Batter Peg Reduced Level Calculator
Finds a batter peg reduced level from a hinge RL, an H:V batter and a horizontal offset — showing both the rises-away and falls-away levels until you choose the direction — with a peg residual and correction against your tolerance.
Inputs
Peg RL on an H:V batter from a hinge RL and horizontal offset — with the slope direction chosen explicitly, never from cut/fill labels.
Enter the values and press Calculate.
Or load an example to see a worked result.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the hinge (or string-line) reduced level, the batter ratio H for an H:1 (H:V) batter, and the horizontal offset from the hinge to the peg.
- Choose which way the finished surface goes away from the hinge — rises or falls — from your cross-section. Until you choose, both candidate levels are shown and neither is the answer.
- Optionally enter the measured RL at a set peg and your tolerance to get the residual and the peg correction.
How it works
Vertical change = horizontal offset ÷ H. Peg RL = hinge RL + change if the surface rises away from the hinge, or hinge RL − change if it falls away.
The words cut and fill do not set the sign. Measured from a hinge at the toe of a batter the surface rises away; from a hinge at the crest it falls away — for cut and fill alike. That is why the tool asks for the direction and never infers it.
Batter grade = 100 ÷ H % and angle = atan(1 ÷ H). Residual = measured − design RL; the peg correction is the same amount with the opposite sign (raise or lower). Your tolerance is compared on unrounded values, inclusive.
Worked example
Hinge RL 50.000, 2:1 batter, 3 m offset. Vertical change = 3 ÷ 2 = 1.500 m. If the surface rises away from the hinge the peg RL is 51.500; if it falls away it is 48.500. A 2:1 batter is a 50 % grade, about 26.57° from horizontal. A peg measured at 51.512 on the rising batter is 12 mm high — lower it 12 mm; that is outside a ±10 mm tolerance.
Frequently asked questions
Which way does the slope rise?
Look at the cross-section from the hinge: if the finished surface goes up as you move away, choose rises; if it goes down, choose falls. A cut or fill label alone does not tell you — it depends on whether the hinge is at the toe or the crest.
Does 2:1 mean H:V?
In this tool, yes: 2:1 means 2 horizontal to 1 vertical, entered as H = 2. Some drawings write slopes as V:H — check the drawing's note before entering it.
Is the distance horizontal?
Yes. The offset is a plan (horizontal) distance from the hinge. A distance measured along the slope is longer; convert it first: horizontal = slope length × H ÷ √(H² + 1).
Is this official course material?
No. It is free study support mapped to surveying course levels — not official North Metropolitan TAFE content or advice. Always follow your lecturer and the official assessment brief, and check your own working.
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Cite this tool
Zerdly. (2026). Batter Peg Reduced Level Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.zerdly.com/tools/batter-peg-reduced-level-calculator/
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
Designed to run locally in your browser. Tool inputs are not intentionally stored by Zerdly unless stated otherwise.