FIELD WORK NO.

5
DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING WITH
AND WITHOUT TURNING POINTS

Presented to

School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering

Intramuros Manila

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course

CE120-05F Fundamentals of Surveying

By

Aguilar, Marc Zachary C.

Andalis, Kaela Sophia S.

Arboleda, Vlado Vlademier P.

Bao, Patrick Andrey T.

Bautro, Lyka Rose N.

Borromeo, Cloyd Emzon P.

Bulusan Jr., Manny P.

to

Engr. Sheendoulle Fabregas

INTRODUCTION
Differential leveling is a highly valuable instrument employed by surveyors and engineers

due to its capacity to facilitate precise measurements of vertical disparities between different

locations on the terrain. The utilization of turning points is a widely employed technique in the

process of differential leveling. The points at which a leveling line bends can function as

intermediate markers between its starting and ending locations. Temporary standards are provided

for the purpose of measuring variations in height, surveying as a means to ensure the accuracy and

consistency of leveling. Conversely, the utilization of turning points in surveys results in a notable

increase in both complexity and cost associated with their implementation. The utilization of

turning points is crucial in order to ensure the reliability and accuracy of measurements conducted

by differential leveling.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this fieldwork are the following:

- To develop the skills in determining the difference in elevation between two points, both

of which are accessible from a single point of observation using a dumpy level.

- To acquire the knowledge of finding the elevation of a point from a bench mark of known

elevation by establishing turning points to and from the point of unknown elevation.

- To develop the technical know-how of using the precise level.

- To work harmoniously and effectively with one's group while performing each assigned

task.
INSTRUMENTS

1. Precise Level

- Used to determine extremely precise elevation of floors.

Figure 1.1: Precise Level

2. Leveling Rod

- A vertically supported tape used to measure vertical distance, which is the difference

in elevation, between a line of sight and a required point above or below it.

Figure 1.2: Leveling Rod

3. Chalk (For Pavements)

- Used to mark points as well as long straight lines on flat surfaces.

Figure 1.3: Chalk

 4. Plumb Bob

- A pointed weight tied to the end of a string that is used to locate a vertical reference

line known as a plumb.

Figure 1.4: Plumb Bob

METHODOLOGY

A. Determination of the difference in elevation between two points, both of which are

accessible from a single point of observation.

Figure 2.1:Differential Levelling Without Turning Points

During this task, the students began by selecting two specific points, designated as A and

B. These points were carefully chosen for two key criteria: they needed to be visible from a single

instrument setup and exhibit a substantial difference in elevation. To commence the process, the

students performed this on the Intramuros walls and positioned the level at a suitable location,

ideally equidistant from the predetermined points A and B. This setup entailed firmly securing the
tripod to the ground and adjusting the level's height to accommodate the instrument operator's

comfort, which was achieved using the tripod's leg screw. The precision of the setup was of

paramount importance. Therefore, meticulous efforts were made to align the base plate of the level

as closely as possible with the horizon.

Additionally, the students took great care to ensure the bubble within the level was

precisely centered. This ensured that, regardless of any rotational movement of the instrument—

be it clockwise or counterclockwise—the bubble remained consistently centered, indicating the

level's proper alignment. The subsequent steps involved obtaining precise measurements to

ascertain the difference in elevation between points A and B. Initially, the students took a backsight

(BS) reading at point A and took turns to ensure that the reading would be accurate. They also

ensured that the leveling rod was held in a vertical position with the assistance of a plumb bob. It

was imperative that this reading be conducted with the utmost precision, demanding accuracy

down to the millimeter or thousandths of a meter. Subsequently, the students carefully rotated the

telescope until point B became visible. The students then transferred the leveling rod to point B,

diligently maintaining its vertical orientation with the assistance of a plumb bob. The foresight

(FS) reading of the leveling rod was then recorded, once again necessitating meticulous

measurement accuracy, adhering to the same millimeter or thousandths of a meter standard. The

critical data for determining the difference in elevation between points A and B was derived from

the disparity between the BS and FS readings.

 B. Determination of the elevation of a point with the aid of a benchmark of known elevation.

Figure 2.2: Differential Levelling With Turning Points

For this task, the students designated two points, BM-1 and BM-2, which could be distinct

from the previously used points A and B. The elevation of BM-1 or A could be either known or

assigned, and to ensure that both points were not observable from a single instrument setup, a

different route had to be chosen if the same two points as in a previous exercise were utilized. The

process began by setting up the level at a suitable point along the route from BM-1 to BM-2 and

adjusting the level's height to match the instrument man's height using the tripod's leg screw.

Ensuring that the base plate of the level was nearly parallel to the horizon was crucial.

Moving on, the students proceeded to take the backsight (BS) reading at BM-1, diligently

holding the leveling rod in a vertical position with the assistance of a plumb bob. Precision was

paramount in this step, demanding that the readings be accurate down to a millimeter or even to

the thousandths of a meter. This BS reading yielded the height of the instrument (HI).

Subsequently, the students rotated the telescope until they had a clear line of sight to our newly

established point, which we termed "turning point one" (TP-1). It was crucial to ensure that TP-1

was positioned at a roughly equidistant distance from the instrument, mirroring the setup we had
with BM-1. The students then carefully transferred the leveling rod to TP-1 and held it in a vertical

position with the aid of a plumb bob. The foresight (FS) reading of the leveling rod was then

captured at TP-1, mirroring the precision requirements we maintained throughout our

measurements. The elevation of TP-1 was subsequently determined by subtracting the FS reading

from the previously obtained HI. The instrument was then relocated to another point along the

route, where the students could once again sight the first turning point, TP-1.

