CEE 3324a – Surveying

Leveling

August 18, 2015

Prof. Jon Southen
1
Leveling
• Theory
• Methods
• Differential Leveling Equipment
• Differential Leveling Field Procedures and
Computations

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 2

Leveling - Theory
• Leveling is the process by which elevations of
points or differences in elevations are
determined
• Used to:
• Design roads, railroads, canals, sewers, pipelines where
gradelines are established that generally conform to existing
topography
• Lay out construction projects according to planned elevations
• Calculate volumes of earthwork
• Investigate drainage characteristics of an area
• Develop topographic maps
• Study earth subsidence, etc.

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 3

Leveling - Theory

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 4

Leveling – Theory
• Benchmark (BM): A relatively permanent
object, natural or artificial, having a marked
point whose elevation above or below a
reference datum is known or assumed. E.g.
marks on rocks, non-movable parts of fire
hydrants, curbs, etc.
• Vertical Control: A series of benchmarks or
other points of known elevation established
throughout an area, also termed basic control
or level control.

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 5

Leveling – Theory
• Curvature and Refraction

This takes the combined effect of

earth curvature and light
refraction into account. F in
hf = 0.0206F2 hm = 0.0675K2 1000s of feet, K in kilometers, hf
in feet hm in meters

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 6

Leveling – Methods
• Taping or EDM measurements
• Differential Leveling
• Barometric Leveling
• Trigonometric Leveling

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 7

Leveling – Methods
• Taping or EDM measurements
• Where possible, elevations may be
measured directly using either tapes or
electronic distance measurement (EDM)
devices
• Most common in mining or construction
applications

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 8

Leveling – Methods
• Barometric Leveling

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 9

Leveling – Methods
• Trigonometric Leveling

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 10

Leveling – Methods
• Differential Leveling – most common

HI = elev + BS

elev = HI - FS

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 11

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Three basic pieces of equipment are necessary
for differential leveling:
• Levels
• Rods
• Tripods

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 12

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• All levels have two common components:
• A telescope to create a line of sight and
enable a reading to be taken on a graduated
rod
• A leveling system to orient the line of sight in
a horizontal plane

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 13

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Types of levels
• Dumpy levels
• Antiquated and rarely used today
• Tilting levels
• Use level vials to obtain horizontal line of sight
• Automatic levels
• Use level vials for rough leveling, and automatic
compensators for final leveling
• Digital levels
• Also employ automatic compensators, but also
employ bar-coded rods for automatic readings
Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 14
Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Telescopes
• Define the line of sight and magnify the view
of the graduated rod to allow accurate
readings
• Objective lens:
• Optical axis in line with the tube; gathers
incoming light rays and focuses them on the
negative lens

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 15

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Negative lens:
• Located between the objective lens and reticle;
focuses rays of light coming through the
objective lens onto the reticle plane
• Reticle:
• A pair of perpendicular crosshairs at the
principal focus of the objective optical system
• Eyepiece:
• A microscope for viewing the image

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 16

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Focusing the telescope
• A two-stage process:
• Bring the crosshairs into focus using the eyepiece adjustment
for the particular observer’s eye while sighting the sky or
another light-colored object. This need not be repeated unless
a different observer is used, or sighting is done for a long
enough time that eye fatigue may change the observer’s focus
• Once the eyepiece is focused, objects at distance are brought
into sharp focus using the focusing knob. Once this is done,
parallax should be checked. If the crosshairs appear to move
when the eye is moved slightly, the objective lens and/or the
eyepiece should be refocused

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 17

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Level vials
• Used to orient the telescope with respect to
the direction of gravity (i.e. make it
horizontal)
• Tube vials – used on tilting levels to obtain
precise horizontal lines of sight
• Bulls-eye vials – used on automatic levels to
roughly level the instrument, after which
precise final leveling occurs using automatic
compensators

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 18

Differential Leveling – Equipment

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 19

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Tilting levels
• Most precise leveling devices
• Leveled using leveling vials for each reading

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 20

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Automatic Levels (what we’ll use)
• Most common leveling devices
• Leveled roughly using bulls-eye level, then
precisely using automatic compensators

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 21

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Digital Levels
• Newest leveling devices
• Leveled roughly using bulls-eye level, then
precisely using automatic compensators,
then automatically read bar-coded level
rods

