Bells University of Technology

College of Environmental Sciences

Department of Surveying & Geoinformatics

Fundamentals of Surveying II
SGF 212

Profiles, Sections & Contouring

Adewale O. S.
osadewale@bellsuniversity.edu.ng
 INTRODUCTION
• Profile levelling is the levelling method used to determine the
elevations of points in a series of measured intervals along a line
so as to obtain a profile of the surface along that line. E.g. the
centreline of a proposed road.

• Profile levelling is an extension of differential levelling, and may

sometimes be referred to as longitudinal sectioning.

• As the name implies, the results are plotted in the form of a

profile, which is a drawing that shows a vertical cross section.

• Profiles are required for the design and construction of roads,

curbs, sidewalks, pipelines etc.

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 Plan View of a profile/longitudinal section

Fig.1

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 Field Procedure
• Profile leveling is essentially the same as benchmark
leveling, with one basic difference.
• At each instrument position, where an HI is
determined by a back sight rod reading on a
benchmark or turning point, several additional
foresight readings may be taken on as many points as
desired.
• These additional readings are called rod shots (or
intermediate point), and the elevation of all those
points is determined by subtracting the rod shot from
the HI at that instrument location.

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 Running profile chainages
• In profile leveling, each bend or mark on straights is identified by a chainage
from the starting point.
• Each mark placed on the survey then is shown on the plan by its running chainage,
i.e. chainage from the starting station.

Fig.2

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 Plotting the Profile
• The profile drawing is basically a graph of elevations, plotted
on the vertical axis, as a function of stations, plotted on
horizontal axis.
• A gridded sheet called profile paper is used to plot the profile
data from the field book.
• All profile drawings must have a proper title block, and both
axes must be fully labeled with stations and elevations.
• The elevation or elevation scale is typically exaggerated; that
is, it is 'stretched' in comparison to the horizontal scale.
– For example the vertical scale might be 10 times larger.
• The horizontal line at the bottom of the profile does not
necessary have to start at zero elevation.

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 Fig 3: Profile Leveling (sample 1)

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 Fig 4: Profile Leveling Notes (for Fig 3)
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 Fig 5: Plot of Profile
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 Fig 6: Profile Leveling (sample 2), see fig 7 for the survey note

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 Fig 7: Profile field notes (for Fig 6)
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 Cross-Section Leveling
• The term cross-section generally refers to a relatively
short profile view of the ground, which is drawn
perpendicular to the route centerline of a highway
or other types of linear projects (or what is called a
longitudinal Section – see pg.2).

• Cross-sectional drawings are particularly important

for estimating the earthwork volumes needed to
construct a roadway; they show the existing ground
elevations, the proposed cut or fill side slopes, and
the grade elevation for the road base.

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 Cross-Section Leveling – Field Procedure
• There is really no difference in procedure
between profile and cross-section leveling except
for the form of the field notes.
• Cross-section rod shots are usually taken during
the route profile survey from the same
instrument positions used to take rod shots along
the centerline.
• In essence, Cross-section data are obtained at the
same locations along the route that are used for
the profile rod-shot stations.

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Fig 8:
a) Top view
showing the
route center
line and the
line for cross-
section
leveling at
station 1+
50.

b) The cross-
section
showing
plotted
ground
elevations
left and right
of the
centerline.
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 Relevance of Cross-Section

Cross-sections are necessary for several purposes, the most

important being;
• To enable earthwork quantities to be calculated
• To enable the full width occupied by the road formation to
be measured and so ensure that a sufficiently wide road
reserve is provided.
• To enable the length of drainage structures to be measured
• To enable the limits of the batters in cutting and filling to
be fixed on the ground for construction purposes.

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 Fig. 9 Cross-Sectioning

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 Cross-Section Notes

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 Fig. 11

Relationship between plan,

profile, and cross-section
views.

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 Longitudinal & Cross-Sections

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 Grid Leveling
• Grid leveling (or coordinate squares method), is a
method for locating contours, and may also be used
for planimetric features detailing.
• It is accomplished by staking the area to be
surveyed in squares (grids) of 5, 10, 20, 50m, or
more, and thereafter determining the corner
elevations by differential or trigonometric leveling.
• The grid size chosen depends on the project extent,
terrain or ground roughness and accuracy required.

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 Grid Leveling - Observation
• A total station instrument can be used to lay out control lines
at right angles to each other, such as AD and D3 in Fig 13.
• Grid lengths are marked and the other corners staked and
identified by the number and letter of intersecting lines.
• Elevations of the
corners is determined
by differential or
trigonometric leveling.

Fig. 13

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 Fig 13: Grid Leveling
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 Fig 14: Grid Leveling Note & Plot
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 Grid Leveling - Plotting
• Contours are interpolated between the corner elevations
(along the sides of the blocks) by estimation or by calculated
proportional distances.
• In plotting contours by the grid method, a widely spaced grid
can be used for gently sloping areas, but it must be made
denser for areas where the relief is rolling or rugged.
• A drawback of the method is that no matter how dense the
grid, critical points (high and low spots and slope changes) will
not generally occur at grid locations, thus degrading the
accuracy of the resulting contour map.
• However, this method can be enhanced by collecting the
critical points and break-lines that are not at grid intersections
through a series of rod-shot observations to such points.

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 Fig 14: Plotting the Contour
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