Self-Test B-1.3 Use Levelling Equipment

Complete Self-Test B-1.3 and check your answers.

  1. What type of operations are laser and optical levels capable of performing?
    1. Vertical levelling only
    2. Horizontal levelling only
    3. Horizontal and vertical levelling
    4. Horizontal, vertical and angle levelling
  2. Which instrument, when set to the fish-eye bubble, needs no further adjustment?
    1. Transit level
    2. “Dumpy” level
    3. Automatic level
    4. Engineer’s level
  3. Which one of the following is the only level that is considered accurate throughout the full 360˚ circle without needing further adjustment?
    1. Transit level
    2. “Dumpy” level
    3. Engineer’s level
    4. Automatic level
  4. What are the two categories of levels?
    1. Optical and laser
    2. Laser and electronic
    3. Fish-eye and bubble
    4. Bubble and streaming
  5. What is the major advantage laser and electronic levels have over optical levels?
    1. Optical levels are easier to set up.
    2. Laser levels are less costly than optical levels.
    3. Optical levels can only use metric levelling rods.
    4. Laser levels need only one person to operate them.
  6. Which one of the following has a prism or “compensator” in it?
    1. Tilting level
    2. “Dumpy” level
    3. Automatic level
    4. Engineer’s level
  7. How many thumbscrews or “pins” do the least expensive levels typically contain?
    1. Two
    2. Three
    3. Four
    4. None
  8. What does a tilting level have that the other optical levels do not?
    1. Second eyepiece
    2. Fourth thumbscrew
    3. Eyepiece focus knob
    4. Extra fish-eye bubble
  9. What type of beam does an electronic level use?
    1. Sonar beam
    2. Light beam
    3. Ultra-red beam
    4. Infrared laser beam
  10. What following piece of equipment is shared by the optical instruments?
    1. Crosshairs and stadia lines
    2. Fish-eye bubble
    3. Rotating beam
    4. Sensor
  1. Label the numbered parts in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Image for Question 11.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

g.

h.

h.

i.

