The term plus
sight is preferable to backsight, but
both are used. Adding the plus sight
8.42 ft to the elevation of BM Rock,
820.00, gives an HI of 828.42 ft.
 + Problem 1
-
Compute the
elevations
of BM2 and
BM3.

THREE - WIRE LEVELING

● consists in making rod readings on the upper, middle, and lower
crosshairs
● has the advantages of (1) providing checks against rod reading
blunders, (2) producing greater accuracy because averages of
three readings are available, and (3) furnishing stadia
measurements of sight lengths to assist in balancing backsight
and foresight distances
● the difference between the upper and middle readings is compared
with that between the middle and lower values.
● They must agree within one or two of the smallest units being
recorded (usually 0.1 or 0.2 of the least count of the rod
graduations); otherwise the readings are repeated. An average of
the three readings is used as a computational check against the
middle wire.
Error of Closure
Problem 2

● When a line of level makes a complete circuit, almost

invariably the initial level of the BM is not equal to
The accepted elevation of the initial bench
the final level mark B.M.1 of a level circuit is 150.92 m.
● This difference is the error of running the circuit and The length of the circuit is 1.78 km. The
final elevation of B.M.1 as calculated from
is called the Error of Closure.
the level notes is 151.04 m. The observed
elevations of bench marks and the distances
to the bench marks from BM1 are shown in
the third and second columns, respectively,
C: Correction of the accompanying tabulation. The
D: distance adjusted elevations of these intermediate
L: Length of the circuit points are required.
Ec: error of closure
 Stadia Method

Thank you!