CESURV30

▪ Direct Leveling or Spirit Leveling – involves the measurement of vertical distances

in relation to a horizontal line.
1. Differential Leveling
2. Double-Rodded Leveling
3. Three-Wire Leveling
4. Profile Leveling
5. Rise and Fall Method
6. Reciprocal Leveling
▪ Indirect Leveling or Trigonometric Leveling – leveling in which distances and angles are
measured and the elevation difference is calculated by trigonometry.
▪ Barometric Leveling – involves the determination of elevations by measuring changes in
air pressure.
▪ Level surface – a curved surface which is at any point perpendicular to the direction of
gravity or the plumb line.
▪ Level line – a curved line in a level surface all points of which are normal to the direction
of gravity and equidistant from the center of the Earth.
▪ Horizontal surface – a plane that is tangent to a level surface at a particular point. The
horizontal surface is also perpendicular to the plumb line at the same point.
▪ Vertical line – a line parallel to the direction of gravity. Exemplified by the direction taken
by a string supporting a suspended plumb bob passing through a point.
▪ Mean sea level – an imaginary surface of the sea which is midway between high and low
tides. It is taken as reference surface to which most of the ground elevations are
referred.
▪ Datum – any convenient level surface coincident or parallel with mean sea level to which
elevations of a particular area are referred. Any surface may be used as a datum when
relative elevations over a limited area needs to be established.
▪ Elevation – vertical distance above or below mean sea level or any other selected datum.
Points on or near the surface of the Earth have either positive or negative elevations,
depending if the point is above or below the mean sea level.
▪ Difference in elevation – vertical distance between the two level surfaces in which two
points lie. These are various methods which could be employed to determine the
elevations of points and their differences in elevation.
▪ Bench Mark (BM) – a point of known elevation used as a reference point in leveling survey.

▪ Permanent Bench Mark – established at intervals throughout the country by the

Philippine Coast and Geodetic Surveys (PCGS) or the Bureau of Lands.
▪ Temporary Bench Mark – a point of “assumed” elevation

- is commonly used in local surveys

▪ Backsight (BS) – a reading taken on a rod held on a point of known or assumed elevation. It
is a measure of the vertical distance from the established line of sight to the point
sighted, and is always the first rod reading taken after the instrument has been set-up and
leveled.
▪ Backsight Distance (BSD) – measured from the center of the instrument to the rod to which
a backsight is taken.
▪ Height of Instrument (HI) – is the elevation of the light of sight of an instrument above or
below a selected datum. It is determined by adding the rod reading on the backsight to the
elevation of the point on which the sight is taken.
▪ Foresight (FS) – a rod reading taken on a rod held on point whose elevation is to be
determined. It is represented by a vertical distance from the line of sight of the instrument to
the point observed.
▪ Foresight Distance (FSD) – the horizonal distance from the center of the instrument to the
rod on which a foresight is taken. Its length is usually made nearly equal to its corresponding
backsight distance.
▪ Elevation – vertical distance above “mean sea level” of a point on the Earth’s surface.

▪ Error of Closure – difference in the beginning and ending elevation of a known point.
▪ Things to consider:

1. Adjustment of cross hair

2. Adjustment of the level vial
3 Adjustment of the line of sight
▪ The main error in sighting instruments is where the line of sight is not parallel to the
horizontal line.
▪ The two peg test is used to make sure the line of sight provides an accurate reading and
determine how much of an adjustment is necessary.
▪ Two Peg Test

▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ To make a peg adjustment, the following notes were taken:

Wye level at 1 Wye level at 2
Rod reading at P 0.750m 1.906m
Rod reading at Q 2.766m 3.798m
▪ Point 1 is on the same line PQ and midway between P and Q. Point 2 is on the same line as
P and Q but not between them. Point 2 is 25m from P and 230m from Q. With the wye
level at point 2, what is the rod reading at P for a level sight?
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

ElevP + 0.750 − e 1 + e 1 − 2.766 = ElevQ

ElevP − ElevQ = 2.016m

e1 e1
2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

ElevP + 1.906 − e 2 + e 3 − 3.798 = ElevQ

ElevP − ElevQ = e 2 − e 3 + 1.892

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:
e2 e3 230
By similar triangles: = → e3 = e 2
25 230 25

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

ElevP − ElevQ = e 2 − e 3 + 1.892

230
ElevP − ElevQ = e 2 − e 2 + 1.892 = 2.016
25

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

e 2 = −0.01512195122m
230 230
e3 = e2 = −0.01512195122
25 25

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

e 2 = −0.01512195122m
e 3 = −0.1391219512m

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

Rdg. P = 1.906 − e 2 = 1.906 − −0.01512195122

Rdg. P = 1.9211m

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ CE Board November 2010

▪ Solution:

Rdg. Q = 3.798 − e e = 3.798 − −0.1391219512

Rdg. Q = 3.9371m

e2
e3

2 P
1
25m Q
230m
▪ This is one of the simplest method of
determining the difference in elevation of
two or more points.
▪ Horizontal lengths for the plus and minus
sights should be made about equal.
▪ This is one of the simplest method of
determining the difference in elevation of
two or more points.
▪ Horizontal lengths for the plus and minus
sights should be made about equal.
STA BS (ft) HI (ft) FS (ft) Elev (ft)
BM Mil 1.33 2054.51 2053.18
TP1 0.22 2046.36 8.37 2046.14
TP2 0.96 2039.41 7.91 2038.45
TP3 0.46 2028.15 11.72 2027.69
BM Oak 8.71 2019.44
▪ This is a method of determining differences in elevation between points by employing
two level routes simultaneously.
▪ Two turning points are established.
▪ It has the advantage of providing continuous check on the process of determining ground
elevations while the work is in progress.
STA BS (m) HI (m) FS (m) Elev (m)
BM1 1.86 207.46 205.60
2.15 208.51 1.10 206.36
TP1 206.12
2.52 208.40 1.58 205.88
1.40 208.12 1.79 206.72
TP2 206.425
1.76 207.89 2.27 206.13
0.33 205.46 2.99 205.13
TP3 204.805
0.74 205.22 3.41 204.48
202.83
BM2 2.63 202.71
202.59
▪ This is a more precise method of differential leveling.

▪ A method of determining differences in elevation wherein three horizontal hairs are read
and recorded rather than from a single horizontal hair.
▪ The average of the three readings is taken as the correct value.

▪ When you sight through the telescope of most instruments, you will see three horizontal
lines.
BS (m) FS (m)
STA HI (m) Elev (m)
Hair Rdgs. Mean Rdgs. s Hair Rdgs. Mean Rdgs. s
1.152
BM1 0.935 0.935 0.434 445.177 444.242
0.718
2.784 1.177
TP1 2.420 2.4203 0.727 446.678 0.899 0.9193 0.495 444.2577
2.057 0.682
1.900
BM2 1.537 1.5363 0.728 445.1417
1.172
▪ This method is used to collect data about
the topography along a reference line. It
yields elevations of definite points along
the center line.
▪ It is used to compute volumes of earth cut
and fill for proposed linear structures such
as: highways, railroads, transmission lines,
and canals. The best route can be chosen
by evaluating the data.
▪ The results of this leveling method are
elevations of definite points along a
reference line which is usually the center
line of the proposed structure.
▪ Profile – a curved line which graphically portrays the intersection of a vertical plane with
the surface of the Earth. It depicts ground elevations of the selected critical points along a
surveyed line and the horizontal distances between these points.
▪ Stationing – a numerical designation given in terms of horizontal distance any point along
a profile line is away from the starting point.
▪ Intermediate Foresights – these sights, which are known as ground rod readings, are
taken along the centerline of the proposed project to provide an accurate representation
of the ground surface. Intermediate foresights are observed at regular intervals and at
points where sudden changes in elevation occur.
▪ Full Stations – points established along the profile level route at uniformly measured
distances. This term is applied to each points set at 100ft increment. If the metric system
is used, full stations are 1km (1000m) apart.
▪ Plus Stations – any other intermediate points established along a profile level route which
is not designated as a full station is called a plus station. These points are taken at breaks
in the ground surface slope and at critical points such as the intended location of culverts,
bridges, and other structures.
▪ Vertical Exaggeration – a process of drawing the vertical scale for a profile much larger
than the horizontal scale in order to accentuate the differences in elevation.
▪ Profile Paper – a special heavy grade graphing paper used for plotting profiles. The paper
has horizontal and vertical lines drawn in green, blue, or orange which are spaced
accordingly to represent certain distances to the horizontal and vertical scales.
▪ Rise and Fall method is an alternate method for profile or differential leveling. This may
be used in determining the difference in elevation between two points if there are many
intermediate stations in the site.
▪ This method is based on the principle that two consecutive readings from the same
instrument position gives the difference in elevation of the two points sighted.
C
B
▪ Given the following figure:
D
a.) Determine the difference in A
elevation between each consecutive
station.
b.) Compute the reduced level of
each station.

BM1 BM2
Elev 346.750m
Rod Reading (m) ∆Elev
STA Distance (m) Reduced Level (m)
BS IFS FS Rise Fall
BM1 0 3.755 346.750
A 50 2.895 0.860 347.610
B 70 1.742 1.153 348.763
C 100 1.683 0.059 348.822
D 120 2.729 1.046 347.776
BM2 150 2.057 0.672 348.448
▪ Topographic features such as rivers and lakes make it difficult or impossible to keep plus
and minus sights short and equal.
▪ Reciprocal leveling is utilized at such locations.
▪ When an instrument is at P, the staff readings on P is 1.824m and on Q is 2.748m. When
the instrument is at Q, the staff reading on P is 0.928m and Q is 1.606m. The R.L. of P is
126.386m. Find the true R.L. of Q.
▪ When an instrument is at P, the staff readings on P is 1.824m and on Q is 2.748m. When
the instrument is at Q, the staff reading on P is 0.928m and Q is 1.606m. The R.L. of P is
126.386m. Find the true R.L. of Q.
▪ Solution:

DE1 = 1.824m − 2.748m = −0.924m

DE2 = 0.928m − 1.606m = −0.687m
−0.924−0.678
DE =
2
DE = −0.801m
R. L. Q = 126.386m + DE = 126.386m − 0.801m
R. L. Q = 125.585m (Ans. )