CE 310F: ELEMENTARY SURVEYING FIELD

TLO-2: MEASUREMENT OF VERTICAL DISTANCES Page 22

FIELD THREE-WIRE LEVELING

EXERCISE 07:

OBJECTIVE To determine the elevation of a point some distance away by the three-wire
method of differential leveling.

INSTRUMENTS Engineer’s level or automatic level equipped with stadia hairs

& ACCESORIES
Range poles

Hubs or pegs

Leveling rod

Mallet or Hammer

Chalk or marking crayons

PROCEDURE 1. Designate the initial or reference point of the level route as BM-1 and the final
or terminal point as BM-2. The elevation of BM-2 is to be determined and the
elevation of BM-1 must be known or assumed.

2. At a convenient location just beyond BM-1 and along general designated route
of the level line, set up the instrument and level its line of sight.

3. Take and record a backsighton BM-1 and note the upper, middle, and lower
cross-hair readings.

4. Direct the rodman to move forward along the general route (not necessarily in
a straight line joining BM-1 and the next point) and establish TP-1.

5. With the leveling rod held plumb on TP-1, take a foresight on it and record the
upper, middle, and lower cross-hair readings.

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6. Transfer set up, and level the instrument at another suitable location beyond TP-
1 and take a backsight on TP-1, and record the upper, middle, and lower cross-hair
readings.

7. Direct the rodman to move a convenient distance ahead of the instrument and
establish TP-2.

8. Take a foresight on TP-2 and again record the three hair readings.

9. Repeat the above procedure until finally a foresight is taken on the designated
point (BM-2) at the end of the level line.

OBSERVATION Sta Backsight Horiz HI Foresight Horiz Elev Re

SHEET dist dist mar
Hair Mean S Hair Mean S
ks
Rdg. Rdg.

COMPUTATION abc
mean 
3
S  a b

Where: a= upper stadia hair reading

c= horizontal cross hair reading

b= lower stadia hair reading

Hdist  KS where K=stadia interval factor = 100

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TLO-2: MEASUREMENT OF VERTICAL DISTANCES Page 24

 The height of instrument for a set-up is found by adding the mean backsight
reading to the elevation of the poinst backsighted. Subtracting the mean
foresight reading on a turning point from the height of the instrument gives
the elevation. This process of computation is repeated for each set up.

Elevdifference   BS mean  FS mean

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