TYPES OF LEVELS
1. DUMPY LEVEL
• Consists of a telescope fixed on a vertical spindle.
• The telescope tube and vertical spindle are cast as one piece
• The Spindle revolves in the socket of the levelling head
• The levelling head consists of two plates held apart by three leveling screws.
• The upper plate is called tribrach and the lower ene is trivet stage
• The telescope can be rotated in the horizontal plane about its vertical axis.
• A Sensitive spirit bubble tube is fitted on top of telescope
• The line of collimation is always perpendicular to the vertical axis of the instrument if
it is in proper adjustment
• Dumpy level is suited for ordinary engineering works.
ADJUSTMENT OF LEVELS
Adjustments made to Dumpy level
Two types of adjustments are made on any sureying instrument-
Temporary adjustments performed each time an instrument is used and should invariably be
done each time the instrument is set up in the field.
Permanents are usually done by the manufacturer. They should however, be checked
periodically by the user and, if necessary, to the maker or may be done by the users themselves.
Temporary Adjustments
Setting up
Levelling up
Elimination of parallax
Permanent Adjustments of a Dumpy Level
The correct axes relationships for a properly adjusted level is shown. They are as follows:
(i) The axis of the bubble tube should be perpendicular to the
vertical axis of the instrument.
(ii) The horizontal crosshair should lie in a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis
(iii) The line of sight should be parallel to the axis of bubble tube
1. First adjustment
The purpose - to make the axis of the level tube perpendicular to the vertical axis.
Test- set-up the level centre the bubble and revolve the telescope through 180° If the bubble
remains central, no adjustment is necessary. If not, the distance through which the bubble
moves off the central position is double the error.
Correction
• Bring the bubble half way back by raising or lowering one end of the level tube by means of
capstan headed screws
The other half is corrected by means of the two levelling screws parallel to the telescope.
Now rotate the telescope through 180° to see if the bubble still remains central. If not, the
adjustment has to be repeated till the bubble remains central during one complete revolution of
the telescope
2. Second Adjustment
Purpose - to make the horizontal hair truly horizontal when the instrument is levelled
Test - Sight some well defined point p with one end of the horizontal bair. Rotate the telescope
slowly on its vertical axis. If the horizontal crosshair moves over the point P throughout its
length,
the horizontal hair is truly horizontal. If not, the instrument is out of adjustment.
Adjustment
Loosen the capstan screws
Rotate the reticle through the required small angle so that holding the reticle carrying the
crosshair
horizontal hair becomes truly horizontal.
The screws should be carefully tightened in its final position
Check again by sighting point P as before and repeat the process, if necessary
3. Third Adjustment
Purpose-To make the line of sight parallel to the axis of bubble tube or to make the LOS
horizontal when the bubble is in the centre of its run.
Test- Done by means of Two-peg test. The instrument is first placed midway between two pegs
A and B which are at least two chains apart.
- Since the instrument is placed at the middle even if the line of sight is inclined, the difference
of readings Aa and Bb will be the true difference of level between A and B.
Now the instrument is placed at one end, D a very close to point A. Reading on A, Aa' is taken
by sighting through objective lens.
The reading on B, Bb' is taken in the usual way.
-If 'Aa'- Bb = Aa-Bb, the line of sight is horizontal and no adjustment is necessary
Adjustment
If the difference in reading is not the same, compute the correct reading at B by adding
subtracting from the reading at A, the true difference of level between A and B.
-Loosen the top (or bottom) capstan scrow holding the reticle and tighten the bottom (or top)
screw move the horizontal hair get the required reading at B.
To get the correct value, several trials will be necessary
2. TILTING LEVEL
• The telescope is not rigidly fixed to the vertical spindle
• It can be tilted on a pivot about horizontal axis in the vertical plane upwards or
downwards through a small angle by means of a tilting screw
• The circular level (bull’s eye) is fixed to the upper plate of levelling bead for
approximate levelling by foot screws.
• The tilting screw is usually graduated to set out gradient lines
• More robust, compact and accurate than dumpy levels
• Have shorter telescope and lighter
• Most commonly used in engineering surveying
Adjustments of a tilting Level
The tilting level has three adjustments:
(i) Horizontal cross-hair should be truly horizontal when the bull's eye bubble is
centred
(ii) The circular bubble should stay in the centre as the telescope is rotated about the
vertical axis
(iii) Line of sight should be horizontal when the main sensitive bubble is centred.
These adjustments closely follow dumpy level's with minor modification
1. First Adjustment (Test is same in dumpy level)
• A point P is seen at the end of horizontal cross-hair
• The telescope is now rotated about its vertical axis to see if the point P remains in the
horizontal hair
• If not, adjustments are to be made by capstan screws and rotating the cross-hair reticle.
2. Second Adjustment
Purpose- To make the plane of arcular bubble perpendicular to the instrument's vertical axis,
Test- The telescope is tumed 180° in azimuth. If the bubble does not remain central, it is
brought half way back to the centre in both directions by raising or lowering the bubble mount
by means of capstan screws or spring screws as required.
NB: This adjustment is not essental as used to obtain the honzontal line of sight.
3. Third Adjustment
Purpose - To make the precise bubble tube axis parallel to the instrument's line of sight.
Test - The two-peg test is applied to find out if the line of sight is horizontal when the bubble
is centred.
Adjustment
The correct reading at B is computed and the cross-hairs are brought to that reading by rotating
the telescope’s tilting drum.
The precise bubble is then centred using the bubble tube adjusting nuts.
If the bubble tube is the coincident type, raising or lowering one end of the bubble vial will
bring them into coincidence
3. AUTOMATIC LEVEL
• Employs a gravity referenced prism or mirror compensator to automatically orient the
line of sight.
• Quickly levelled when a circular spirit level is used.
• When the bubble has been centred the compensator takes over and maintains the
horizontal LOS, even if the telescope is slightly titted.
• Quick to set up, easy to use and more preuse than tilting.
• Extremely popular in present-day operations
Adjustments of Automatic Level
Have two principal adjustments;
(i) Circular bubble
(ii) Line of sight
Similar to the last two of tilting levels
NB; Betore these adjustments are done, it should be checked that the compensator is
functioning properly
COMMON REASONS FOR LEVELLING
The aim of levelling is to determine the relative heights of
different objects on or below the surface of the earth and to
determine the undulation of ground surface,
Purposes of Levelling
(i) Knowing the topography of an area.
(ii) Helps to the design of highways, railways, canals, sewers, etc
(iii) To prepare a longitudinal section and cross section for calculating volume of eartowork,
reservoir etc.
(iv) To prepare a layout map for water supply and drainage systems
(v) Locating the gradient lines for drainage characteristies of an area.