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 22

Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Tripods
• Pretty much what you’d think they’d be
• Levels are mounted to tripods
• May be wood or metal, and may have fixed
or adjustable legs

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Differential Leveling – Equipment
• Level Rods
• Various types are available
• Essentially a big ruler

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Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Some basic items:
• Transport the level in its container
• Remove the level from the container by
lifting the base, not the telescope
• Screw the head snugly, but not overly tight,
onto the tripod
• Close the container after you take the level
out
• Tighten tripod legs snugly
Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 25
Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Leveling the level
• First, get the overall setup roughly level
using the tripod legs
• Should be able to get pretty close to level
• Usually one leg uphill, two down
• Overall height should be comfortable to look
through (typically) – think about your back!
• Check that you can see the desired foresight
and backsight before final leveling
Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 26
Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Leveling the level
• First level using two screws, then one
• Repeat as necessary
• The bubble follows the left
thumb when turning the
screws

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 27

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Duties of a Rodperson
• Leveling is usually a two-person operation – one
person at the instrument, and one on the rod
• Level rod should be held plumb on the correct
turning point or BM. A rod level can be used, or the
rod can be rocked.

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 28

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Differential Leveling Procedure

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 29

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Before leaving the field, two checks must be
made on the leveling fieldwork:
• Math Check
• Accuracy Check

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 30

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Math Check:
• Final Elevation – Initial Elevation = S BS – S FS
• This check shows that the calculations have
been done correctly (assuming there are no
compensating errors), but does not imply that
the accuracy of the fieldwork is acceptable

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 31

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Accuracy Check:
• As discussed, some error is inevitable in
measurements, but how much is
acceptable?
• Rule of thumb: errorallowable  0.024 km

• Where km is the total length of the loop in kilometers

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 32

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Accuracy Check:
• To check whether acceptable accuracy has
been attained, the difference between your
final calculated elevation and your starting
elevation (if closing back to original BM)
should be calculated. This is the loop
misclosure, and should be less than the
allowable error

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 33

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• If the level loop has been performed to
acceptable accuracy (loop misclosure <
allowable error), the error should be distributed
to the calculated TP elevations to find the most
probable elevation of these points

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 34

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• The amount of correction applied to a particular
elevation is generally taken as proportionate to
the distance of that point from the start of the
level loop.
• Alternatively, corrections may be made based
on the number of instrument set-ups.
• If all FS and BS are roughly equal in distance,
these two approaches will yield essentially the
same results
Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 35
Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Example:
Point Distance Elevation Correction Most Correction Most
from BM1 (m) (m) Probable (m) Probable
(m) Elevation Elevation
(m) (m)
BM1 0 100.000 0.000 100.000 0.000 100.000
BM2 100 101.202 -0.007 101.195 -0.007 101.195
BM3 220 101.123 -0.015 101.108 -0.014 101.109
BM4 280 102.255 -0.019 102.236 -0.021 102.234
BM1 410 100.028 -0.028 100.000 -0.028 100.000

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 36

Differential Leveling – Field
Procedures and Computations
• Some notes:
• The length of FS and BS should be approximately
equal. This balances the effects of earth curvature
and light diffraction discussed earlier.
• A level loop must always close back to either the
starting BM or to another BM whose elevation is
known with equal or greater accuracy. This allows
the accuracy to be checked.
• Intermediate sights (IS) are not part of the loop, but
are “side shots”. Their elevations cannot be
verified, but they are still useful.
Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 37
Leveling Field Notes – Example
(taken from 2010 final exam)

Shown on the following page are nine readings taken, in order, during a level loop. The
loop starts at BMA, and closes on the same point. The readings are BS, FS, BS, FS, etc.,
except the sixth reading, which is an IS shot to point MH #1 (a manhole). The first and
third turning points are not significant, but the second (middle) turning point is a point
which is to be established as BM1.

BMA –Bronze disc set in concrete opposite 12 West St., elevation 140.000 m
BM1 – Nail in cherry tree opposite 47 Gate Rd, approx. 50cm above ground

Complete the field notes for the question on the fieldnote worksheet at the end of this
examination. Include all required components, making appropriate assumptions as
necessary. Assume all foresights and backsights have an approximately equal length of
30m. If the readings close to within the required accuracy, calculate the most
probable elevation of the new BM1.

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 38

Lecture 2 - August 18, 2015 39