  1. Where is the knurled knob found that is used to focus the crosshairs on all optical levels?
    1. At the eyepiece
    2. At the levelling head
    3. To the right of the telescope
    4. Just below the objective lens
  2. How is focussing the telescope (field of view) accomplished on all optical levels?
    1. Tilting the barrel
    2. Realigning the levelling screws
    3. Turning the horizontal tangent screwturning the focus screw located on the barrel
  3. Complete the following statement: “The slow motion screw will only operate when…”
    1. Horizontal clamp is tightened
    2. Horizontal clamp is loosened
    3. Tilt screw is tightened
    4. Tilt screw is loosened
  4. How are most instruments secured to the tripod?
    1. Four bolts
    2. Adhesive tape
    3. Tongue-and-groove connection
    4. 5⁄8″ NC female thread connection
  5. What piece of equipment would a tilting level have that is not found on a “dumpy” or an automatic level?
    1. Fish-eye bubble
    2. Split bubble
    3. Spirit vial
    4. Tripod
  6. What is another term for the horizontal slow motion screw?
    1. Arbitrary screw
    2. Azimuth screw
    3. Cosine screw
    4. Philips screw
  7. What is the purpose of the stadia lines?
    1. Measure mass
    2. Measure height
    3. Measure speed
    4. Measure distance
  8. What is another term for a levelling rod?
    1. Tuscon rod
    2. Tallahassee rod
    3. Philadelphia rod
    4. Tuktoyaktuk rod
  9. What are the two types of measuring scales used for levelling rods?
    1. Feet and inches
    2. Metric and imperial
    3. Metres and millimetres
    4. Architect’s and engineer’s
  10. What scale would an imperial geodetic elevation be directly read in?
    1. Metric
    2. Engineer’s
    3. Architect’s
    4. Orthographic
  11. What would be the distance between the instrument and rod if the upper stadia line reading is 4.357′ and the lower reading is 3.861′?
    1. 49.60 inches
    2. 4.96 feet
    3. 49.60 feet
    4. 496 feet
  12. What is the smallest scale division on a metric rod?
    1. 1 mm
    2. 10 mm
    3. 100 mm
    4. 1000 mm
  13. What is the smallest scale division on an architect’s rod?
    1. 1⁄8″
    2. ¼”
    3. 3⁄8″
    4. ½”
  14. What is the smallest scale division on an engineer’s rod?
    1. 1⁄8″
    2. 0.001 ft
    3. 0.01 ft
    4. 0.1 ft
  15. What distinguishing feature is present on the architect’s and engineer’s scales that helps to interpret rod readings?
    1. Pointed graduations
    2. Larger numbers
    3. Yellow lines
    4. Bold letters
  16. What would this hand signal indicate?
    Figure 2 Image for Question 27.
    1. Come closer
    2. Finished or OK
    3. Rod, target or pencil up
    4. Mark it there, readings complete
  17. Moving the levelling rod forward and backward slowly through a small arc is done for what purpose?
    1. Help the instrument person focus
    2. Ensure the highest rod reading
    3. Ensure that the rod is plumb
    4. Keep rain off the rod scales
  18. What special parts or device should be used when setting up on a floor with a smooth surface?
    1. Triangle made of wood
    2. Plumb bob
    3. Tripod on rollers
    4. Laser level
  19. The direction of travel of the bubble will be the same as the movement of what?
    1. Left finger
    2. Right finger
    3. Left thumb
    4. Right thumb
  20. When taking a sighting, which one of the following levels needs to be set only to the fish-eye bubble?
    1. “Dumpy” level
    2. Engineer’s level
    3. Automatic level
    4. Builder’s level
  21. With the legs closed and extended, to what height should the tripod’s top plate be adjusted before setting the tripod and mounting the instrument?
    1. Top of your knees
    2. Centre of your belly button
    3. Bottom of your chin
    4. Top of your head
  22. When setting up a tripod on sloping ground, how should the legs be positioned?
    1. One leg uphill
    2. Two legs uphill
    3. One leg fully extended
    4. All legs fully extended
  23. How should all the levelling screws be adjusted?
    1. As tight as possible
    2. As loose as possible
    3. Snugged up but not over tight
    4. Tightened snugly but with one screw backed off
  24. Complete the following statement: “Once levelled with the fish-eye bubble, an engineer’s level…”
    1. Can be read as is
    2. Will not be very accurate
    3. Needs no further adjustment
    4. Must be fine adjusted to level
  25. What does a four-pin instrument use for setting it up level and ready to use?
    1. Tubular level vial
    2. Fish-eye bubble
    3. Laser beam
    4. DC motors
  26. When checking the accuracy of an instrument, how far apart should the two “checkpoints” or stakes be?
    1. 10 × 2 = 20 metres
    2. 15 × 2 = 30 metres
    3. 25 × 2 = 50 metres
    4. 30 × 2 = 60 metres
  27. What should be the maximum error tolerance of the instrument over the distance in the preceding question?
    1. 3 mm or 1⁄8″
    2. 6 mm or ¼”
    3. 9 mm or 3⁄8″
    4. 12 mm or ½”
  28. How should an instrument be transported from one job site to another?
    1. Properly stored in its case
    2. Moved with just its protective lens caps
    3. Left for the site superintendent to look after
    4. Left on the floor of a vehicle without its case
  29. How should an instrument be placed into its case?
    1. In any way that it fits
    2. With or without its lens cap
    3. Any way, as long as the case is left open
    4. Must be placed back just as it came out
  30. How should an optical level be picked up?
    1. Its base
    2. Its eyepiece
    3. Its telescope
    4. Its focus knob
  31. How should the lens be cleaned if it has been splattered with mud?
    1. Should be wiped with a wet cloth immediately.
    2. Should be wiped with a dry cloth immediately.
    3. Cleaning should not be done until the lens is dry.
    4. Wet it with water and dab the mud off with a camel hair brush.
  32. What should be done after using an instrument in the rain?
    1. Put it back in its case as is.
    2. Wipe the whole instrument until it is completely dry.
    3. Damp-dry everything except the lenses and close it up in its case.
    4. Damp-dry everything except the lenses and leave it to dry in an open case.
  33. Complete the following statement: “Sudden extreme changes in temperature…”
    1. Have no effect on optical levels
    2. Could cause the interior lens to fog up
    3. Could result in fogging up the horizontal swing mechanism
    4. Will only result in making the instrument too hot or cold to touch
  34. How should the instrument/tripod be carried around a wide-open job site with no obstacles?
    1. In any manner that is convenient
    2. With the tripod and instrument held vertically
    3. Over your shoulder with the instrument pointing forward
    4. Over your shoulder with the tripod feet pointing forward
  35. Which of the following is the best way to carry the instrument/tripod around a job site with obstacles such as doorways?
    1. In any manner that is convenient
    2. With the tripod and instrument held vertically
    3. Over your shoulder with the instrument pointing forward
    4. Over your shoulder with the tripod feet pointing forward
  36. Vibration has a bad effect on optical levels.
    1. True
    2. False
  37. Allowing the instrument to become hot could make it difficult to level.
    1. True
    2. False
  38. What is a standard residential benchmark?
    1. 0.00′
    2. 50.00′
    3. 100.00′
    4. 1,000.00′
  39. What does a backsight determine?
    1. Benchmark elevation
    2. Instrument height
    3. Foresight elevation
    4. Datum
  40. Which of the following items should be used as a benchmark at a job site?
    1. Rim of a manhole
    2. Any part of a sidewalk
    3. Concrete block set in the ground
    4. Wooden peg at the corner of the property
  41. What is the purpose of “Scotchlite” facing on a levelling rod?
    1. Cut down on glare
    2. Make the rod waterproof
    3. Bring the numbers into sharper focus
    4. Increase visibility of the rod in poor light
  42. Figure 3 Image for question 53.

