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Part 2: Surveying

9. Area levelling techniques

Levelling is the technique of determining one level of ground relative to another. Often a theodolite, dumpy or laser level is used but water levellers, string levels and spirit levels can be used in small spaces.

Process for taking levels with a theodolite, dumpy or laser level

1. Set up the level.

2. Put the measuring staff vertically at each point you want a measurement for and label the points A, B, C etc. To locate the points that have been measured a bearing and distance method or coordinates can be used.

Diagram depicting uneven ground and various points marked with vertical staff for theodolite to take a bearing.

3. Read the level from the staff at each point it is placed.

Diagram showing straight line from a theodolite to a vertical staff at a measured distance.

4. Plot the slope into CAD software or onto graph paper.

Tip: Some mobile phones now have apps for surveying and although measurements should be checked for accuracy, they can give good results.

For more complicated landscapes it is sometimes worth hiring a specialist surveying company to do all this for you!

Activity

Go into a garden, it can be any garden at all, and have a think about how you would go about surveying it. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Which survey technique would I use? (Linear, trilateration, triangulation, bearing and distance) or would I use a combination of techniques for this space?
  • What information would go along with my measurements?

    • What features are there?
    • Which ones would I keep?
    • Which areas are sunny and which are shady? How would this change through the day?
    • What is the soil like?