Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Pablo Borbon Main II
College of Engineering, Architecture, and Fine Arts

Civil and Sanitary Engineering Department

LABORATORY EXERCISE NO. 17

STADIA LEVELING

I. OBJECTIVE

To determine the elevation of a distant point by the stadia method of indirect

leveling.

II. PARTY MEMBERS DESIGNATION

Duag, Lyka Margarette D. : Chief of Party

Icaro, Joanne Bernadette G. : Utilityman

Lat, Emmanuel Rouen A. : Utilityman

Macatangay, Jackielyn Gem R. : Utilityman

Mendoza, Joana Reach D. : Rear Tapeman

Nibay, Alinna Maree A. : Computer

Pagcaliwagan, Larra Marie J. : Recorder

Palma, Erron John P. : Instrumentman

Palma, Recca Joy M. : Assistant Chief of Party

Tapia, Jerich P. : Rodman

Valencia, Andrian L . : Head Tapeman

III. EQUIPMENTS / INSTRUMENTS

Theodolite or Transit, Leveling or Stadia Rod, Stakes of Pegs, and Marking Pins

IV. PROCEDURE

1. Set up and level the instrument at any convenient location along the designated
survey route.

2. Take a backsight on the rod held at the initial point or bench mark and observe
and record the following (Refer to accompanying sketch of a typical set up) :

a) Upper stadia hair reading (m)

b) Horizontal cross hair reading or rod reading (RR b)
c) Lower stadia hair reading (n)
 Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Pablo Borbon Main II
College of Engineering, Architecture, and Fine Arts

Civil and Sanitary Engineering Department

d) Vertical angle (± b ) to the mark on the rod as indicated by the horizontal

cross hair.

3. Establish a turning point ahead of the instrument station and along the general
direction of the survey route.

4. Take a foresight on the rod held at the turning point and observe and record the
following:

a) Upper stadia hair reading (p)

b) Horizontal cross hair reading or rod reading (RR f)
c) Lower stadia hair reading (q)

d) Vertical angle (± f ) to the mark on the rod as indicated by the horizontal
cross hair.

5. Transfer the instrument to a new location in advance of the turning point and
repeat the process of taking all four readings at each point backsighted and
foresighted. This process of observing data and transferring the instrument to
another advance location is then continued until a foresight is taken on the
terminal point.

6. Tabulate all observed and computed values accordingly. Refer to the

accompanying sample format for the tabulation of field data.
 Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Pablo Borbon Main II
College of Engineering, Architecture, and Fine Arts

Civil and Sanitary Engineering Department

ELEVATION
BACKSIGHT FORSIGHT DIFF. ELEV
(meters)
STA
Sb αb RRb VDb Sf αf RRf VDf

V. COMPUTATIONS

1. The vertical distance on the backsight (VDb) and the vertical distance on the
foresight (VDf) are calculated by the following approximate stadia formulas

1
  Ksb sin  2  
VDb  Ks cos b  sin  b  or  2 

1
  Ks f sin  2  
VD f  Ks f cos  f  sin   f 
or  2 

Where:

VDb = Vertical distance on the backsight

K = Stadia Interval Factor of the instrument used

Sb = Stadia Interval observed on the backsight or S b = m - n

 Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Pablo Borbon Main II
College of Engineering, Architecture, and Fine Arts

Civil and Sanitary Engineering Department

b = Vertical angle read on the backsight

VDf = Vertical Distance on the foresight

Sf = Stadia Interval observed on the foresight or S f = p - q

f
= Vertical angle read on the foresight

When the computed values of the vertical distances are tabulated, the sign of
VDb is made opposite the sign of the vertical angle to the backsight, while the
sign of VDf is made to correspond to the sign of the vertical angle to the
foresight.

2. The general expression for difference in elevation between my two points such
as B and F is

DE = RRb  VDb  VDf - RRf

3. To determine the elevation of the ground point on the foresight, the value of DE
(difference in elevation) is added algebraically to the elevation of the ground point
on the backsight or

ELEV = ELEV of Previous Point  DE

4. The customary check is performed by determining the difference in elevation

between the initial point and the terminal point and also determining the algebraic
sum of the tabulated difference in elevation. If the two quantities are equal, it can
be assumed that the preceeding computations were done correctly.

VI. REMARKS, HINTS & PRECAUTIONS

1. The stadia method of indirect leveling provides a faster method of leveling in

rough and hilly terrain where a high degree of precision is not required.

2. The process involved in stadia leveling is very identical to that in differential

leveling. The main difference is that the line of sight in stadia leveling does not
have to be brought horizontal as in differential leveling.

3. In stadia leveli0ng the same sequence of operation is repeated at every set up;
determining stadia interval, taking a rod reading and reading a corresponding
vertical angle. These three steps are done at each backsight and foresight level
station.

4. The instrument constants C and K may be assumed to be zero and 100

respectively, if these are not known or predetermined.

VII. RESULTS

VIII. DOCUMENTATION