    What is the rod reading shown in Figure 3?

    1. 0.272 m
    2. 2.800 m
    3. 2.892 m
    4. 2.792 m

 

 

  1. What is the rod reading shown in Figure 4?
    1. Figure 4 Image for question 54.

      0.978 m

    2. 0.988 m
    3. 9.088 m
    4. 9.078 m

 

 

 

  1. Figure 5 Image for question 55.

    What is the rod reading shown in Figure 5?

      1. 0.241 m
      2. 2.401 m
      3. 2.410 m
      4. 2.450 m

 

    1. What is the height of instrument?
      1. 99.203 m
      2. 101.321 m
      3. 102.118 m
      4. 103.439 m
    2. What is the elevation of station C?
      Table for question 57
      STA BS HI IFS FS ELEV
      BM 1.321 100.000
      A 2.417 98.904
      B 1.998 99.323
      C 2.118
      1. 99.203 m
      2. 101.321 m
      3. 102.118 m
      4. 103.439 m
    3. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram and some sample rod readings. Use the information contained in them to fill in the field book page in the following table (include a math check). Note that the numbers on the schematic diagram represent corresponding numbered rod sections, and that BM elevation = 100.000 m.
        1. 99.203 m
        2. 101.321 m
        3. 102.118 m
        4. 103.439 m

Figure 6 Sample rod readings.

 

Table for question 58
STA BS HI IFS FS ELEV
BM 100.000 m
    1. Calculate the elevations of A and B in Figure 7. Grade on drain = ¼”/ft.
        1. Elevation of A =
        2. Elevation of B =
Figure 7 Image for question 59.
  1. Calculate the elevations of A and B in Figure 8. Grade on drain = 1/8″/ft.
      1. Elevation of A =
      2. Elevation of B =
    Figure 8 Image for question 60.
  2. Calculate the elevations of A and B in Figure 9. Grade on drain = 1⁄8″/ft.
      1. Elevation of A =
      2. Elevation of B =
Figure 9 Image for question 61
  1. Calculate the elevations at A and B in Figure 10. Grade on drain = ¼”/ft.
    1. Elevation of A =
    2. Elevation of B =
      Figure 10 Image for question 62.

       

  2. Calculate the following based on Figure 11. Grade on drain = ¼”/ft.
    1. Elevation of A =
    2. Elevation of B =
    3. Depth of drain at B below datum is ____ft  ____in.
      Figure 11 Image for question 63.
  3. Convert the following readings to feet, inches, and sixteenths.
    1. 105.25′
    2. 116.62′
    3. 145.81′
    4. 174.39′
    5. 186.96′
  4. Convert the following readings to feet and decimal feet, to the nearest 1/100.
    1. 8 1⁄8″
    2. 10 7⁄8″
    3. 1′-3 ½”
    4. 1′-7 ¼”
    5. 1′-8 ¾”
  5. Calculate the grade, expressed as a percentage, if the run of a sewer is 177 feet and the total fall is 3.54 feet.
  6. Calculate the total fall, to the nearest 1/100 of a foot, if the run is 64 feet and the grade is 1.5%.
  7. Calculate the length of a sewer if the grade is 1% and the total fall is 0.7 feet.
  8. Calculate the grade, as a percentage to two decimal places, if the total fall is 18 inches and the run is 115 feet.
  9. Change ¼ inch per foot to a percent grade to two decimal places.
  10. What is the rod reading called that is taken on a point whose elevation is known?
  11. What is the rod reading called that is taken on a point whose elevation is yet to be established?
  12. Define the term geodetic datum.

Answer Key: Self-Test B-1.3 is on the next page.

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