Level staff

Levelling rods can be one piece, but many are sectional and can be shortened for storage and transport or lengthened for use.

In both parts of the pattern, the squares, lines or spaces are precisely one centimetre high.

When viewed through an instrument's telescope, the observer can visually interpolate a 1 cm mark to a tenth of its height, yielding a reading with precision in mm.

On this side of the rod, the colours of the markings alternate between red and black with each meter of length.

The tenths of a foot point is indicated by the top of the long mark with the upward sloped end.

When the target is set to align with the crosshairs of the instrument, the rodman records the level value.

The automation removes the requirement for the operator to read a scale and write down the value, and so reduces blunders.