COMPUTATIONS

A. DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING: WITHOUT TURNING POINT (SINGLE SET-UP)

𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = |𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 [𝐹𝑆] − 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 [𝐵𝑆]|
Station A Station B
𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝐴 = |𝐹𝑆 − 𝐵𝑆| 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝐵 = |𝐹𝑆 − 𝐵𝑆|
= |72.5 − 181.5| = |199.0 − 89.8|
𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝐴 = 109𝑐𝑚 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝐵 = 109.2𝑐𝑚

𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝐴 + 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝐵

𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛/𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
2
109 + 109.2
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 =
2
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 = 109.1𝑐𝑚
B. DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING: WITH TURNING POINT (SINGLE RODED)
𝐻𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 [𝐻𝐼] = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 [𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣] + 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 [𝐵𝑆]
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 [𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣] = 𝐻𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 [𝐻𝐼] − 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 [𝐹𝑆]
[Assuming Elevation at Benchmark-1 is 50cm]
𝐻𝐼𝐵𝑀−1 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝐵𝑀−1 + 𝐵𝑆𝐵𝑀−1
= 50 + 134.5
𝐻𝐼𝐵𝑀−1 = 184.5𝑐𝑚
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−1 = 𝐻𝐼𝐵𝑀−1 − 𝐹𝑆𝑇𝑃−1 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−1 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−1 + 𝐵𝑆𝑇𝑃−1
= 184.5 − 149.4 = 35.1 + 133.6
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−1 = 35.1𝑐𝑚 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−1 = 168.7𝑐𝑚

𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−2 = 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−1 − 𝐹𝑆𝑇𝑃−2 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−2 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−2 + 𝐵𝑆𝑇𝑃−2

= 168.7 − 149.0 = 19.7 + 127.5
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−2 = 19.7𝑐𝑚 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−2 = 147.2𝑐𝑚

𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝐵𝑀−2 = 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−2 − 𝐹𝑆𝐵𝑀−2 𝐻𝐼𝐵𝑀−2 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝐵𝑀−2 + 𝐵𝑆𝐵𝑀−2

= 147.2 − 143.3 = 3.9 + 141.3
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝐵𝑀−2 = 3.9𝑐𝑚 𝐻𝐼𝐵𝑀−2 = 145.2𝑚

𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−3 = 𝐻𝐼𝐵𝑀−2 − 𝐹𝑆𝑇𝑃−3 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−3 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−3 + 𝐵𝑆𝑇𝑃−3

= 145.2 + 127.5 = 17.7 + 151.9
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−3 = 17.7𝑐𝑚 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−3 = 169.6𝑐𝑚

𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−4 = 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−3 − 𝐹𝑆𝑇𝑃−4 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−4 = 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−4 + 𝐵𝑆𝑇𝑃−4

= 169.6 + 134.0 = 35.6 + 149.7
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑇𝑃−4 = 35.6𝑐𝑚 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−4 = 185.3𝑐𝑚

𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝐵𝑀−1 = 𝐻𝐼𝑇𝑃−4 − 𝐹𝑆𝐵𝑀−1

= 185.3 + 136.2
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑣𝐵𝑀−1 = 49.1𝑐𝑚
FINAL DATA SHEET

FINAL DATA SHEET

FIELD WORK 5 DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING WITH AND WITHOUT TURNING
POINTS
DATE: 09/17/2023 GROUP NO.: 1
TIME: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm LOCATION: Mapua University Intramuros
WEATHER: Sunny PROFESSOR: Engr. Sheendoulle Fabregas
A. DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING: WITHOUT TURNING POINT (SINGLE SET-UP)
STATION BS FS DIFFERENCE MEAN or MOST
IN ELEVATION PROBABLE DIFFERENCE
IN ELEVATION
A 181.5cm 72.5cm 109.0cm 109.1cm
B 89.8cm 199.0cm 109.2cm

B. DIFFERENTIAL LEVELING: WITH TURNING POINT (SINGLE RODED)

STATION BS HI FS ELEVATION
BM-1 134.5cm 184.5 50.0
TP-1 133.6cm 168.7 149.4 35.1
TP-2 127.5cm 147.2 149.0 19.7
BM-2 141.3cm 145.2 143.3 3.9
TP-3 151.9cm 169.6 127.5 17.7
TP-4 149.7cm 185.3 134.0 35.6
BM-1 136.2 49.1

C. SKETCH
a. Differential Leveling: Without Turning Point (Single Set-Up)
b. Differential Leve ling: With Turning Point (Single Roded)
CONCLUSION

Differential leveling with and without turning points is an important surveying field for

properly measuring elevations and creating exact topographic maps or construction layouts.

Differential leveling is a technique that involves using a leveling device to measure the vertical

height differences between distinct spots on a surface. The existence or absence of turning points

in this procedure has a substantial impact on the survey's accuracy and efficiency.

The surveyor immediately measures the elevation differences between consecutive

benchmark stations when doing differential leveling without turning points. This method is simple

and can be used effectively for simple and small-scale surveys where the distance between

benchmark points is minimal. The accumulation of mistakes over larger distances, including errors

induced by equipment calibration, atmospheric conditions, and human error, is a shortcoming of

this approach. Using turning points in differential leveling, on the other hand, considerably

enhances accuracy and decreases errors. Turning points are intermediate benchmarks set at regular

intervals along a survey line. These points aid in the division of long survey lines into shorter, more

manageable parts, lowering the accumulation of errors. Surveyors can increase the precision of

their measurements by designating turning points and measuring elevations relative to these points.

To summarize, the use of turning points in differential leveling is critical for attaining

precise and dependable results, especially in long and difficult surveying projects. Turning points

improve the overall quality of topographic mapping, building planning, and other surveying tasks

by reducing errors and extending the reach of differential leveling. As a result, aspiring surveyors

and professionals in the industry must comprehend and use the use of turning points in their

surveying methods.