Assist. Lect.

Heba Kadhm Salman

Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Inverted staff:
It may be necessary to determine the heights of points such as a ceiling or the soffit
of a bridge, underpass or canopy. Usually, these points will be above the plane of
collimation of the level. To obtain the reduced levels of these points, the staff is
held upside down in an inverted position with its base on the elevated points. When
booking an inverted staff reading, it is entered into the levelling table with a minus
sign, the calculation proceeding in the normal way taking this sign into account.

Example:
Find the height of the points in Figure

Solution:

Station Staff Reading H.I R.L Notes

B.S F.S
A 0.174 33.724 33.550 B.M
B 0.738 2.111 32.351 31.613 C.P
C -1.603 -3.890 34.638 36.241 C.P
D 1.505 1.440 34.703 33.198 C.P
E -2.192 36.895
∑= 0.814 ∑=-2. 531

∑𝑩𝑺 −∑𝑭𝑺 = 𝑹𝑳𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 – 𝑹𝑳𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕

𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟒 − (−𝟐. 𝟓𝟑𝟏) = 𝟑𝟔. 𝟖𝟗𝟓 − 𝟑𝟑. 𝟓𝟓𝟎
𝟑. 𝟑𝟒𝟓 = 𝟑. 𝟑𝟒𝟓
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Types of leveling

1. Open leveling:- The open leveling originate at a point of known elevation

and terminates at a point of unknown elevation .

No. B.S = No. F.S = No. H.I = No. (C.p +1)

2. Closed leveling: - Closed leveling originate at a point of known elevation

and terminate on another point of known elevation.
No. B.S = No. F.S = No. H.I = No. (C.p +1)

3. Closed – loop leveling :- Leveling that originate and terminate on a single

point of known (R.L).
No. B.S = No. F.S = No. H.I = No. C.p
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Permissible error in leveling:

The precision of leveling is ascertained according to the error of closer the
permissible limit of closing error depends upon the nature of the work for which
the leveling is to be done. permissible error is expressed as:

E = ± C √𝐃

E = closing error in (mm)

C = constant (mm)

D = distance in (km)

The following are the permissible errors for different types of leveling:-
Rough leveling E = ± 120 √𝐃
Ordinary leveling E = ± 12 √𝐃
Accurate leveling E = ± 8 √𝐃
Precise leveling E = ± 4 √𝐃

Closed Error (Total Error) = B.M (calculated) - B.M (given)

Corrected elev. For point = computed elev. For same point + (error in Elev. * -1)
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Example

The following consecutive readings were taken with a level :-

1.333, 1.626, 1.735, 1.267, 1.439, 1.668, 1.489, 1.727, 1546, 1.328
The instrument was shifted after forth and seven readings. The instrument was
placed at mid-way for all level station. Compute the corrected (R.L) for T.P if the
R.L of first B.M1 =30 m and the R.L for last B.M2 = 30.421 m .
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Establish new B.M from given 3 or 4 benchmarks:

Example

Elevation of (A) that computed from route 1 = 43.698m and the distance between
B.M1 and A = 10 km. Elevation of (A) that computed from route 2 = 43.691m and
the distance between B.M2 and A = 2 km. Elevation of (A) that computed from
route 3= 43.696m and dist. between B.M3 and A = 6 km. Find the R.L for new
benchmark.

Solution:
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Reciprocal levelling:
Is employed to determine the correct difference of level between two points which
are quite apart and where it is not possible to set up the instrument between the two
points for balancing the sights. It eliminates the errors due to the curvature of the
earth, atmospheric refraction and collimation.

If the two points between which the difference of level is required to be determined
are A and B then in reciprocal levelling, the first set of staff readings (a1 and b1) is
taken by placing the staff on A and B, and instrument close to A. The second set of
readings (a2 and b2) is taken again on A and B by placing the instrument close to
B. The difference of level between A and B is given by
 Assist. Lect. Heba Kadhm Salman
Water Resources-Faculty Engineering -Mustansiriyah University

Example:

Reciprocal levelling was conducted across a wide river to determine the difference
in level of points A and B, A situated on one bank of the river and B situated on
the other. The following results on the staff held vertically at A and B from level
stations 1 and 2, respectively, were obtained. The level station 1 was near to A and
station 2 was near to B. If the reduced level of B is 55.18 m above the datum, what
is the reduced level of A?

Solution: