Levelling and Contouring

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INTRODUCTION
 Everytime all the points on the surface of the earth do
not lie at the same level. Different places have different
heights. Then complete topographical maps are made
to represents these heights. Then the heights of these
points from Datum (A point whose height assumed) is
known as elevation and represented by reduced levels.
The instrument used in this process is called heel and
process is known as levelling.
Some important terms
 Level Surface – A surface parallel to the surface of the earth at
every point, example : still water of a lake.
 Level Line – Line lying on level surface.
 Horizontal Plane – Plane tangential to any point on surface

plane.
 Horizontal Line – Line in the horizontal plane or line

perpendicular to plumb line or line of gravity.
 Vertical Plane – Plane perpendicular to horizontal plane.
 Vertical Line – Line in vertical plane parallel to plumb line.

Some important terms
 Datum Surface – A level surface whose height is known or
assumed so that it can be taken as reference for other heights.
 Difference in elevation – Difference of heights of two levels is

called datum surface.
 Reduced Level – The height of the point obtained by adding

known or datum value.
 Benchmark – It is the fixed reference plane taken at a height

equal to the mean height of the location from the sea level.
METHODS OF FINDING ELEVATION
 Direct Method
 Barometric Levelling
 Hysometry
DIRECT METHOD (most accurate
method)
Let us consider a side having a point whose elevation is
known and a point B at some other level whose
elevation we have to calculate.
 Set the levelling instrument parallel to level surface (It
should not be parallel to whose level we are going to
measure).
 Turn the instruments towards A and with the help of
inch tape measure its height from level A.
 Now rotate instrument towards B and with the help of
measuring tape measures its height
 now we are having comparitive heights of B with
respect to A and its final height can be calculated.
LEVELLING INSTRUMENTS
All the levelling instruments are modification in the
telescope for making working more easy.
 Base Or Levelling head : The levelling head is similar
to theodolite. It consists oftwo plates separated by
three or four foot screw. The top plate is known as
tribranch and bottom plate is known as a trivel. The
foot screw help to level the instrument.
 Telescopes : With modification ,telescope has become
short instrument with which readings can be read
from far distances.
 Altitude Bubble : It is modification of telescope where
bubble is fixed on the top of telescope to make it
parallel to level surface.
 Dumpy Level : A solid and old type of instrument
with few moving parts in which telescope is fixed to a
vertical spindle and cannot be tilted or otherwise
moved. Telescope tube and vertical spindle are cast in
one place.
 Cook’s Reversible Level : Same as dumpy level with
provision torotate and change telescope. It is done
with the help of screw. Telescope can be removed and
can be placed in reverse direction for getting
measurements from that direction.
 Wye Level : Telescope is fixed to Y shaped supports
and can be removed end to end and rotated about its
longitudinal axis with many moving parts.
 Cushing’s Level : It is made a reversible level by rather
different means. The eyepiece with the diaphragm and the
object made of the lens housing are made of the same size.
Both these can be removed and fitted in place of the other
to reverse the telescope.
 Tilting Level : the tilting level is a later addition to the
family of the level. In the tilting level, the fundamental
condition that the vertical axis should be vertical and the
line of collimation perpendicular to it are done away with.
This is made possible by making a provision to tilt the
telescope about the horizontal axis with a fine pitched
screw. Even if the vertical axis is not vertical, the line
collimation can be made horizontal with screw. The
levelling takes less time.
MODERN LEVELLING
INSTRUMENTS
Here we are discussing two levelling instruments which
are widely used these days.
 Automatic level
 Electronic or digital level
 AUTOMATIC LEVEL- Same as the dumpy level but
there is no need of manual adjustments. It makes
levelling simple and accurate.
 Electronic or digital level- It is the latest levelling
instruments with number of facilities. It eliminates the
taking of reading as that process is full of errors. In
built softwares are used to measure the distances and a
set of teliscope and prism are the base of these
instruments.
Levelling staff
Levelling staff is the second instrument required in the direct levelling
TYPES
1. Solid Staff- generally 3m long marked in cm and at 5mm distance. Each
rectangle mark either 5mm or 10mmlong. Staves mark for smaller
division are made on this staff.
2. Telescopic staff-it is staff made in three lengths of 1.5,1.5and 2m thus
longer than solid staff section of staff decreases from point to point.
3 . Folding staff- it is 4m long and is divided to two equal halves. Made of
wood of 75mmX18mm. Staff easy to carry
4. Target staff- it is generally 3m long having a moveable target with a
vernier. The vernier helps to read up the one tenth of the staff elevation
5. Aluminium staff- This made of aluminium alloy light weight and easy
to carry. Graduations are etched with the help of weather resistant
material.
Barometric method
It is of two types
 Single observation method
 Method of simultaneous observations
 Single observation method- In this single instrument
is taken to different stations and observation on temp.
and pressure are made. This results in error due to
variation in atmospheric parameters.
 Method of simultaneous observations- In this case
minimum two sets of instruments, the barometer and
thermometer are used. One set of thermometer and
barometer can be kept at a base station. The other set
is taken to different stations whose elevations are to be
determined. This gives better results than single
instruments.
Hypsometry
 It uses a hypsometer based upon the boiling point of
the water but can only give the rough indication of
heights. This works on the principal that the boiling
point of liquid depends upon the atmospheric
pressure. The liquid used is water.

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 Level Line – Line lying on level surface.

 Horizontal Plane – Plane tangential to any point on surface

 Horizontal Line – Line in the horizontal plane or line

 Vertical Plane – Plane perpendicular to horizontal plane.

 Vertical Line – Line in vertical plane parallel to plumb line.

 Difference in elevation – Difference of heights of two levels is

 Reduced Level – The height of the point obtained by adding

 Benchmark – It is the fixed reference plane taken at a height

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